Protestantism

Protestantism is a form of Christianity. It teaches that people are made right with God through faith alone. It also teaches that salvation comes from God's grace and that the Bible is the main guide for Christian belief and practice. The five solae are important ideas that summarize Protestant beliefs.

Protestants believe in the teachings from the Protestant Reformation. This movement started in the 16th century. It aimed to change the Catholic Church because of some problems. The Reformation began in the Holy Roman Empire in 1517. This was when Martin Luther shared his Ninety-five Theses. He was upset about how the Catholic Church was selling indulgences.

Lutheranism spread from Germany to places like Denmark–Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Calvinist churches grew in Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, France, Poland, and Lithuania. Leaders such as John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Knox helped this spread. The Church of England also separated from the Catholic Church. This happened under King Henry VIII and began Anglicanism. Thomas Cranmer was a key leader in this change.

Protestantism has many different groups, called denominations. These groups differ in their beliefs and church practices. Protestants believe in an invisible church. This is different from the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some other churches. Most Protestants belong to a few big families of denominations. These include Anglicans/Episcopalians, Baptists, Calvinist/Reformed, Lutherans, Methodists, and Moravians. Other groups such as Adventists, Pentecostals, Quakers, Plymouth Brethren, independent churches known as Nondenominational Christianity, and Charismatic Christianity are also part of Protestantism.

Terminology

The word Protestant began in 1529. That year, six princes and fourteen city rulers in the Holy Roman Empire protested a church decision. At first, this was a political word. Later, it came to mean anyone who followed the main ideas of the Protestant Reformation.

People in the Reformation often called themselves evangelical. This means followers of the gospel. Today, evangelical can mean different things in different places. In German-speaking areas, it usually just means Protestant. In English, it often refers to a specific group within Protestantism. The word Lutheran came later to describe followers of Martin Luther. The word reformed describes followers of John Calvin and similar thinkers.

Theology

The Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther and John Calvin, focused on using the Bible as the main guide for faith. Protestants believe the Bible is the most important source for Christian teaching. This idea is called sola scriptura. They also believe that people can be saved by faith alone (sola fide), not just by good works.

Protestants believe that all Christians can talk directly to God. This is called the universal priesthood of believers. They also believe in the Trinity, which means there is one God who is three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and the God the Holy Spirit. The Five Solae—sola scriptura, sola fide, solus Christus, sola gratia, and soli deo gloria—are important ideas that explain Protestant beliefs.

History

Main article: History of Protestantism

The history of Protestantism began with efforts to change the Catholic Church in the 16th century. Many ideas that later became part of Protestantism had supporters before, but these ideas were different in important ways.

The Protestant Reformation started in 1517 when Martin Luther shared his Ninety-five Theses in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther criticized some practices in the Catholic Church and questioned some teachings. This led to many discussions and others also began to question the Catholic Church’s authority.

The movement spread across Europe. In England, King Henry VIII left the Catholic Church and formed the Church of England. In Scotland, John Knox led changes that created Presbyterianism. In Switzerland, Huldrych Zwingli and later John Calvin developed new ideas that influenced many people.

The Reformation brought changes to how people practiced their faith and to the way Christian churches were organized. It emphasized the Bible as the main guide for religion and the idea that each person could have a direct relationship with God through faith. These ideas still shape Protestant Christianity today.

Radical Reformation

Main article: Radical Reformation

The Radical Reformation was a part of the Protestant movement that started in the 16th century. Unlike other Protestant groups, the Radical Reformation did not get help from kings or governments. They believed the church should not be controlled by rulers or money. They thought people should choose to follow Christianity by themselves.

Early groups called Anabaptists believed Christians should live by their beliefs every day. They did not baptize babies. They thought people should be baptized when they could make their own choices. Many groups came from the Radical Reformation, including the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites.

Denominations

See also: List of Christian denominations § Protestant, and List of the largest Protestant churches

Protestants have different groups of churches called denominations. These groups share common beliefs and practices. They are part of larger traditions like Methodism or Lutheranism. For example, the United Methodist Church is a denomination in the Methodist tradition.

Protestantism began during the Reformation in the 16th century. It only includes groups that started at that time. Later groups, like Pentecostalism or non-denominational churches, are not always part of traditional Protestantism. Many Protestant countries have national churches, such as the Evangelical Lutheran churches in Nordic countries like Denmark and Iceland.

United and uniting churches

Main article: United and uniting churches

See also: Continuing churches

United and uniting churches form when two or more Protestant denominations join together. This happens to organize religion better or bring traditions closer. Examples include the Church of North India, the United Protestant Church of France, and the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. The Protestant Church in Germany is one of the oldest united churches. It was formed in 1817 from Lutheran, United, and Reformed churches.

Major branches

Protestants have different groups based on changes that happened after the Reformation. Some big groups are Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Calvinism (Reformed Christianity), Methodism, Hussitism, Adventism, Pentecostalism, Quakerism, Plymouth Brethren, and Baptists. The Anabaptism group is also very important in history.

Each group has its own ideas and ways of doing things. For example, Lutheranism follows Martin Luther’s teachings, focusing on faith and kindness. Anglicanism includes the Church of England and churches that are related to it. Calvinism believes that God controls everything. These groups show the many different ways Protestants practice their faith.

Interdenominational movements

There are Christian movements that cross denominational lines and branches, and cannot be classified in the same way as other forms. Evangelicalism is a prominent example. These movements can be active within Protestantism or across all of Christianity. For instance, the Charismatic Movement aims to incorporate beliefs and practices similar to Pentecostals into various branches of Christianity. Neo-charismatic churches are sometimes seen as a subgroup of the Charismatic Movement. Both are grouped under Charismatic Christianity, along with Pentecostals. Nondenominational churches and house churches often adopt ideas from these movements.

Megachurches are usually influenced by interdenominational movements. These large congregations have become an important part of Protestant Christianity around the world. In the United States, the number of megachurches has grown quickly over the past two decades and has since spread globally.

Evangelicalism

Main article: Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a worldwide movement that emphasizes salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Evangelicals believe in the importance of personal conversion, the authority of the Bible, and sharing their faith with others. This movement gained strength in the 18th and 19th centuries with events like the Great Awakenings in Britain and North America. The United States has the largest number of Evangelicals.

Charismatic movement

Main article: Charismatic movement

The Charismatic movement involves mainstream churches adopting practices similar to Pentecostals, such as using spiritual gifts. This movement began around 1960 and has influenced many Protestant churches. It started in the United States and the United Kingdom, and has since spread to other parts of the world.

Neo-charismatic churches

Main article: Neo-charismatic churches

Neo-charismatic churches are part of the Christian Renewal movement and believe in the ongoing presence of gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing and prophecy. They are now more numerous than Pentecostals and charismatics combined. These churches vary widely in style and structure.

Protestant offshoots

Arminianism

Main articles: Arminianism and Remonstrants

See also: History of the Calvinist–Arminian debate

Arminianism is a set of beliefs started by a Dutch theologian named Jacobus Arminius in the 1600s. It keeps the main ideas of the Protestant Reformation but differs from other Protestant leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin. Arminius believed that people could choose to follow God's help, unlike some other Protestant views that said God's choice was final. This idea influenced many churches, including the Baptists, Methodists, and Seventh-day Adventists.

Pietism

Main articles: Pietism and Haugean movement

Pietism was a movement inside Lutheranism that began in the late 1600s. It focused on personal faith and living a strong Christian life. This movement helped shape Lutheran churches and also influenced other Protestant groups, including the Methodists.

Puritanism, English dissenters and nonconformists

Main articles: Puritans, English Dissenters, Independent (religion), Nonconformism, English Presbyterianism, Ecclesiastical separatism, and 17th-century denominations in England

The Puritans were English Protestants in the 1500s and 1600s who wanted to improve the Church of England. They believed the church was not fully changed and tried to remove practices they thought were too much like the Catholic Church. When they could not change the church from inside, many Puritans moved to other places, like the Netherlands and New England, taking their beliefs with them.

Neo-orthodoxy and paleo-orthodoxy

Main articles: Neo-orthodoxy and Paleo-orthodoxy

Neo-orthodoxy is a way of thinking in Christianity that started in the 20th century. It reacted against ideas that tried to mix Christian beliefs with modern science. Paleo-orthodoxy is similar but focuses more on old Christian beliefs from the first thousand years.

Christian fundamentalism

Main article: Christian fundamentalism

Christian fundamentalism began in the 20th century, mostly in the United States. It stresses that the Bible is completely true and should be taken literally. This group formed in reaction to other Christian ideas that they felt did not respect the Bible enough.

Modernism and liberalism

Main article: Liberal Christianity

Modernism and liberalism in Christianity try to fit Christian ideas with modern thinking and science. This caused debates with groups who believed the Bible should be taken literally, like the fundamentalists.

Protestant culture

Main article: Protestant culture

The Protestant Reformation, which started in the 16th century, changed many parts of life beyond religion. It influenced ideas about marriage, education, science, politics, the economy, and the arts. Protestant churches allowed their leaders to marry, which was different from some other Christian groups. Many Protestant families became well-known in their countries.

Protestants helped make education available to everyone, which led to more people learning to read and write. They started many colleges and universities. For example, the Puritans founded Harvard College in 1638 in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Protestants also had important roles in politics, business, science, and education in many nations.

The Protestant belief in using reason supported the growth of science and the arts. Many famous scientists and artists came from Protestant backgrounds. Protestants also believed in democratic ideas, which helped shape modern democracies in places like England, the Netherlands, and the United States. They supported religious freedom and the separation of church and state, ideas that influenced the laws and governments of many countries.

Catholic responses

Main articles: Anti-Protestantism, Counter-Reformation § Politics, Council of Trent, and Criticism of Protestantism

The Catholic Church thinks that Protestant groups are not full churches because their beliefs and practices are different from Catholic traditions. Both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church share this view. During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin wanted to change the Catholic Church. They felt the Catholic Church had changed in ways that were not right. They believed they were still part of the one true Church but had left some Catholic practices and teachings.

Protestants often talk about an "invisible church." This means a spiritual group of believers who are united by their faith in Jesus Christ, not by following one organization's rules or traditions. This idea helped them explain why they separated from the Catholic Church while still feeling they were part of a larger Christian family. Some Protestant groups use names like "Reformed" or "Evangelical" instead of "Protestant" because some people have negative feelings about the word.

Ecumenism

Main article: Christian ecumenism

The ecumenical movement tries to bring different Christian churches closer together. It started with early attempts like the Marburg Colloquy in 1529, where leaders tried to agree on important beliefs but did not succeed. Later, in 1910, the Edinburgh Missionary Conference began modern efforts to work together, especially for missions in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Since 1948, the World Council of Churches has helped these efforts, though it has not united all churches. There are many regional and local groups working toward unity too. Some churches have joined together, like the Church of South India and the United Church of Canada. Orthodox churches have also taken part, though not all agree with these efforts.

Demographics

See also: Christianity by country

Protestants are a big part of the world's Christian people. They live all over, but you can find many of them in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, and parts of Europe. In places like the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom, most people are Protestant.

In the last 100 years, Protestantism has grown a lot in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. This happened after World War II, when countries became free and allowed more Protestants. Today, many Protestants live in countries like Nigeria, Brazil, and China. Even though Protestantism is getting smaller in places like North America and Europe, it is still growing in many other parts of the world. Some experts think Protestants might become the biggest group of Christians by the year 2050.