Chapter 14: Reformation Vocabulary

Johann Tetzel

"The Pardon Peddler", this priest is famous for the selling of indulgences across Germany and is regarded as the catalyst for Luther's writing of the 95 Theses

Pilgrimage of Grace

a large rebellion (1536) against changes to religion in England during the reign of Henry VIII ultimately put down by the crown

Society of Jesuits

known also as the Jesuits, this Catholic order played a powerful international role in strengthening Catholicism in Europe and spreading faith around the world

Swabian Peasant Revolt

large scale German peasant uprising that generally cited reformed religious ideals as the basis for political freedom; crushed by the forces of the HRE; 1524-25

Council of Trent

meeting from 1545-63, this council met intermittently in Trent, Italy to not only reform the Catholic Church but also reconcile with the Protestants; reconciliation failed but the Council did lay the foundation for the spiritual renewal within the RCC and is largely considered a historical success

Jesuits/Society of Jesus

members of the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius Loyola, whose goal was the spread of the Roman Catholic faith

Protestant

name originally given to Lutherans, which came to mean all non-Catholic Western Christian groups

politiques

Catholic and Protestant moderates who held that only a strong monarchy could save France from total collapse

Henry VIII

Tudor king of England, known for splitting England away from the Catholic Church and the foundling of what would become the Anglican Church of England; father of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I

indulgence

a document issued by the Catholic Church lessening penance or time in purgatory, widely believed to bring forgiveness of all sins

Brethren of the Common Life

a group of pious laypeople who lived simple lives while feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick; also known for teaching in local schools with the goal of creating devout candidates for the priesthood

Peace of Augsburg

the 1555 agreement between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and the Protestant Princes of the HRE to allow Lutheranism to exist in the HRE

95 Theses

the Martin Luther anti-indulgences pamphlet that was widely copied and published sparking a Church response that would spawn the Reformation

Curius regio, eius religio (whose realm, his religion)

the Peace of Augsburg (1555) established this rule to decide what religion the people of any given realm within the HRE would be

consubstantiation

the Protestant belief that the bread and wine used in ceremony undergoes a spiritual transformation but not a physical one

transubstantiation

the Roman Catholic belief that the bread and wine used in the Catholic Mass transformed into the body and blood of Christ

Union of Ultrecht

the alliance of seven northern provinces (led by Holland) that declared its independence from Spain and formed the United Provinces of the Netherlands

simony

the buying and selling of church offices; widely considered to be a corrupt practice

pluralism

the clerical practice of folding more than one church benefice (or office) at the same time and enjoying the income from each

Huguenots

French Calvinists

The Index of Forbidden Books

Catholic Church's list of publications forbidden for its followers to read

Presbyter

an elder or minister of the Christian Church (not Catholic)

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

cousin of Elizabeth I and ruler of Scotland before losing her throne to a Presbyterian rebellion; her eventual nineteen year captivity in England led to her involvement in plots to remove/kill Queen Elizabeth; after being found guilty, she was executed and her son James succeeded Elizabeth upon the throne

Mary I (Tudor)

first daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon (Spanish), she followed her younger step brother Edward by undoing all of the reformed religious change to England executing several hundred Protestants along the way; unpopular queen

anticlericalism

opposition to the clergy

Elizabeth I

second daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she followed her half-sister Mary to the throne, returned England to the Protestant Church of England (with herself as the supreme governor) and ruled England as a very popular queen for 45 years

Edward VI (Tudor)

son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, his short reign was responsible for a disproportionately large amount of religious change including a simpler service, and the Book of Common Prayer (written in vernacular English)

Martin Luther

the German theologian, whose work the 95 Theses is most often cited as the cause of the Reformation

Calvinism

the core belief of this reformed religion is the idea of predestination; key ideas also include the absolute sovereignty and omnipotence of God, and men and women as insignificant grains of sand against the power of God

Puritans

those extreme English Protestants who demanded all forms of Catholicism be removed from the Church of England; in essence they wanted to purify the Anglican Church

Charles V

very powerful ruler of the HRE who fought to be a successful conclusion against France, and held back the Ottoman Empire outside Vienna but was unable to prevent the Reformation within Germany eventually settling for the Peace of Augsburg

the elect

Calvinists who believed they were ultimately to be saved by God were called

Book of Common Prayer

English standard prayer book that debuted under Edward VI; significant because it allowed for more service and prayer to be conducted in vernacular English over Latin

John Calvin

French theologian famous for writing The Institutes of the Christian Religion and for helping to establish a Christian society in Geneva ruled by God through magistrates and reformed ministers; often mentioned as the second most important Protestant reformer behind Luther

Sola Scriptura

Latin phrase meaning the Bible is the one true authority in Christian religion (as opposed to the interpretive authority of the Roman Catholic Church)

John Knox

Scottish preacher who studied under Calvin and is known for leading the reform of Scotland away from Roman Catholic toward what would become known as Presbyterianism

Ignatius of Loyola

Spanish Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and author of Spiritual Exercises, a book designed to set out a training program for structured medication and spiritual discipline

Ulrich Zwingli

Swiss reformed religious thinker who was convinced that Christian life rested on the Scriptures alone, which were the pure words of God and the sole basis of religious truth

the Consistory

a body of laymen and pastors in Calvinist Geneva whose job was "to keep watch over every man's life, to admonish amiably those whom they see leading a disorderly life" and provide "medicine to turn sinners to the Lord"

The Institutes of the Christian Religion

a book outlining John Calvin's formulation of Christian doctrine, which became a systematic theology for Protestantism

Edict of Nantes

a document issued by Henry IV of France in 1598, granting liberty of conscience and of public worship to Calvinists, which helped restore peace in France

Anabaptists

reformed religious group whose name meant "rebaptizers"; they were often pacifist refusing to hold office or swear oaths leading to them being social outcasts and distrusted by mainstream society

Spanish Armada

the fleet sent by Philip II of Spain in 1588 against England as a religious crusade against Protestantism; weather and the English fleet defeated it

Diet of Worms

the meeting in 1521 at Worms where Charles V rejected Luther's defense of reformed religious thinking

Marburg Colloquy

the meeting in Marburg, Germany between Luther (German) and Ulrich Zwingli (Swiss) to attempt to reconcile their already diverging reformed religious movements; they couldn't reconcile leading to the further fragmentation of Protestantism

Elizabethan Settlement

the middle course chosen by Elizabeth I regarding religion as she ascended the throne; chose to be called the governor of the Church of England instead of the "head" to allow Catholics to remain loyal to her and the Pope, but she required all to attend the Church of England or pay a fine; in this way she was able to create some religious stability in England

Holy Office

the official Roman Catholic agency founded in 1542 to combat international doctrine heresy

Edict of Worms

the order of Charles V in 1521 for all of Martin Luther's work to be banned, and for Luther himself to be exiled from the HRE

Pope Leo X

the pope at the start of the Reformation, largely considered to be an exemplar of the Church corruption critics were so angry with

witch hunting

the practice of accusing people of witchcraft and prosecuting witch trials; this practice reached its height during the Reformation

Priesthood of All Believers

the reformed religious idea that Christianity was made up of an invisible fellowship that was not fixed in any one place as opposed to the RCC's belief that it was the sum of clerical institution headed by the Pope in Rome

predestination

the teaching that God has determined the salvation or damnation of individuals based on his will and purpose, not on their merit or works

benefice

word meaning both a benefit of owning a church office (usually monetary) and also the physical property/office itself