Glossary

Northern Humanism- knowledge of the classics with a focus on sources
of early Christianity.

Utopia- an idealistic society based on communal ownership and a single
class system.

Modern Devotion- popular mysticism which involved imitating Christ's
life in order to be in true communion with him.

Justification- the act in which a person becomes deserving of salvation.

95 Theses- an indictment of the abuses of the sale of indulgences written
by Martin Luther in 1517.

Indulgences- a paper sold in order to bring remission of punishment due
to sins and lessen the time one spent in purgatory.

A Mighty Fortress is Our God- the battle hymn of the Reformation.

Peasant's War- uprisings by German peasants suffering due to economic
changes.

Peace of Augsburg- Lutherans were acknowledged the same legal
rights as Catholics in the German states.

Anabaptists- radical Protestants who believed in total separation of
church and state.

Vernacular- the spoken language of the people in a certain area.

Society of Jesus (Jesuits)- a Catholic religious order created to curtail the
spread of Protestantism and improve clerical education.

Council of Trent- council which reaffirmed traditional Catholic beliefs in
opposition to Protestant teachings.

Transubstantiation- the act of Jesus's body replacing the host in Catholic
communion.

Consubstantiation- the act of Christ being present in the communion
service, but not directly in the wafer in some Protestant views of communion.