The Protestant Reformation

Question 1

when and where did the black death erupt?

Answer 1

in the gobi desert in the 1320s

Question 2

what was the medical term for the black plague?

Answer 2

the bubonic plague

Question 3

what carries the black plague?

Answer 3

rats and other rodents

Question 4

what were symptoms of the black plague?

Answer 4

• high fever
• aching of limbs
• vomiting of blood
• swelling of lymph nodes

Question 5

why was the black death feared?

Answer 5

• how fast it could kill
• the terrible pain it caused
• frightful appearance of the victims

Question 6

what did christians think caused the plague?

Answer 6

god’s anger at humanity’s sins

Question 7

what did christians do to appease god?

Answer 7

began taking extreme measures (groups called flagellants went through towns doing public penance, inflicted pain/punishment on thmeselves to atone for the world’s sins)

Question 8

what happened to the flagellants?

Answer 8

they were condemned by the pope in 1349 for their extreme approach

Question 9

what did people wonder about the plague and god?

Answer 9

the huge loss of life combined with the ugliness of the disease made people wonder why god was so anrgy with his people

Question 10

what did catholics question due to the plague?

Answer 10

they questioned the authority of servants and leaders in the church, as they couldnt seem to appease god’s anger

Question 11

what beliefs did the plague cause?

Answer 11

• caused some to lose belief in christianity
• some believed the world was ending

Question 12

what is an indulgence?

Answer 12

an indulgence is an action, prayer, or sacrifice that can take away all or part of purgatory for oneself or another, given in return for something good that a person does in this life

Question 13

what is purgatory?

Answer 13

a state or place where those who still have to make up for their sins go after death

Question 14

how can a person be freed from purgatory?

Answer 14

• through faith and compassion to others whilst on earth
• through prayer and good works from the living that can reduce/release the souls of others from purgatory

Question 15

how did churches abuse indulgences?

Answer 15

they monetised indulgences (buy an indulgence to release a deceased soul from heaven)

Question 16

what are some ways that indulgences led to abuse?

Answer 16

• some priests and bishops gave out excessive indulgences
• some religious brothers and sisters falsely claimed that they were authorised by the pope to forgive all sorts of sins (took money from people who believed/respected them)
• good works required for an indulgence = giving money to causes such as building churches

Question 17

when was the abuse of indulgences very frequent?

Answer 17

in the lead up to the reformation

Question 18

how did the abuse of indulgences lead to the building of st peter’s basilica?

Answer 18

pope leo x granted indulgences for contributions made to building st peter’s basilica

Question 19

where was there corruption in the church leading up to the reformation?

Answer 19

• bishops were absent from dioceses
• clergy was dishonest
• most lay people were uneducated and powerless

Question 20

how did the abuse of indulgences with building st peter’s basilica contribute to the reformation?

Answer 20

it gave martin luther an opportunity to attack the concept of indulgences

Question 21

who was martin luther?

Answer 21

• german
• became a lecturer on the bible
• parents wanted him to be a lawyer, he became a devout monk

Question 22

what were the 95 theses?

Answer 22

95 statements written by martin luther

Question 23

what did the 95 theses talk about?

Answer 23

explored aspects of church life and teaching, especially about indulgences, and attacked abuses of church teachings + corruption in the church

Question 24

what did his students do with his indulgences?

Answer 24

they nailed them to the wittenberg castle church door to spread them across germany

Question 25

what was pope leo x’s response when luther refused to take back his attack?

Answer 25

issued a statement that outlined church doctrine on indulgences and condemned luther’s ideas