Editing Counter-Reformation (section)

{{Short description|Catholic political and religious response to the Protestant Reformation and earlier reformism}}
{{Redirect|Catholic revival|the literary revival|Catholic literary revival}}
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{{Catholic Counter-Reformation|expanded documents}}
{{Reformation|Counter-Reformation}}
The '''Counter-Reformation''' ({{Langx|la|Contrareformatio}}), also sometimes called the '''Catholic Revival''',<ref name=EB>{{Cite web |title= Counter-Reformation |website= [[Encyclopædia Britannica Online]] |url= https://www.britannica.com/event/Counter-Reformation |access-date= 6 July 2019 |archive-date= 18 November 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081118180433/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026564/Counter-Reformation |url-status= live }}</ref> was the period of [[Catholic]] resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the [[Protestant Reformation]]s at the time. It was a comprehensive effort arising from the decrees of the [[Council of Trent]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Joshua J. |title=Counter-Reformation |url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Counter-Reformation/ |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=World History Encyclopedia |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122235229/https://www.worldhistory.org/Counter-Reformation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 

As a political-historical period, it is frequently dated to have begun with the [[Council of Trent]] (1545–1563) and to have ended with the political conclusion of the [[European wars of religion]] in 1648, though this is controversial.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Counter-Reformation {{!}} Definition, Summary, Outcomes, Jesuits, Facts, & Significance {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Counter-Reformation |access-date=2023-01-22 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=2008-11-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118180433/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026564/Counter-Reformation |url-status=live }}</ref> However, as a theological-historical description, the term may be obsolescent or over-specific:{{efn|"Some still consider the Tridentine reforms a Counter-Reformation as opposed to a Catholic Reformation."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kanga |first1=Fariba |title=The Construction of the Enemy in French Reformation Martyr Narratives, 1554-1616 |date=2023 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |url=https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/59174 |language=en}}</ref>{{rp|19}} }} the broader term '''Catholic Reformation''' ({{Langx|la|Reformatio Catholica|links=no}}) also encompasses the reforms and movements within the Church in the periods immediately before Protestantism or Trent, and lasting later.

The effort produced [[Apologetics|apologetic]] and [[polemic]]al documents, anti-corruption efforts, spiritual movements, the promotion of new religious orders, and the flourishing of new art and musical styles. War and discriminatory legislation caused large migrations of religious refugees.<ref>[http://www.1837-auswanderer.de/geschichte/historie ''Der geschichtliche Ablauf der Auswanderung aus dem Zillertal''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507050221/http://www.1837-auswanderer.de/geschichte/historie |date=2016-05-07 }} [lit. 'The Historical Chain of Events of the Migration from the [[Ziller Valley]]']  (in German), 1837-auswanderer.de. Accessed 13 June 2020.</ref>

Such [[reform]]s included the foundation of [[Seminary|seminaries]] for the proper training of [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priests]] in the spiritual life and the [[theology (Catholic Church)|theological]] traditions of the Church, the reform of [[religious institute|religious life]] by returning orders to their spiritual foundations, and new spiritual movements focusing on the devotional life and a personal relationship with [[Christ]], including the [[Spanish mystics]] and the [[French school of spirituality]].<ref name=EB/> It also involved political activities and used the regional [[Inquisitions]].

A primary emphasis of the Counter-Reformation was a mission to reach parts of the world that had been [[First wave of European colonization|colonized]] as predominantly Catholic and also try to reconvert nations such as Sweden and England that once were Catholic from the time of the [[Christianisation of Europe]], but had been lost to the Reformation.<ref name=EB/> Various Counter-Reformation theologians focused only on defending doctrinal positions such as the sacraments and pious practices that were attacked by the Protestant reformers,<ref name=EB/> up to the [[Second Vatican Council]] in 1962–1965.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title= Anniversary Thoughts |magazine=[[America (magazine)|America]] |date=7 October 2002 |url= http://www.americamagazine.org/issue/404/article/anniversary-thoughts |access-date=18 April 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170419004349/http://www.americamagazine.org/issue/404/article/anniversary-thoughts |archive-date=19 April 2017 |url-status= dead}}</ref>