Lesson 3/4

Charles V

Charles V (1500-1558) was the Holy Roman emperor during the time of Martin Luther's reformation efforts. His immense empire included large areas of Europe. A staunch Catholic, he rejected Luther's doctrines. The Protestant upheaval, along with political pressures, led Charles to voluntarily give up his throne. He divided the empire between his son and his brother. Charles entered a Catholic monastery where he remained until his death.

Henry VIII

Henry VIII (1491-1547) was the second Tudor king of England. Well-educated and athletic, he was initially a favorite of the English people. He lost much of that popularity with his constant involvement in wars. Henry's desire for a male heir was the catalyst for his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church and the formation of the Church of England.

Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) went from an early career as a Spanish nobleman soldier to become a theologian and an influential participant in the Catholic Reformation. While recovering from leg surgery, Ignatius read a book on the lives of the saints and decided that serving God was holy chivalry. From that time until his death, Ignatius studied, preached, and did missionary work as founder of the Society of Jesus, an order of religious men who came to be known as Jesuits.

Pope Paul III

Italian pope who excommunicated Henry VIII, instituted the order of the Jesuits, appointed many reform-minded cardinals, and initiated the Council of Trent and established the Holy congregation of the Holy Office. Immediately made his teenage grandson a cardinal. He also established an Inquisition in the papal states.

John Calvin

John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French theologian and lawyer. Influenced by the humanist philosophy of Erasmus, Calvin became involved with the Protestant movement while a student at the University of Paris. He later moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he set up a theocracy and wrote Institutes of the Christian Religion . Calvin's interpretation of Christian doctrine is called Calvinism.

Martin Luther

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk and theologian who was the catalyst of the Protestant Reformation. Trained to become a lawyer, he changed his path, joined a strict order of Roman Catholic monks, and studied theology. Seeking to reform abuses within the Church, Luther challenged Church teachings with his 95 Theses. This led to his excommunication and the development of Lutheranism, the first of several Protestant sects.

Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor (1516-1558) was the first queen to rule England in her own right. The daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Mary was a staunch Catholic who failed to turn back the tide of the Protestant Reformation in England. Her vigorous persecution of Protestants earned her the nickname "Bloody Mary."