AP European History Unit 2 Cheatsheet: Age of Reformation

Martin Luther's Challenge (early 1500s)

• Criticized Catholic abuses: indulgences, clerical corruption, papal authority
• Used printing press to spread ideas rapidly across Europe

New Protestant Interpretations

• Priesthood of all believers: No clergy intermediaries needed
• Primacy of scripture: Bible alone as authority, not church tradition
• Salvation by faith alone: Works and sacraments insufficient
• Predestination: God predetermined salvation

Wealth & Prosperity

• Calvinists viewed wealth as sign of God's favor and hard work reward
• Challenged medieval Catholic suspicion of profit

Paradox of Reformation

• Religious reform increased state control in some regions
• Religious reform also justified challenging state authority

Examples of Resistance

• Huguenots: French Protestants challenged royal monopoly
• Puritans: English Protestants resisted Anglican establishment
• Polish nobles: Resisted king's religious control

States Tolerating Pluralism

• France (Edict of Nantes, 1598): Limited toleration for peace
• Poland & Netherlands: Multiple faiths coexisted

Witchcraft Accusations (1580–1650 peak)

• Reflected folk ideas about supernatural and social upheaval
• Prominence of women as accused witches
• Regional variation in intensity and targets
• Social upheaval (religious conflict, economic stress) triggered accusations

Mannerism & Baroque Art

• Artists employed distortion, drama, and illusion
• Departed from Renaissance balance and harmony
• Monarchies, city-states, and church commissioned works for power and prestige
• Key artists: El Greco, Artemisia Gentileschi, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Peter Paul Rubens

Reformation's Long-term Ripple Effects

• Religious change → political centralization and sovereign state concept
• Religious pluralism → economic transformation and urban growth
• Printing press spread competing ideas; vernacular Bibles created multiple interpretations