indulgences

(noun)

A way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins, usually through the saying of prayers or good works, which during the middle ages included paying for church buildings or other projects.

Related Terms

  • Conciliar movement
  • Ninety-five Theses
  • excommunication
  • doctrine
  • ecclesiastic
  • the Western Schism
  • Diet of Worms
  • Council of Trent

(noun)

In Catholic theology, a remission of the punishment that would otherwise be inflicted for a previously forgiven sin as a natural consequence of having sinned. They are granted for specific good works and prayers in proportion to the devotion with which those good works are performed or prayers recited.

Related Terms

  • Conciliar movement
  • Ninety-five Theses
  • excommunication
  • doctrine
  • ecclesiastic
  • the Western Schism
  • Diet of Worms
  • Council of Trent

Examples of indulgences in the following topics:

  • Luther and Protestantism

    • In 1516, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and papal commissioner for indulgences, was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to sell indulgences to raise money to rebuild St.
    • On October 31, 1517, Luther wrote to his bishop, Albert of Mainz, protesting the sale of indulgences.
    • In theses 41–47 Luther begins to criticize indulgences on the basis that they discourage works of mercy by those who purchase them.
    • Here he begins to use the phrase, "Christians are to be taught..." to state how he thinks people should be instructed on the value of indulgences.
    • They should be taught that giving to the poor is incomparably more important than buying indulgences, that buying an indulgence rather than giving to the poor invites God's wrath, and that doing good works makes a person better while buying indulgences does not.
  • Discontent with the Roman Catholic Church

    • Luther began by criticizing the selling of indulgences, insisting that the pope had no authority over purgatory and that the Catholic doctrine of the merits of the saints had no foundation in the gospel.
    • Czech), married priests, and to eliminate indulgences and the idea of purgatory.
    • Hus spoke out against indulgences in 1412 when he delivered an address entitled Quaestio magistri Johannis Hus de indulgentiis.
    • In response, three men from the lower classes who openly called the indulgences a fraud were beheaded.
  • Another twist: capitalizing on guilt

    • During the Middle Ages, professional pardoners sold ‘indulgences' that allowed sinners to be forgiven for their sins.
  • Countercultures

    • The counterculture in the United States lasted from roughly 1964 to 1973 — coinciding with America's involvement in Vietnam — and reached its peak in 1967, the "Summer of Love. " The movement divided the country: to some Americans, these attributes reflected American ideals of free speech, equality, world peace, and the pursuit of happiness; to others, the same attributes reflected a self-indulgent, pointlessly rebellious, unpatriotic, and destructive assault on America's traditional moral order.
  • Defining Organizational Culture

    • Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory - Postulates that cultural differences to be aware of include different perspectives on power distance, masculinity (vs. femininity), individualism (vs. collectivism), avoidance of uncertainty, long-term orientation, and indulgence.
  • Sexual Harrassment

    • Moreover, the knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine the ethical standards of the organization in general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and trust in, their superiors or supervisors who indulge in, turn a blind eye to, or handle incidents of sexual harassment improperly.
  • Counterculture

    • To others, it reflected a self-indulgent, pointlessly rebellious, unpatriotic, and destructive assault on America's traditional moral order.
  • Understanding The Consumer + The Planning Process

    • Staying fit is important to her, but she likes to indulge in healthy sweets.
    • Staying fit is important to her, but she likes to indulge in healthy sweets.
    • Staying fit is important to her, but she likes to indulge in healthy sweets.
    • Maybe you already guessed it: Staying fit is important to her but she likes to indulge in healthy sweets.
  • The Church During the Italian Renaissance

    • In October 1517 Luther published the 95 Theses, challenging papal authority and criticizing its perceived corruption, particularly with regard to instances of sold indulgences.
  • The Enlightenment

    • When the Enlightenment and its new ideals took hold, Rococo was condemned for being immoral, indecent and indulgent, and a new kind of instructive art was called for, which became known as Neoclassicism.
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