What is an indulgence in the Renaissance?

Answer 1

An indulgence was a piece of paper which an individual purchased. A given amount of money would purchase a certain amount of days that a person would not need to serve in Purgatory. It resembled paying a fine or spending time in jail.

The idea of Purgatory came from a Pagan writer. The idea of praying for the dead came from a Jewish writer. The church put the two together. Thus, the idea of time in Purgatory and indulgence is not from The Bible.

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--First, you could not now, nor ever buy a indulgence, some Individuals within the Church did sell them, but the Church never condoned this, far from it, Simony (selling spiritual things) is a mortal sin of the highest degree.

A Indulgence is, It is a unleashing of the treasure trove of mercy stored by Jesus, Mary and all the saints. It is a kind of reward for good works; donations to pay for a Chapel, or convent are perfectly fine, as you can see in 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 (where they donate money)...which Luther removed from the bible. You can also earn them by saying prayers with indulgences attached for a set number of days, or even reading your bible for at least 30 mins (once per day limit).

-A indulgence ONLY works on sins already forgiven by a Priest, not for future sins.

-- To correct part of the bit above, it was not Pagan, it never was, and it is in the Bible they were using.

Anyway, i hope this helps you, I'm a History major interested in the history of the Church, especially in doctrinal development. Pax Christi. (Most of this answer is just a copy paste explanation).

Answer 2

An indulgence in the Renaissance was a payment made to the Catholic Church in exchange for the remission of sins or the punishment for sins in Purgatory. It was a controversial practice that contributed to the Protestant Reformation.