The Reformation Flashcards
John Wycliffe
Early critic of the Church. He was an English Priest & theologian who translated the bible into English. Pushed for many reforms and was eventually declared a heretic
Lollards
English followers of Wycliffe
Jan Huss
Czech Reformer who criticized the church. He was declared a heretic & excommunicated by the
Church. He was then executed by the Holy Roman Empire.
Sola Fide
“Faith Alone”
Luther’s belief that Faith in the work of Jesus is the only thing necessary for salvation. Good
works (according to him) come from your faith, but don’t get you “heavenly credits”
Good Works includes both personal morality AND participation in the sacraments
Martin Luther
- German peasant, lawyer, Catholic monk who will eventually establish the Lutheran Church.
- What began as his stand against indulgences in 1517, gradually escalated into a full scale
revolt against the authority of the Church and the State
95 Theses
- a list of 95 criticism of Indulgences. Historians mark the beginning of the Reformation with his posting of the 95 Theses
Indulgences
Church documents that reduced one’s punishment in purgatory. Traditionally, Indulgences were granted for good works/ prayer as a means of replacing Penances and reducing time in Purgatory.
- the new practice of SELLING indulgences will spark the Reformation
Priesthood of all Believers
Luther’s belief that every man was his own Priest.
Peasant Revolts
Political Implications of Luther’s Beliefs-
If you believe in the “Priesthood of all Believers” and the idea that we are all spiritually equal, then why should nobles have it great and peasants live in filth?
It’s not a crazy jump from “spiritually equal” TO “political & social equality”
Luther did NOT make that jump.
Luther’s Response to the Peasant Revolts?
He did not support them and did not believe that they should be politically equal just spitritually
Wittenberg
Wittenberg is in Saxony, which is in the Holy
Roman Empire.
Saxony
The German Kingdom that Wittenberg is within. The Duke of Saxony, Frederick the Wise, is one of the most powerful princes in the HRE.
Fredrick LIKES Luther
Charles V
Tried to stop the tide of the Reformation. Religious instability further weakened the HRE
Peace of Augsburg (1555)
- marked the end of religious warfare in Germany. The war ended in a stalemate with neither
side able to impose a uniform religion on the H.R.E. The Peace made Protestantism legal. Each
German Prince got to choose the religion of their own country
John Calvin
2nd wave of Reformation. Protestantism as a concept (its look & feel) is moreinfluenced by Calvin’s ideas than on Luther’s. “Reformed Church” is a reference to a Calvinistic
Church.
Predestination
Doctrine (associated with Calvin) that everyone’s fate (heaven or hell) is decided by God before
birth. If you seek God, it’s because God put that desire in you
The Elect
- Calvin’s term for those going to Heaven. They are already chosen by God
Geneva Switzerland
A theocracy created by Calvin as a “shining city on a hill” for Protestants across Europe.
Theocracy
- government ruled by divine authority (religion). Calvin’s Geneva
Significance: Represented a belief that Government was to represent God’s plan. More radical than the common belief that Government was the arm of the Religion, but not the same thing.
Anabaptists
Most Radical group of Protestants
- Protestants who believed in the separation of church and state and not in violence
- infants should not be baptized
- only christians should attend church
- NO participation in the government
Henry VIII
Began the Reformation in England, by breaking from Rome.
Catherine of Aragon
1st wife of Henry VIII. Mother of Mary I. Henry’s desire for a divorce from her precipitated England’s break with Rome.
Anne Boleyn
2nd Wife of Henry VIII. Mother Elizabeth.
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Religious Head of the church in England. When England was Catholic it had been the highest ranking Bishop in England, when England Broke with Rome it remained the highest ranking CHURCH office. But the King is still the official Head of the Church.
Edward VI
- Henry VII’s son by Jane who takes throne at age 9 and is assisted by Cranmer who move church into an extreme protestant direction.
“Bloody” Mary
rules England after the death of Edward VI; is the daughter of Henry VIII by Catherine of Aragon; intends to restore Catholicism and papal authority; isn’t liked in England because of this and her marriage to PhillipII of Spain. End of her reign leaves England more protestant than ever
The degree of change to English church-
• Henry VIII: rejected the supremacy of the Pope and Rome but kept Catholic Doctrine the same
(moderate)
• Edward VI: made the church extremely Protestant; removed celibacy and relics and created
new liturgy
• Mary I: made the church extremely Catholic and persecuted Protestants
So you are Joe Average. You go to church in 1500 and it’s a good catholic church. You show up
one day in 1540, and notice that a couple of changes have been made [no mention of the pope,
and lots of references to King Henry]. You go again in 1550 and notice that there have been
sweeping changes [priest is married, no similarity to the church service that you attended waaay
back in 1500]. So much craziness in one church building. You go back in 1555 and the Catholic
Priest is back in the pulpit, the mass is in Latin, and you are slightly confused. Best just keep
your mouth shut on what you think about religion.
Elizabeth I
- Monarch of England from 1558 – 1603 (the end of the Tudor family tree)
- Exceptional monarch of England, created a strong nation poised to expand into a global empire.
Elizabethan Settlement
This is the nickname for the compromise establishing the look of England’s official church (The
Church of England). Most people accepted it. Only Extreme Protestants (Calvinists-Puritans) and
Extreme Catholics were unhappy with this compromise.
Significance: Ended the religious turmoil in England. Established the modern Anglican Church.
Puritans
English Calvinists who (working within the Anglican Church) wanted to PURIFY the church of
every remnant of Catholic stuff. Both in the practices of the Church and of its doctrines. They
wanted a plain church service, in English, with very little ritual and formality
Philip II (of Spain)
King of Spain (Son of Charles V). Nickname: The Most Catholic King
Husband of Bloody Mary (until he left for Spain) Sent the Armada against Elizabeth
The Catholic Reformation / The Counter Reformation
Ignatius Loyola
founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits); was a spanish soldier. became a soldier of the Pope. Part of the Catholic/Counter Reformation
Jesuits
- members of the Society of Jesus; an army of obedient Catholics/scholars
Council of Trent
- meeting that was to decide a compromise in the between the Catholics and Protestants, but
because only Catholics could participate left the church in the same conservative fashion.
Determined that church doctrine was correct! but that some of the abuses (luxuy, absenteeism
etc) needed to be cleaned up.
St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
- 3 day slaughter of Huguenots. example of the savagry of the era
- For protestants throughout Europe, it turned a local fight between nobles into an international
struggle for survival against an enemy whose actions justified any means of resistance.
“Paris is worth a Mass”
- Famous quotation from Henry of Navarre when he converted to Catholicism in order to become
King of France. Perfect example of the intermingling of religious/political struggles.
English Translation: “Governing France is worth going to a church I don’t really believe in
