Advanced Placement (AP) European History Practice Exam

De Raemond's purpose in the passage is to criticize which of the following Protestant beliefs?

1. That the Bible should be directly accessible to all believers

2. That church officials should marry

3. That religious authority should be decentralized

4. That individual interpretation of scriptures is permitted

The correct answer is: That the Bible should be directly accessible to all believers

The correct answer highlights De Raemond's criticism of the belief that the Bible should be directly accessible to all believers. During the Reformation, this idea was particularly significant as it contrasted with the Catholic Church's stance on scripture being interpreted through clergy and church authority. De Raemond likely argued that unrestricted access could lead to misinterpretation and heretical beliefs, hence undermining the established doctrines of the Church. This criticism can be situated within the larger context of the Protestant Reformation, where the translation of the Bible into vernacular languages and the push for individual access to scriptures were key elements that propelled the movement. Many Protestant reformers asserted that anyone could interpret the Bible on their own, which directly challenged the traditional authority of the Church. While the other choices represent significant themes of the Protestant Reformation, they do not align with the specific criticism De Raemond likely aimed to articulate in the passage, which focuses on the interpretation and accessibility of the scriptures and the potential dangers associated with it.