Unit 2: Protestant Reformation and Wars of Religion

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the Protestant Reformation and the subsequent wars of religion as discussed in Unit 2.

Simony

The buying and selling of church offices.

Nepotism

The appointing of family and friends to church offices, regardless of qualification.

Indulgences

Payments made to the church for the remission of sins or to release loved ones from purgatory.

Martin Luther

An Augustinian monk whose 95 theses criticized church corruption and sparked the Protestant Reformation.

95 Theses

A document by Martin Luther that criticized the Catholic Church and called for reform.

Diet of Worms

The assembly where Martin Luther was tried and refused to recant his teachings.

Huguenots

French Protestants, many of whom converted to Calvinism.

Council of Trent

A council of the Catholic Church aimed at reforming itself and responding to Protestant criticisms.

Peace of Augsburg

A 1555 agreement that allowed individual rulers in the Holy Roman Empire to choose the religion of their state.

Thirty Years' War

A conflict from 1618 to 1648 involving various European nations primarily over religious issues.

Baroque Art

A highly decorative and emotional artistic style that emerged in the late 16th century and was used by the Catholic Church.

Anabaptists

A Protestant sect that rejected infant baptism and believed in adult baptism upon confession of faith.

Predestination

The doctrine that God has predetermined who will be saved and who will be condemned.

Theocracy

A political system where the state is governed by religious authorities.

Vernacular

The common language spoken by the people, as opposed to Latin.

Calvinism

A branch of Protestantism founded by John Calvin that emphasized predestination and the sovereignty of God.

Catholic Reformation

The period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent in response to Protestant Reformation.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius of Loyola to promote Catholic education and missionary work.

Bourbon family

A prominent French family involved in the Huguenot wars and the Massacre of Vassy.

Massacre of Vassy

A 1562 incident where Huguenots were killed during a worship service, marking the start of the French Wars of Religion.

Edict of Nantes

A 1598 decree that granted limited freedom of worship to Huguenots in France.

Defenestration of Prague

The act of throwing Ferdinand II's officials out of a window, which sparked the Thirty Years' War.