Indulgences in the Catholic Reformation: polemic and pastoral uses of pardons in France c. 1520-1715

Ever since Luther's 'Ninety-five Theses' (1517), indulgences have been synonymous with corruption in the Catholic Church, although their proper use was to be reaffirmed at the Council of Trent. This article comprises firstly, an exploration of the theory, nature, uses, and evolution o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Reformation & Renaissance review 2014-07, Vol.16 (2), p.181-204
Main Author: Tingle, Elizabeth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catholic reform
Council of Trent
indulgences
pastoral care
polemics
Reformation
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Summary:Ever since Luther's 'Ninety-five Theses' (1517), indulgences have been synonymous with corruption in the Catholic Church, although their proper use was to be reaffirmed at the Council of Trent. This article comprises firstly, an exploration of the theory, nature, uses, and evolution of indulgences after Luther up to about 1700; secondly, an examination of indulgences as a product of ecclesiastical jurisdiction of popes and bishops; and thirdly, an exploration of the individual acquisition of pardons and the progression of different devotions over time. The focus will be on France as a case study. It will be shown how indulgences in Catholicism survived Luther, were reinvented and emerged as a powerful tool of personal and institutional reform. They provide a lens through which to explore the history of the institutional Church, in particular relationships between centre and periphery during the Catholic Counter-Reformation centuries.
ISSN:1462-2459
1743-1727
DOI:10.1179/1462245914Z.00000000056