Assignments

Interpretive Questions

  1. Besides Erasmus, what two other humanists should receive consideration when looking at the role of humanism in the Reformation? What were their contributions or achievements?
  2. Why did the late medieval "establishment" (Church and Empire) fail to stop Luther and the spread of his movement?
  3. Why did the Reformation happen when it did? Why not fifty years earlier or fifty years later?
  4. Why did the Reformation happen where it did and not elsewhere? Your essay should discuss at least two places (towns, principalities or countries) where the Reformation came permanently, and two where it either never occurred or where it returned to Catholicism.
  5. Was the Council of Trent a success? Why or why not?
  6. Leaving aside Luther and Calvin, what five reformers should a person study in order to understand the Reformation?
  7. Why did Calvinism enjoy success in so many different countries, while Lutheranism remained confined mainly to Germany and Scandinavia?
  8. To what extent was the Thirty Years War a religious conflict? To what extent was it not?
  9. How many reformations did England experience? Assign dates, characterize each, and defend your position.
  10. Were the Jesuits successful? If so, why? If not, why not?
  11. Describe the social structure of at least three states (town, principality or kingdom). Compare how the social structure affected the course of the Reformation in those states.
  12. If you were an aristocrat, which country would you choose to live in? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of your country?
  13. If you were a merchant, which country would you choose to live in? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of your country?
  14. Why were the Anabaptists so universally feared? Why were they left out of nearly every religious settlement? Be sure to discuss specific instances
  15. In what ways did the Catholic Reformation succeed? What should be regarded as its most important success?
  16. When would you say a course on the Reformation should end? Your answer must take into account all of western and central Europe.
  17. Take the position of any one of the following: Lutheran, Calvinist, Roman Catholic, Anabaptist. Explain to any one of the other types why they are wrong.
  18. You are a devout Catholic sincerely interested in reform and about to set out as a delegate to the Council of Trent in 1546. What will be your top proposals for reform? Why those?
  19. Assume you are a Catholic in Elizabethan England. What reasons might you have for staying Catholic? What limitations were placed on the practice of your religion? What consequences were there for you and your family?
  20. Imagine you are the prince of a small territory in the Rhine Valley in 1560. You have an opportunity to convert to any religion you wish and most of your people will follow suit. Which confession do you choose? Why? Describe the steps you take to introduce the Reformation into your principality.