The Counter-Reformation

In the immediate aftermath of Luther’s protest it looked as though the Church of Rome might be ruined. Protestantism seemed to be unstoppable in Germany and it was threatening to spread through all Europe. However, after decades of ruinous delay, the Catholic Church began to take corporate action. A General Council met at Trent in northern Italy in three sessions between 1545 and 1563. Its decrees gave Catholic militants a cause to be sure of, a new morale and a new discipline. Given its renewed vigour, the Roman Catholic Church could not only survive but fight back. With the help of crusading Catholic princes and new religious orders, especially the Jesuits, it could reclaim souls and territories previously lost to the Protestants. The term which best suited this renewal and attack seemed to be ‘the Counter Reformation’.
This study guide is suitable for first year university history students, or those in their final year of high school. Topics covered include: The reformers, the New Orders, the Popes and Princes, the Council of Trent, the Catholic Reformation and overseas missions.