1. religion
   military
2. arts

The Reformation was a profound shift in religious thinking, first in Europe and then around the world. In the end, it changed many aspects of society and culture.

1. Catholicism
   Buddhism
2. Satanism

In the 16th century, the Catholic Church dominated much of European society. But not everyone was happy with the Church’s teachings, or the behavior of the men in charge.

1. Pope John Paul II
   Martin Luther
2. George Washington

Martin Luther was a theologian and monk who came to despise some aspects of the Catholic Church. He began writing his rebuttals to the Church in 1517.

1. Mortal sins killed you instantly.
   Venal sins were when you killed a priest.
2. Mortal sins damned you to eternity in Hell; venal sins sent you to purgatory for a while.

The Church said that mortal sins — the worst kind — condemned you to eternity in Hell. Venal sins resulted in a time of cleansing punishment in purgatory.

1. to build false idols
   to bring back to life a murder victim
2. to lessen the amount of time one spent in purgatory

“Indulgences" were fees that people paid to the church in hopes of reducing the amount of time they’d have to spend in purgatory for their venal sins after they died. More than a few priests began abusing the concept as a way of fleecing their followers.

1. to create religious art
   to collect indulgences
2. to kidnap small children

Professional pardoners were the men sent out to collect indulgences. Many times, if people refused to pay, the pardoners would threaten them with eternal damnation.

1. True
2. False

Were you worried that poppa or mama might be stuck in purgatory for their naughtiness on Earth? No worries, the scam artists, er, professional pardoners would sell you indulgences for them, too. As a matter of fact, today is a 2-for-1 special!

1. He felt that indulgences clashed with Christian beliefs.
   He lost all his money paying for indulgences.
2. He thought indulgences should be much more expensive, after all, it was for your eternal life!

Luther felt that believing in Jesus and the remission of sins should be enough and that indulgences were at odds with Christian teachings. He wasn't afraid to air his ideas in public.

1. Dear Pope, I Don’t Like You
   Ninety-five Theses
2. Catholicism 101

In 1517, Luther composed his Ninety-five Theses, which presented his opposition to indulgences. In an era when religious rebels were often executed, it was a courageous (and dangerous) move on his part.

1. He burned them so no one would find out.
   He turned it into a cookbook.
2. He nailed it to the church door.

As the legend goes, Luther went to his local church in Germany and nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the front door. It was an act that greatly angered Catholic leaders.

1. He wanted to destroy the Catholic Church.
   He merely wanted to open a discussion regarding the state of Catholicism.
2. He was just bored and didn’t know what else to do with his time.

Luther didn’t have any grand ideas for his Theses. He simply wanted to start a discussion regarding the Church’s teachings. What happened next was much more than he anticipated.

1. No one bothered to read them.
   They were thrown out with the rubbish.
2. They were copied and spread all over the place.

Luther’s Theses snagged the imaginations of locals, who copied the text and spread it. In just two months, his Theses were all over Europe. Can of worms = open.

1. email
   fax machine
2. printing press

In 1517, the Gutenberg printing press was a new means of creating and spreading information. Using these printing presses, Luther’s followers quickly spread his Theses throughout the land.

1. venal sins
   corruption
2. infidelity

Luther, in his Theses, wondered why the pope felt it necessary to construct glamorous buildings with the money from indulgences. He was essentially accusing the Church of corruption.

1. Anarchism
   Cult of Pope
2. Lutheranism

Luther could never have imagined the stir his Theses would cause. His teachings created an entire movement, which became known as Lutheranism.

1. He ignored all of it.
   He demanded that Luther renounce his writings.
2. He told Luther to leave a voice message.

The pope was none too happy about Luther and his wayward writings. He demanded that Luther take it all back ... or else.

1. He was excommunicated.
   He was burned at the stake.
2. He was given a high government position.

In 1520, after Luther refused to renounce his writings, the pope had him excommunicated. And the Emperor declared him an outlaw.

1. He ripped out the pages he didn’t like.
   He translated it.
2. He burned it.

Luther contributed to his cause by translating the Bible from Latin to German. The result? Normal Germans could suddenly read the Bible for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

1. He assassinated the pope.
   He had allies in his corner.
2. He was (gently) drawn and quartered instead.

Not everyone loved the pope and the Church. One man, Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, pretended to kidnap Luther, but really he just wanted to keep him safe from his pursuers.

1. Democrats
   Protestants
2. Buddhists

The word "Protestant" eventually became used to describe people who built their own movements in opposition to the Catholic Church. But Protestant was also a political term for those who "protested" the governmental ban on Luther.

1. Americans
   Hindus
2. Jews

Luther wasn’t always a shining example of Christianity. He had a serious problem with Jews, and even said their places of worship should be destroyed and their property confiscated.

1. The government began destroying all presses.
   There was no relationship.
2. Printing presses spread like wildfire.

The more Luther’s ideas took hold, the more presses spread across Europe. Luther’s ideas contributed greatly to the fast spread of printing presses.

1. celebrity
   president
2. outcast

Printing presses rapidly spread Luther’s ideas throughout Europe, and soon he was essentially a rebellious celebrity ... one that the Church couldn’t quietly do away with.

1. True
2. False

Luther opened the floodgates of Reformation, and Protestantism took on all sorts of new forms in various places. Each denomination of Protestantism had its own approach to Christianity.

1. Switzerland
   Uruguay
2. Brazil

Protestanism was manifested in various forms. John Calvin took Luther’s ideas and tweaked them, giving rise to Calvinism in Switzerland.

1. His subordinates told him to.
   He just thought Protestantism looked fun.
2. He wanted an annulment.

Henry VIII famous wanted an annulment from one of his six wives, but the Catholic Church refused. He retaliated by forming the Church of England and drastically reducing the Catholic Church’s power.

1. Neither of them could marry.
   Catholic priests could only marry nuns.
2. Protestant priests could marry.

Unlike Catholic priests, Protestant priests weren’t bound to celibacy. They were free to marry as they wished.

1. about 2 months
   about 2 years
2. about 40 years

The Reformation lasted from 1517 until roughly 1555, a period of nearly 40 years. By then, religion in Europe had dramatically changed.

1. It banned all Lutherans.
   It allowed the coexistence of Lutheranism and Catholisicm.
2. It expelled Catholics from Germany.

By 1555, the violent reactions to the Reformation had mostly ceased. The 1555 Peace of Augsburg allowed for the existence of both Lutheranism and Catholisicm in Germany.

1. That the pope can be a dork sometimes.
   That salvation comes through faith alone.
2. That all of us are going to Hell no matter what.

The Reformation, and Protestantism, were focused on one thing — that faith, and only faith, could lead a soul to salvation. Indulgences and the like had no part in Christianity.