WJEC A-Level History 601-5817-7
Government, Rebellion and Society in Wales and England c.1485-1603Period study
Government, Revolution and Society in Wales and England c.1603-1715Period study
Politics, Protest and Reform in Wales and England c.1780-1880Period study
Politics, People and Progress: Wales and England c.1880-1980Period study
Political and Religious Change in Europe c.1500-1598Period study
Europe in the Age of Absolutism and Revolution c.1682-1815Period study
Revolution and New Ideas in Europe c.1780-1881Period study
Europe in an Age of Conflict and Co-Operation c.1890-1991Period study
The Mid Tudor Crisis in Wales and England c.1529-1570Depth study
Royalty, Rebellion and Republic c.1625-1660Depth study
Reform and Protest in Wales and England c.1783-1848Depth study
Politics and Society in Wales and England c.1900-1939Depth study
The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564Depth study
France in Revolution c.1774-1815Depth study
The Crisis of the American Republic c.1840-1877Depth study
Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship c.1918-1945Depth study
Wales: Resistance, Conquest and Rebellion c.1240-1415Breadth study
Poverty, Protest and Rebellion in Wales and England c.1485-1603Breadth study
Reformation and Discovery: Europe c.1492-1610Breadth study
Royalty, Revolution and Restoration in Wales and England c.1603-1715Breadth study
France: Ancien Régime to Napoleon c.1715-1815Breadth study
Parliamentary Reform and Protest in Wales and England c.1780-1885Breadth study
Social Change and Reform in Wales and England c.1890-1990Breadth study
The American Century c.1890-1990Breadth study
Changing Leadership and Society in Germany c.1871-1989Breadth study
Changing Leadership and Society in Russia c.1881-1989Breadth study
The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564
- 14 subtopics
- 42 things to know
- AS Unit 2 and A2 Unit 4
- Units 2 and 4, one depth study of eight, taken in two halves
What The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 covers
The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 is examined in Units 2 and 4, the depth study — one of eight options, taken in two halves across the course. It covers the Church in Europe in 1500: power, wealth and daily life, criticism of the Church: anticlericalism, heresy and the humanists, indulgences, Tetzel and the Ninety-Five Theses, from Leipzig to Worms: Luther's break with Rome, the development of Lutheran doctrine, the Knights' Revolt and the Peasants' War, Zwingli, the radicals and division among the reformers, printing, princes and cities: the spread of Lutheranism, the Augsburg Confession and the Schmalkaldic League, Charles V, the Schmalkaldic War and the Peace of Augsburg, Anabaptism and the Münster rebellion, John Calvin, Geneva and the spread of Calvinism, the Catholic revival: Paul III, the Inquisition and the Council of Trent and Loyola, the Jesuits and the reforming orders.
Where it is assessed
AS Unit 2 and A2 Unit 4
The depth study, one option of eight, taken in two halves across the course.
Check the WJEC specification ↗The 14 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- The Church in Europe in 1500: power, wealth and daily lifeSeven sacraments of the late medieval Church, treasury of merit and significance of the prince-bishops of the Empire.Open →
- Criticism of the Church: anticlericalism, heresy and the humanistsPluralism and absenteeism, nepotism as practised by the Renaissance papacy and three grievances that fuelled anticlericalism among the laity.Open →
- Indulgences, Tetzel and the Ninety-Five ThesesAlbrecht of Brandenburg's personal interest in the indulgence, jingle associated with Tetzel's preaching and spiritual crisis Luther experienced as a young friar.Open →
- From Leipzig to Worms: Luther's break with RomeDoctrine of the priesthood of all believers, argument of On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church and exsurge Domine.Open →
- The development of Lutheran doctrineDoctrine of justification by faith alone, principle of scripture alone and two ways Luther changed public worship.Open →
- The Knights' Revolt and the Peasants' WarTwelve Articles of Memmingen and four demands made in the Twelve Articles.Open →
- Zwingli, the radicals and division among the reformersAffair of the sausages, three practices abolished in Zurich under Zwingli and marburg Colloquy.Open →
- Printing, princes and cities: the spread of LutheranismRecall questions on the pamphlet and the vernacular Bible, why the imperial cities converted early, the material and political gains for a prince, and the pace at which the movement spread.Open →
- The Augsburg Confession and the Schmalkaldic LeagueTone and purpose of the Augsburg Confession, three abuses the Augsburg Confession asked to have corrected and schmalkaldic League.Open →
- Charles V, the Schmalkaldic War and the Peace of AugsburgSchmalkaldic War, augsburg Interim and ecclesiastical reservation in the Peace of Augsburg.Open →
- Anabaptism and the Münster rebellionTwo of the earliest Swiss Anabaptist leaders, schleitheim Confession and two leaders of the Münster kingdom.Open →
- John Calvin, Geneva and the spread of CalvinismInstitutes of the Christian Religion, calvin's doctrine of predestination and servetus affair.Open →
- The Catholic revival: Paul III, the Inquisition and the Council of TrentRoman Inquisition, index of Prohibited Books and three Catholic doctrines that Trent reaffirmed against the reformers.Open →
- Loyola, the Jesuits and the reforming ordersSpiritual Exercises, three main activities through which the Jesuits worked and purpose of the Ursulines.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why is Paul III regarded as the first reforming pope of the century?
Which pope earned the nickname the warrior pope, and why?
Define simony.
Define an indulgence.
How did Luther's view of good works differ from the Catholic view?
Who led the Knights' Revolt, and whom did they attack?
What was the affair of the sausages?
What was a Flugschrift?
Who wrote the Augsburg Confession, and why was Luther not the author?
What territories did Charles V rule?
Where and when did the first adult rebaptisms take place?
Why did Calvin leave France?
What are the Spiritual Exercises?
Name the seven sacraments of the late medieval Church.
Define pluralism and absenteeism, and explain how they were connected.
How had the sale of indulgences developed by 1500?
Who was Johann Eck?
How did Luther explain the presence of Christ in the eucharist?
How did the Knights' Revolt end?
Name three practices abolished in Zurich under Zwingli.
What use was made of woodcut illustration?
Name three abuses the Augsburg Confession asked to have corrected.
Why did the sheer extent of Charles V's inheritance weaken him in Germany?
Name two of the earliest Swiss Anabaptist leaders.
What is the Institutes of the Christian Religion?
Distinguish the Catholic Reformation from the Counter-Reformation.
What vow distinguished the Jesuits from other orders?
Define transubstantiation.
What was nepotism as practised by the Renaissance papacy?
Who was Johann Tetzel?
What was Exsurge Domine?
What did Luther do in 1525 that dramatised his rejection of clerical celibacy?
Give three long-term grievances behind the Peasants' War.
Why did the eucharist become the great dividing question among Protestants?
Why did Luther's German Bible matter beyond religion?
Name the two leading princes of the Schmalkaldic League.
Why were the Emperor's relations with the papacy often difficult?
How did Zurich punish Felix Manz?
Why was Calvin expelled from Geneva in 1538?
Give one example of Catholic reform under way before Luther.
Name the three main activities through which the Jesuits worked.
Take The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Catholic Reformation vs Counter-Reformation
Catholic Reformation: the movements for spiritual renewal inside the old Church that had begun before Luther, such as the Oratory of Divine Love and the Theatines. Counter-Reformation: the old Church's organised response to Protestantism, in the Roman Inquisition, the Index of Prohibited Books, the Jesuits and the Council of Trent.
Diet of Speyer 1526 vs Diet of Speyer 1529
Diet of Speyer 1526: the imperial assembly which agreed that, until a general council met, each ruler should act in religion as he could answer for it to God and the Emperor. Diet of Speyer 1529: the imperial assembly at which the Catholic majority revoked the rulers' freedom in religion and reimposed the Edict of Worms, provoking the formal protest of the reforming princes and cities.
Thomas Müntzer vs Martin Luther
Thomas Müntzer: the radical preacher who taught that the godless should be swept away by the elect, led peasant forces in Thuringia, and was destroyed at Frankenhausen in 1525. Martin Luther: the Wittenberg reformer who, once the risings spread, urged the princes to stab, smite and slay the rebellious peasants.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Explain why the Pope was a secular ruler as well as a spiritual one.
Model answer
He governed the Papal States across central Italy, kept armies and diplomats, and took part in Italian politics like any other prince.
- 2
Which pope earned the nickname the warrior pope, and why?
Model answer
Julius II, who personally led armies in the field to recover and enlarge the territory of the Papal States.
- 3
Name the seven sacraments of the late medieval Church.
Model answer
Baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, holy orders and matrimony.
- 4
Define transubstantiation.
Model answer
The doctrine that in the mass the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ, though their outward appearance remains.
- 5
What was purgatory, and why did belief in it shape so much religious practice?
Model answer
A place of temporary punishment where souls were cleansed before entering heaven, and because time there could be shortened it drove the whole industry of masses, prayers, bequests and indulgences.
- 6
Explain the treasury of merit.
Model answer
The belief that the surplus merits of Christ and the saints formed a store on which the Church could draw to remit the penalties owed by sinners.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 revision questions
- What does The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 cover in WJEC A-Level History?
- 14 subtopics: the church in europe in 1500: power, wealth and daily life, criticism of the church: anticlericalism, heresy and the humanists, indulgences, tetzel and the ninety-five theses, from leipzig to worms: luther's break with rome, the development of lutheran doctrine, the knights' revolt and the peasants' war, zwingli, the radicals and division among the reformers, printing, princes and cities: the spread of lutheranism, the augsburg confession and the schmalkaldic league, charles v, the schmalkaldic war and the peace of augsburg, anabaptism and the münster rebellion, john calvin, geneva and the spread of calvinism, the catholic revival: paul iii, the inquisition and the council of trent and loyola, the jesuits and the reforming orders. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564 organised?
- By the WJEC 601-5817-7 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in The Religious Reformation in Europe c.1500-1564, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.