AP Euro Reformation #1

ad fontes

Latin for “to the sources”; a Renaissance call to return to the original texts, especially Scripture and classical works.

pluralism

The practice of one cleric holding multiple church offices at the same time, often leading to neglect and corruption.

simony

The buying or selling of church offices or spiritual privileges.

nepotism

Favoring relatives by giving them positions of power or influence, especially in the church hierarchy.

usury

The lending of money at unreasonably high interest rates; condemned by the medieval church.

relics

Physical remains or personal belongings of saints, often venerated by the faithful as holy.

Martin Luther

A German monk, theologian, and reformer (1483–1546) who initiated the Protestant Reformation by challenging church practices like indulgences.

John Tetzel

A Dominican friar known for selling indulgences in Germany, which provoked Luther’s protest.

Purgatory

In Catholic teaching, a state after death where souls are purified before entering heaven.

Indulgences

Grants by the Catholic Church that reduced the temporal punishment for sins, often obtained by money or good works.

Ockham’s Razor

A philosophical principle stating that the simplest explanation, requiring the fewest assumptions, is usually the best.

St. Peter’s Pence

A church tax or donation given by Christians to support the papacy in Rome.

penance

A sacrament in which a Christian confesses sins to a priest and performs actions to show repentance.

recant

To publicly withdraw or renounce one’s beliefs or statements, especially under church or state pressure.

heresy

Beliefs or teachings that contradict official church doctrine.

95 Theses

The document Martin Luther nailed to the Wittenberg church door in 1517, criticizing indulgences and church corruption.

justification by works

The belief that salvation comes through good deeds and fulfilling church practices.

justification by faith

The belief, central to Protestantism, that salvation comes by faith alone in God’s grace, not by works.

sola fide

Latin for “faith alone”; the doctrine that faith in Christ is the only requirement for salvation.

sola scriptura

Latin for “Scripture alone”; the belief that the Bible is the sole authority in matters of faith and practice.

sola gratia

Latin for “grace alone”; the belief that salvation is entirely a gift of God’s grace, not earned by human effort.

The Magisterium

The teaching authority of the Catholic Church, exercised by the pope and bishops.

the mass

The central act of Catholic worship, commemorating the Last Supper with the Eucharist.

transubstantiation

Catholic belief that during Mass, bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ while retaining their outward appearance.

consubstantiation

A belief associated with Luther that Christ’s body and blood coexist with bread and wine in the Eucharist but do not replace them.

Charles V

Holy Roman Emperor (1519–1556) who opposed the Protestant Reformation and defended Catholicism.

Holy Roman Empire

A multi-ethnic realm in central Europe (962–1806), loosely united under an emperor, often struggling between papal and imperial authority.