Antereformation

/ˌæntɪˌɹɛfəɹˈmeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The period of time, events, or movements before the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.

Etymology

From Latin 'ante' (before) + 'reformation' (from Latin 'reformatio', meaning renewal or change). The term historically positions events before major religious reform.

Kelly Says

Historians use 'antereformation' to describe the pre-1517 church and society, and it's revealing how much spiritual questioning and reform movements actually existed centuries before Martin Luther—the change was already brewing.

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