Quiz 3:
The Protestant Reformation and the Age of Religious Conflict
Instructions: Write a 1-2 page essay addressing one of the options below. All essays should
quote material from the selected source, or credit will not be awarded for the quiz.

Option 1: Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
Based on this document, describe some of Luther’s objections in his 95 theses. Which
elements of Luther’s major theological teachings can be found in these theses?

Option 2: A History of the World in 100 Objects: Reformation Centenary Broadsheet
Based on this podcast, describe how a broadsheet celebrating the 100th anniversary of the
Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the Cathedral of Wittenburg. What does this
broadsheet say about the values of the early Protestant church, and the religious and
political atmosphere when the broadsheet was published?

Option 3: In Our Time: The Diet of Worms
Based on this podcast, describe the events surrounding the Diet of Worms. Why was
Luther called to account for his religious views, how did Luther defend them, and what
religious and political events were sent into motion by the Diet?

Option 4: Films on Demand: Christian vs. Christian
Based on this video, describe the Thirty Years War and its impact on European
civilization. How did this war start, what major features shaped the conflict’s course, and
what were the negative and positive consequences of this conflict?

Option 5: In Our Time: The Jesuits
Based on this podcast, describe the emergence of the Society of Jesus and their place in
the Catholic Reformation. What role did the Jesuits play in the religious conflicts of the
Reformation era, and what role did the Jesuits play in the Age of Exploration?

Option 6: Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius Loyola. Internet Modern History Sourcebook.
Based on this document outlining the rules of the Society of Jesus, describe what values
Jesuits are commanded to uphold? What commands and values are reflections of the
events of the Protestant Reformation?

Option 7: In Our Time: Calvinism
Based on this podcast, describe the life and religious teachings of John Calvin. What
made Calvin’s religious viewpoints distinct from other Protestant thinkers? How did
Calvin and his followers put these religious teachings into practice in Geneva,
Switzerland?

Option 8: In Our Time: St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
Based on this podcast, describe the events surrounding the murder of thousands of French
Huguenots on August 23, 1572. What political and religious dynamics in France led to
the Massacre, and what implications did the Massacre have on France over the next few
decades?

Option 9: In Our Time: The Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII
Based on this podcast, describe the dissolution of England’s monasteries by King Henry
VIII. What role had these monasteries played in English society, why Henry seized these
monasteries, and the impact the closure of these monasteries had on England during the
Protestant Reformation.

Option 10: In Our Time: The Spanish Armada
Based on this podcast, describe the attempted invasion of England in 1588 by a massive
fleet known as the Spanish Armada. What issues had led to war between England and
Spain, and what factors led to England’s victory of this Armada?

Option 11: BBC One, “Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.”
Based on this video, describe the causes and consequences of the Gunpowder Plot. Why
did Guy Fawkes and other English Catholics attempt to kill King James and the members
of Parliament? Why did the conspiracy fail, and how did this conspiracy become a part of
English culture?