A movement for religious reform is known as what?

• A. Reformation
• B. Counter-Reformation
• C. Secularization
• D. Humanism

Answer: (D)

Religious reform that reshaped Western Christianity in the 16th century is called the Reformation. It sprang from criticisms of church practices and authority, such as indulgences and papal power, and it led to the creation of Protestant denominations, changes in doctrine, and new ways of engaging with Scripture—like translating the Bible into vernacular languages and emphasizing salvation by faith. Humanism, on the other hand, is a Renaissance movement centered on classical learning and human potential; while it fostered critical thinking that helped prompt questions about authority, it isn’t itself a religious reform movement. The Catholic Church’s response to those reforms is known as the Counter-Reformation, but that describes reaction and reform from within the Catholic tradition, not the original reform movement itself. So, the term that describes a movement for religious reform is the Reformation.