Name ________________________________ Class ____________________ Date ____________

The Reformation
Lesson 1
MAIN IDEAS
1. The Catholic Church faced challengers who were upset with the behavior
of Catholic clergy and with church practices.
2. Martin Luther urged reform in the Catholic Church, but he eventually
broke away from the church.
3. Other reformers built on the ideas of early reformers to create their
own churches.

Key Terms and People

Reformation reform movement of Western Christianity
indulgence a relaxation of penalties for sins people had committed sold by the
church
purgatory in Catholic theology, a place where souls went before they went to
heaven
Martin Luther priest who criticized the church abuses and started the
Reformation
Protestants those who protested against the Catholic Church
John Calvin reformer who believed in the idea of predestination
King Henry VIII English king who started the Church of England

Lesson Summary
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FACES CHALLENGERS
By the late Renaissance people began
complaining about the Catholic Church. They
wanted church leaders to rid the church of
corruption and focus on religion. Their calls led
to a reform movement of Western Christianity
called the Reformation.
Some reformers thought that the clergy
were not very religious anymore. Others © Houghton Mif!in Harcourt Publishing Company
thought that the pope was too involved in
List four reasons for the Reformation.
politics. Others thought the church had
grown too rich. The sale of indulgences
was a serious problem. An indulgence
was a relaxation of penalties for sins
people had committed. The church
claimed it reduced the punishment that a
person would
Guided Reading Workbook
Name ________________________________ Class ____________________ Date ____________

Lesson 1, continued

receive in purgatory for sins they had committed

while they were alive. Purgatory was the place
where souls went before going to heaven. Many
Christians thought the church was letting people
buy their way into heaven. The church’s
unpopular practices weakened its influence.

MARTIN LUTHER URGES REFORM

In 1517, a priest named Martin Luther were born. King Henry VIII was a major
called for reform. He nailed a list of figure in the Reformation in England.
complaints to a church door in Germany. After the pope refused to officially end
Luther criticized the church’s practices. Henry’s marriage, Henry made himself
He outlined many of his own beliefs. the head of a new church, the Church of
They included that people could have a England. He broke from the Catholic
direct relationship with God and that as Church for personal reasons and did not
long as people believed in God and lived change many church practices. However,
by the Bible, their souls would be saved. his break from the church opened the door
Luther was excommunicated and ordered for other Protestant beliefs to take hold in
to leave the empire. His ideas led to a split England.
in the church. Those who protested against
the Catholic Church were known as
Protestants. Some of his followers
became known as Lutherans. Many
German nobles liked Luther’s ideas. This © Houghton Mif!in Harcourt Publishing Company
led to Lutheranism becoming the Which man’s ideas led to a split in the Catholic
Church?
dominant church in northern Germany.

OTHER REFORMERS
Another influential reformer was John
Calvin. His teachings included
predestination—the idea that God knew
who would be saved even before they
Underline the name of the group who protested
against the Catholic
Church.

What role did King Henry VIII play in the

Reformation?

Guided Reading Workbook