Unit 2: The Protestant Reformation and Wars of Religion

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, doctrines, figures, and events of the 16th and 17th-century Protestant and Catholic Reformations.

The Protestant Reformation

A $16^{\text{th}}$-century religious movement from $1517$ to $1648$ that sought to reform the Catholic Church and led to the establishment of Protestantism.

Sola Fide

The doctrine of 'justification by faith alone' developed by Martin Luther, asserting that salvation is through faith rather than good works.

Indulgence

The remission of a temporal penalty for sin which was paid in purgatory; by Luther’s time, these were often sold for cash payments.

Simony

The practice of buying and selling church offices or positions of power within the Church, named after Simon Magus.

95 Theses

A document published by Martin Luther on October $31$, $1517$, which criticized the sale of indulgences and marked the start of the Reformation.

Predestination

A central Calvinist doctrine stating that God has already chosen a few individuals, known as 'The Elect,' for salvation regardless of their acts or faith.

Anabaptists

A radical Protestant group meaning 'rebaptize' who rejected infant baptism and advocated for adult baptism based on a confession of faith.

Peace of Augsburg

A $1555$ agreement that established the permanent division of Christendom and the principle of 'cuius regio, eius religio.'

Cuius regio, eius religio

A Latin phrase meaning 'the ruler of a land determines its religion,' allowing local princes to choose Lutheranism or Catholicism for their domain.

Act of Supremacy

A $1534$ act by the English Parliament that declared King Henry VIII 'the only supreme head of the Church of England.'

The Jesuits

The Society of Jesus, a Catholic reform group founded by Ignatius Loyola in the $1530\text{s}$ that followed a military model to serve as 'soldiers of Christ.'

Council of Trent

A series of meetings between $1545$ and $1563$ that reasserted traditional Catholic doctrines, such as the authority of tradition and the seven sacraments.

Diet of Worms

An imperial assembly presided over by Charles V where Martin Luther refused to recant his views and was placed under an imperial ban.

The Elect

In Calvinist theology, the chosen individuals saved by God’s grace who searched for signs of their status through success in business or crops.

Benefice system

The sale of religious office to the highest bidder, which collapsed as communities protested financial and spiritual abuses.

The Great Schism ($1378$-$1417$)

A period where European loyalties were split between two rival popes in Rome and Avignon, weakening the Church’s authority.

Avignon Papacy

A period from $1309$ to $1377$ when seven French popes resided in Avignon under French pressure, symbolizing growing tensions between monarchs and the Church.

Schmalkaldic League

A military alliance of Protestant German princes formed in the $1530\text{s}$ to defend Lutheran interests against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

Augsburg Confession

A $1531$ document that served as the definitive statement of Lutheran beliefs.

John Tetzel

A famous indulgence preacher whose activities spurred Martin Luther to publish the Ninety-five Theses.

Don Quixote

A major literary work by Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra that satirized chivalric romances and juxtaposed idealism with realism.

Coitus Interruptus

A common early birth control measure condemned by the church as an interruption of a natural act intended for procreation.

Wet Nurses

Women hired by upper-class families to breastfeed infants, a practice condemned by the church and physicians for increasing infant mortality.

Priesthood of all believers

A Protestant doctrine asserting that scripture is the primary authority and that all believers have direct spiritual access without a priestly mediator.