The Protestant Reformation and English Reformation

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures, doctrinal concepts, and legislative acts of the Reformation and English Reformation.

Jan Huss

An early reformer who attacked the Catholic Church and criticized clergy for taking money to get people out of Purgatory.

John Wycliffe

An early religious critic (1320–1384) who attacked Catholic abuses and argued that God, not the clergy or priests, is in charge.

Indulgences

Church practices involving payments of money to priests to reduce the punishment one must undergo for forgiveness.

Martin Luther

A key reformer who fought against indulgences, translated the Bible, championed fundamentalism based strictly on biblical text, and was excommunicated.

Predestination

The theological doctrine associated with John Calvin stating that God already knows where an individual is going in the afterlife.

John Calvin

A major Protestant theologian known for the doctrine of predestination and teaching regarding God's grace.

King Henry VIII

The English monarch who severed ties with the Pope, established the Church of England, and issued the Act of Supremacy.

Act of Supremacy

The legislative act passed under King Henry VIII establishing independence from papal authority and heading the Church of England.

Elizabeth I

The English queen who enacted the Act of Uniformity, defined the Church of England's practices, chose not to marry, and solidified the English church by defeating the Spanish Armada.

Act of Uniformity

Legislation enacted under Elizabeth I that defined and standardized the structure, order, and appearance of the English church.

Spanish Armada

The fleet whose defeat during the reign of Elizabeth I helped solidify the position and security of the English church.

Heretic

A person who holds religious beliefs or opinions that contradict established orthodox church doctrine.

Excommunication

An ecclesiastical decree that officially expels a person from participation in church sacraments and fellowship.

Purgatory

The intermediate state after death where souls undergo purification, which early reformers criticized the clergy for exploiting through fees.

Church of England

The national ecclesiastical body established after the English monarchy broke away from papal authority and declared supreme leadership.

Scriptural Fundamentalism

The Reformation principle championed by Martin Luther holding that all doctrines and religious practices must be strictly grounded in biblical text.

Protestant Denominations

Distinct branches of Western Christianity that developed from the Reformation, including Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal traditions.

Reformation

The 16th-century European religious movement that challenged papal authority and Catholic practices, leading to the creation of Protestant churches.

Eastern Orthodoxy

A major historic branch of Christianity that developed separately from Western Roman Catholicism, maintaining ancient traditions under patriarchal authority.

Coptic Christianity

An ancient branch of Christianity centered in Egypt, representing one of the distinct historic Christian traditions outside of Roman Catholicism.

Religious Doctrine

A codified body of official beliefs, principles, and theological teachings held and taught by a church or religious body.

Vernacular Bible Translation

The process popularized by Martin Luther of rendering sacred scripture into the common language of everyday people rather than Latin.

Clerical Abuses

Corrupt institutional practices criticized by early reformers, such as demanding payments from the faithful to relieve souls from Purgatory.

Grace vs. Good Works

The theological distinction in Protestant thought arguing that human actions are insufficient for salvation without unmerited divine favor.