Johann Tetzel

1465-1519

A wandering friar who was authorized by Pope Leo X to sell indulgences to help pay for the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Church in Rome.

Martin Luther

1483-1546

Roman Catholic priest, Augustinian monk, and theologian at the University of Wittenburg who condemned the sale of indulgences. He was obsessed with his own damnation despite his life of religion. He nailed 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenburg Church. He believed:

  1. Salvation by faith alone
  2. The Bible is the ultimate authority
  3. The grace of god brings absolution or forgiveness of sin
  4. Baptism and communion are the only valid sacraments (others are confirmation, matrimony, penance, extreme unction, last rites, holy orders). He also rejected transubstantiation and offered consubstantiation instead, which dealt with the bread and the wine.
  5. The clergy is not superior to the laity (laymen).
  6. Church should be subordinate to the state

In 1520, Luther burned a papal bull. He appeared before the Diet of Worms in 1521 where the Holy Roman Empire outlawed him.

Frederick the Wise

  

Elector of Saxony who brought Luther into safety in Wittenburg. There, Luther translated the Bible and organized his reform church

Charles V

  

Holy Roman Emperor who was unable to suppress Protestantism because he was busy with war.

Franz Von Sickengen

  

Led a league Lutheran knights who converted to Lutheranism and attacked Catholic princes of the Rhineland

Albert of Brandenburg- Prussia

  

Ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia who converted to Lutheranism and provided lesser German states with a powerful ally

Huldreich Zwingli

  

Established Protestantism in Swizterland and was killed in a nationwide civil war.

Pope Paul III

  

Assumed office as first of the "reform popes"

Henry VIII

(England)

  

Parliament passed Act of Supremacy to make him head of Anglican church. "Defender of the Faith." Divorced Catherine of Aragon for Anne Boleyn. Appointed Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Cantebury since he divorced Henry.

John Calvin

  

Published Institutes of the Christian Religion. He accepted most of Luther’s ideas but also believed in:

  1. Predestination (God chooses the saved)
  2. Church government (instead of a Church hierarchy, churches are run by a democratic system)

Ignatius Loyola

  

Founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), a holy order that was militant and demanded blind obedience and absolute faith.

St. Jerome

  

Translated the Bible into Latin (Vulgate). This version was made official by Council of Trent.

Matthias

  

Catholic king of Bohemia when the Czechs and Slovaks defenestrated (threw officials out the window); Frederick V of Palatinate replaced him until his death when Ferdinand II became Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia

Albert of Wallenstein

  

Raised a mercenary army to fight the Danes in the 30 Years’ War. Later assassinated for plotting against Ferdinand II.

Cardinal Richelieu

  

Roman Catholic regent of France who offered subsidies to Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus in order to enter into the war against Ferdinand. Adolphus was later killed in action.

Henri Turenne

  

French General who defeated the Spanish at Rocroi in the French-Swedish phase of the 30 Years’ War.