Unit 2 Age of Reformation

Reformation

A 16th-century religious movement that challenged the Catholic Church and led to the rise of Protestantism.

Indulgences

Payments to the Catholic Church that were said to reduce punishment for sins.

Martin Luther

A German monk who started the Protestant Reformation by criticizing church abuses.

Johann Tetzel

A Dominican friar who sold indulgences, which angered Martin Luther.

Desiderius Erasmus

A Christian humanist who called for reform of the Church through education and inner piety.

Thomas More

An English humanist who wrote Utopia and opposed Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church.

95 Theses

Martin Luther’s list of criticisms against the sale of indulgences, posted in 1517.

Diet of Worms

The 1521 meeting where Martin Luther refused to recant his beliefs before Emperor Charles V.

Charles V

The Holy Roman Emperor who tried to stop the spread of Protestantism.

Primacy of Scripture

The Protestant belief that the Bible is the ultimate authority in Christianity.

Faith Alone

Luther’s teaching that salvation comes only through faith, not good works.

Priesthood of All Believers

The idea that all Christians can have a direct relationship with God without priests.

John Calvin

A Protestant reformer who founded Calvinism and stressed predestination.

Predestination

The belief that God has already chosen who will be saved and who will be damned.

The Elect

The small group of people chosen by God for salvation in Calvinist belief.

Geneva

The Swiss city where John Calvin established a strict Protestant community.

Union of Utrecht

1579 treaty uniting northern Dutch provinces against Spain, foundation of the Dutch Republic.

Jan Hus

Czech reformer, challenged Church authority; executed for heresy, precursor to Protestantism.

John Wycliffe

English theologian, translated Bible into vernacular; criticized papal power, inspired Lollards.

Huldrych Zwingli

Swiss reformer, rejected Catholic rituals; emphasized scripture, clashed with Luther.

Simony

Buying/selling of church offices; symbol of corruption before Reformation.

Anglican Church

Church of England, created by Henry VIII, separate from Rome but Protestant in theology.

Henry VIII

English king who broke with Rome to annul his marriage; established Anglican Church.

Act of Supremacy

1534 law making Henry VIII head of the Church of England.

Concordat of Bologna

1516 agreement giving French king control over church appointments, kept France Catholic.

Elizabeth I

Protestant queen of England; stabilized religion, defeated Spanish Armada.

Elizabethan Settlement

Religious compromise making England officially Protestant but with some Catholic practices.

Peace of Augsburg

1555 treaty allowing German princes to choose Lutheranism or Catholicism (“whose realm, his religion”).

Catherine de’ Medici

French queen, tried to balance Catholics and Protestants; linked to St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)

Protestant who became king of France; converted to Catholicism for unity.

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

1572 killing of thousands of Huguenots in Paris and across France.

Henry III

French king during Wars of Religion; assassinated, last Valois king.

War of the Three Henrys

French civil war between Henry III, Henry of Navarre, and Henry of Guise.

Henry IV

Established Bourbon dynasty; issued Edict of Nantes for religious tolerance.

Edict of Nantes

1598 decree granting limited toleration to French Protestants (Huguenots).

Religious Pluralism

Coexistence of multiple faiths; challenged Catholic unity.

Charles V

Holy Roman Emperor, fought to maintain Catholic unity; divided empire.

Ottoman Empire

Powerful Islamic empire; threatened Christian Europe, distracted Charles V.

Thirty Years’ War

1618-a major religious and political conflict fought in Central Europe from 1618 to 1648, primarily within the Holy Roman Empire

Cardinal Richelieu

French minister who strengthened monarchy, supported Protestants abroad to weaken Habsburgs.

Peace of Westphalia

1648 treaty ending Thirty Years’ War; recognized state sovereignty and religious pluralism.

Politiques

Leaders who valued political stability over religious conflict (e.g., Henry IV, Elizabeth I).

Holy Office

Catholic institution to defend doctrine; oversaw Inquisition.

Catholic Reformation

Catholic Church’s response to Protestantism; reforms and reaffirmation of doctrine.

Roman Inquisition

Church court to root out heresy in Italy.

Spanish Inquisition

Harsh tribunal enforcing Catholic orthodoxy in Spain.

Index of Prohibited Books

List of banned heretical texts by Catholic Church.

Ignatius Loyola

Founder of Jesuits; emphasized discipline, education, missionary work.

Jesuits

Catholic order, spread education and faith; spearheaded Counter-Reformation.

Ursulines

Catholic order for women; focused on female education.

Teresa of Ávila

Spanish mystic and nun, reformed Carmelite order.

Council of Trent

Catholic council reaffirming doctrine, reforming abuses, standardizing liturgy.

Primogeniture

Right of eldest son to inherit family property.

House of Lords

Upper house of English Parliament; nobles and clergy.

House of Commons

Lower house of Parliament; commoners and gentry.

Patriarchal

Male-dominated social system.

Dowry

Money/property given by bride’s family at marriage.

La Querelle des Femmes

“The Woman Question”; debate over women’s nature and role.

Black Death

Plague killing millions in 14th century; weakened Church authority.

Carnival

Festival before Lent with role-reversals and excess.

Penance

Catholic sacrament of confession and forgiveness.

Blood Sports

Violent entertainment (bull/bear baiting).

Charivari

Mocking public rituals to enforce social norms.

Stocks/Pillory/Pranger

Public humiliation punishments.

Whipping/Branding

Physical punishments to enforce order.

Maleficium

Witchcraft, believed to cause harm; central to witch trials.

Mannerism

Artistic style with distortion, emotion, tension.

Tintoretto

Mannerist painter from Venice, dramatic religious works.

El Greco

Spanish painter; elongated figures, mystical style.

Baroque

Dramatic, ornate art style tied to Catholic Reformation.

Caravaggio

Italian Baroque painter; used realism and dramatic lighting.

Artemisia Gentileschi

Female Baroque painter; biblical heroines, intense emotion.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Baroque sculptor/architect; St. Peter’s, Ecstasy of St. Teresa.

Peter Paul Rubens

Flemish Baroque painter; dynamic, sensual, religious and mythological themes.