Question

Which of the following best describes the origins of the Reformation? (1 point)

Answer Choices
For the first time in the sixteenth century, scholars began to speak out about problems in the Catholic Church.

Erasmus of Rotterdam and Martin Luther teamed up to convince people to leave the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther's excommunication made large numbers of people unhappy with the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther successfully built on more than a century of other scholars' ideas, causing more people to speak up and leave the Catholic Church.

Answer 1

Martin Luther successfully built on more than a century of other scholars' ideas, causing more people to speak up and leave the Catholic Church.

Brief explanation: Criticism of the Church predated Luther (e.g., John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, Erasmus). Luther’s writings, aided by the printing press and broader humanist critiques, sparked wider protest and reform.