1. Discontent with the Church and a growing demand for spiritual consolation combined to set the stage for the Reformation. Northern humanists combined themes of Italian Humanism with religious concerns, creating an intellectual environment for the Reformation.
2. Lutheranism, based upon the doctrine of justification by faith and the idea that the Bible was the sole religious authority, grew within the politically divided Holy Roman Empire.
3. Zwingli and Calvin led new reform movements, and other groups, such as the Anabaptists and the Melchiorites, led more radical breaks from established religion.
4. Led by Pope Paul III, the Council of Trent, and the Jesuits, the Catholic Church reformed itself and initiated a revival of Catholicism.
