Age of Reformation Flashcards

The 1555 Peace of Augsburg resolved the first phase of religious conflict in the Holy Roman Empire. Which principle did it establish?

Answer: Each prince would determine whether his territory was Lutheran or Catholic, and dissenting subjects could emigrate

Augsburg established cuius regio, eius religio: rulers chose between Lutheranism and Catholicism for their lands. Subjects who disagreed could move elsewhere.

Which of the following was a major response of the Council of Trent (1545–1563) to the Protestant Reformation?

Answer: It reaffirmed Catholic doctrines such as transubstantiation and the authority of both scripture and church tradition

Trent reaffirmed core Catholic teachings, including transubstantiation, the seven sacraments, and the authority of scripture together with tradition. It rejected the Protestant doctrine of faith alone.

Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses (1517) were primarily a protest against which practice?

Answer: The Church's sale of indulgences to reduce punishment for sins

Luther attacked the sale of indulgences, associated with figures such as Johann Tetzel, because it implied that salvation could be purchased. This challenge led him toward the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Which statement best describes John Calvin's doctrine of predestination?

Answer: God has already chosen those who will be saved, regardless of their actions

Calvin taught that God has predestined the elect for salvation before birth, so human works cannot change that outcome. This distinguished Calvinism from the Catholic emphasis on faith plus works.

The Society of Jesus (Jesuits), founded by Ignatius of Loyola and approved in 1540, contributed to the Catholic Reformation mainly by

Answer: establishing schools and missions and pledging special obedience to the pope

The Jesuits were a disciplined order devoted to education and missionary work, and they swore special obedience to the pope. Their schools and missions helped strengthen Catholicism in Europe and overseas.

Why did Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy (1534) mark a turning point in the English Reformation?

Answer: It made the king the supreme head of the Church of England, ending papal authority over the English church

The Act declared Henry VIII supreme head of the Church of England, severing it from papal authority. The break was driven largely by Henry's need for an annulment and his desire for greater political control.

The Edict of Nantes (1598), issued by Henry IV of France, is best understood as

Answer: a grant of limited toleration and rights of worship to French Protestants in an officially Catholic kingdom

The edict gave Huguenots freedom of conscience, certain rights of worship, and some fortified towns, while Catholicism stayed the established religion. It aimed to end the French Wars of Religion.

The Defenestration of Prague (1618) is historically significant because it

Answer: triggered a Protestant revolt in Bohemia that began the Thirty Years' War

Bohemian Protestant nobles threw Habsburg officials out of a window in Prague, sparking a revolt against Habsburg Catholic rule. This incident began the Thirty Years' War.

Which was a result of the Peace of Westphalia (1648)?

Answer: Calvinism was recognized alongside Lutheranism and Catholicism, and German princes gained greater sovereignty

Westphalia extended the Augsburg settlement to Calvinists and confirmed the princes' autonomy, weakening imperial authority. It also recognized Dutch independence from Spain.

How did Martin Luther respond to the German Peasants' War of 1524–1525?

Answer: He urged the princes to suppress the rebellion harshly, helping to cost him support among the lower classes

Luther denounced the rebels and urged the nobility to crush the uprising. He feared social disorder, and his stance showed that the Lutheran Reformation relied on the support of the princes.