Counter-Reformation

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Counter-Reformation summary

Counter-Reformation

Q: What was the Counter-Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church?

The Counter-Reformation largely grew as a response to the Protestant Reformation and was a movement of reform within the Roman Catholic Church . The Counter-Reformation served to solidify doctrine that many Protestants were opposed to, such as the authority of the pope and the veneration of saints , and eliminated many of the abuses and problems that had initially inspired the Reformation, such as the sale of indulgences for the remission of sin .

Q: How were the Jesuits important in the Counter-Reformation?

The Jesuits helped carry out two major objectives of the Counter-Reformation: Catholic education and missionary work. The Jesuits established numerous schools and universities throughout Europe, helping to maintain the relevance of the Catholic church in increasingly secular and Protestant societies. With the colonization of the New World, Jesuits established missions throughout Latin America to win converts among the indigenous peoples. Jesuits were also among the first missionaries to East Asia of modern times, contributing to the spread of Catholicism around the globe.

Q: Was the Counter-Reformation successful?

Yes and no. As evidenced by the more than half a billion Protestants around the world, the Counter-Reformation did not halt the spread of Protestantism in Europe and beyond. However, the Counter-Reformation did much to reform many of the problems and extravagances that Martin Luther originally objected to in his Ninety-five Theses . Various aspects of doctrine, ecclesiastical structures, new religious orders, and Catholic spirituality were clarified or refined, and Catholic piety was revived in many places. Additionally, Catholicism achieved a global reach through the many missionary endeavours that were initiated during the Counter-Reformation. These reforms and growth did much to maintain Catholicism as the dominant Christian tradition.

religious history

Also known as: Catholic Reformation, Catholic Revival

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Oct 29, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Also called:: Catholic Reformation or Catholic Revival

Date:: c. 1501 - c. 1650

Participants:: Roman Catholicism

Context:: Roman Catholicism; Roman Inquisition

Key People:: Ferdinand II; St. Ignatius of Loyola; Paul III; Paul IV; Philip II

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What was the Counter-Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church?

How were the Jesuits important in the Counter-Reformation?

Was the Counter-Reformation successful?

Counter-Reformation, in the history of Christianity, the Roman Catholic efforts directed in the 16th and early 17th centuries both against the Protestant Reformation and toward internal renewal. The Roman Catholic Church responded to the Protestant challenge by purging itself of the abuses and ambiguities that had opened the way to revolt and then embarked upon recovery of the schismatic branches of Western Christianity with mixed success. The Counter-Reformation took place during roughly the same period as the Protestant Reformation, actually (according to some sources) beginning shortly before Martin Luther’s act of nailing the Ninety-five Theses to the door of Castle ...(100 of 1552 words)

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