Chapter 13

Martin Luther

(1483 - 1546) A German monk and professor of theology whose critique of the papacy launched the Protestant Reformation.

Ulrich Zwingli

(1484 - 1531) A former priest from the Swiss city of Zurich, Zwingli joined Luther and Calvin in attacking the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

Henry VIII

(1491 - 1547) King of England from 1509 until his death, Henry rejected the authority of the Roman Church in 1534 when the pope refused to annul his marriage to his queen, Catherine of Aragon; he became the founder of the Church of England.

John Calvin

(1509 - 1564) French-born theologian and reformer whose radical form of Protestantism was adopted in many Swiss cities, notably Geneva.

Cuius regio, eius religio

A Latin phrase meaning "as the ruler, so the religion" Adopted as a part of the settlement of the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, it meant that those principalities ruled by Lutherans would have Lutheranism as their official religion and those ruled by Catholics must practice Catholicism.

Church of England

Founded by Henry VIII in the 1530s, as a consequence of his break with the authority of the Roman pope.

Ignatius Loyola

Founder of the Society of Jesus.

Indulgences

Grants exempting Catholic Christians from the performance of penance, either in life or after death. The abusive trade in indulgences was a major catalyst of the Protestant Reformation.

Anabaptists

Protestant movement that emerged in Switzerland in 1521; its adherents insisted that only adults could be baptized Christians.

Reformation

Religious and political movement in sixteenth-century Europe that led to a break between dissenting forms of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church; notable figures include Martin Luther and John Calvin.

Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Church

The movement to counter the Protestant Reformation, initiated by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1545.

Council of Trent

The name given to a series of meetings held in the Italian city of Trent (Trento) between 1545 and 1563, when leaders of the Roman Church reaffirmed Catholic doctrine and instituted internal reforms.

Protestantism

The name given to the many dissenting varieties of Christianity that emerged during the Reformation in sixteenth century western Europe. While Protestant beliefs and practices differed widely, all were united in their rejection of papal authority and the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church.

Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

The religious order formally known as the Society of Jesus, founded in 1540 by Ignatius Loyola to combat the spread of Protestantism. The Jesuits would become active in politics, education, and missionary work.

Diet of Worms

The select council of the Church that convened in the German city of Worms and condemned Martin Luther on a charge of heresy in 1521.