Term
| Erasmus, Desiderius (c. A.D. 1466-1536) |
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Definition
| a scholar of the Renaissance period, learned in the writings of both the Latin and Greek early church writers. His reconstruction of the New Testament text became the basis for many subsequent translations into the vernacular (language of the people). |
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Term
| Edict of Worms (A.D. 1521) |
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Definition
| the statement issued by the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the Gentian Nation that declared Martin Luther an outlaw and a heretic. |
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Term
| Calvin, John (an. 1509-1564) |
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Definition
| the French reformer and theologian who led the Swiss city of Geneva through the Reformation. Calvin is known especially for the doctrines of election and double predestination and for grappling with the problem of church authority after the Protestant rejection of the authority of Rome. His teachings are most influential in the Christian Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church. |
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Term
| Crammer, Thomas (A.D. 1489-1556) |
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Definition
| archbishop of Canterbury for most of the early years of the English Reformation. He is recognized for his contributions to the Thirty-Nine Articles, which sets out the specific similarities and differences between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, and the 1549 and 1552 versions of The Book of Common Prayer, a hugely popular and influential liturgical document. |
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Term
| Henry VIII (reigned A.D. 1509-1547) |
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Definition
| the king of England who led his country through the Reformation. At first a supporter of Catholicism against the reformers, Henry eventually broke with the pope and the Catholic Church and established the Church of England with himself at its head, at least in part in a dispute with Rome over Henry's desire to divorce his wife. |
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Term
| Tyndale, William (c. A.D. 1494-1536) |
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Definition
| an admirer of Martin Luther, he was the first to publish an English translation of major parts of the Bible. |
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Term
| Wesley, John (A.D. 1703-1791) |
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Definition
| an English theologian and reformer, Wesley was originally a member of the Church of England. He and his followers eventually broke away to form the Methodist Church. |
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Term
| Zwingli, Ulrich (A.D. 1484-1531) |
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Definition
| Swiss reformer and theologian, known especially for his emphasis on justification by grace alone, his "spiritual" understanding of the Eucharist, his exclusive reliance on the Bible rather than church traditions and proclamations, and his opposition to priestly celibacy and the use of images in worship. Zwingli was killed defending Zurich, the city he led through the Reformation, against attack by Catholics. |
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Term
| Ignatius of Loyola (A.D. 1491/95-1556) |
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Definition
| founder of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. A Spaniard, Ignatius was trained as a knight, but he took up a life dedicated to the church after reading devotional books, including a life of Christ and lives of the saints, during a long convalescence. |
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Term
| John of the Cross (A.D. 1542-1591) |
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Definition
| a follower of Teresa of Avila, the cofounder of the Discalced Carmelites, a reform branch of the Carmelite order, and a Spanish mystic. His writings include the Ascent of Mount Carmel and the Dark Night of the Soul. |
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Term
| Teresa of Avila (A.D. 1515-1582) |
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Definition
| a Spanish mystic and founder of the Discalced Carmelites. Her writings include the Life, an autobiographical account of her life, and the Interior Castle, a description of her method of prayer. |
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Term
| Afonso the Good (A.D. 1484-1543) |
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Definition
| Catholic king of the Congo who tried unsuccessfully to oversee the conversion of his people to Catholicism, while holding back the greed of the Portuguese colonists who were enslaving them. |
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Term
| Batuta, Ibn (A.D. 1304-1268) |
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Definition
| an Arab scholar and traveler who was partly responsible for the European colonization and missionary efforts in Africa, because he revealed the presence of gold in that region. |
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Term
| Casas, Bartolomé de las (A.D. 1474-1566) |
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Definition
| the Spanish Catholic bishop in the territories of the New World who argued that the enslavement of the native peoples was immoral and should he stopped. |
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Term
| Francis Xavier (A.D. 1506-1552) |
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Definition
| a companion of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, and the leader of the Catholic mission to India, Japan, and China. |
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Term
| Henry the Navigator (A.D. 1394-1460) |
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Definition
| the Portuguese prince who explored and colonized Africa, spreading Christianity along the way. |
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Term
| Polo, Marco (A.D. 1254-1324) |
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Definition
| an Italian traveler who visited the lands of the Far East and returned to Europe to spread the news, sparking European interest in exploration for commercial gain and missionary expansion. |
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Term
| Ricci, Matteo (A.n. 1552-1610) |
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Definition
| an Italian Jesuit known for his successful missionary work in China, especially his efforts to make Catholic Christianity intelligible in Chinese cultural terms. |
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Term
| Copernicus, Nicholas (A.D. 1473-1543) |
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Definition
| Polish astronomer who proposed that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. |
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Term
| Darwin, Charles (A.D. 1809-1882) |
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Definition
| an English scientist who developed the theory of evolution and the principle of natural selection. |
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Term
| Descartes, Rene (A.D. 1596-1650) |
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Definition
| French philosopher, known for his skepticism about the value of tradition. He began his philosophical method by doubting everything he had been taught—all tradition—and by believing only what could be shown by reason to be absolutely certain. |
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Term
| Galilei, Galileo (A.D. 1564-1642) |
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Definition
| astronomer and scientist who attempted to prove the Copernican theory that the earth revolves around the sun. He was disciplined by the church for advocating views that were contrary to the Bible and church teaching. |
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Term
| Marx, Karl (A.D. 1818-1883) |
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Definition
| philosopher and economist who advocated the socialist economic system and on whose ideas communism is built. Marx was an outspoken critic of religion, calling it the "opium of the people," because he believed that it was like a drug that kept the lower classes passive and resigned in their economic oppression. |
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Term
| Newton, Isaac (A.D. 1642-1727) |
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Definition
| mathematician and scientist who was able to explain the motion of the planets by means of natural laws (for example, the law of gravity) rather than the will of God, and hence was a major contributor in the development of the mechanistic view of the universe. |
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