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Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. The word Protestant is derived from the Latin protestatio meaning declaration which refers to the Protestation at Speyer by Lutheran princes against the decision of the Second Diet of Speyer in 1529, which reaffirmed the edict of the Diet of Worms against the Reformation. Definition of Protestantism at the Episcopal Church website Since that time, the term Protestantism has been used in many different senses, often as a general term to refer to "Western Christianity that is not subject to papal authority."

The doctrines of the Reformation can be summarized as a) the rejection of Pope authority, b) rejection of some fundamental Roman Catholicism doctrines, c) the priesthood of all believers, d) the Prima scriptura of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth, and e) the belief in Sola fide alone. Encarta Dictionary under "Protestant"Merriam Webster Dictionary under "Protestant"

While the faiths and churches born directly or indirectly of the Protestant Reformation constitute Protestantism, in common usage, the term is often used in contradistinction to Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.. This usage is imprecise. There are many non-Roman-Catholic, non-Eastern-Orthodox communions that long predate the Reformation (notably Oriental Orthodoxy). The Anglican communion, although born of the Protestant reformation, differs from the reformation principles of most other Protestants and is referred to as a middle path - a via media - between Roman Catholic Church and Protestant doctrines. Yet some other groups, such as the Latter Day Saint movement and the Jehovah's Witnesses, reject Protestantism as having deviated from true Christianity and see themselves as Restorationism.

The churches most commonly associated with Protestantism can be divided along four fairly definitive lines: Schism (religion)

Mainline Protestants - a North American phrase - are those who trace their lineage to Martin Luther, Calvinism, or Anglicanism. The Protestant Reformation are their doctrines. They include such denominations as Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Methodists.

Anabaptists are a movement that developed from the Radical Reformation. Today, denominations such as BaptistsBaptists usually are considered Protestants, although some Baptists reject that association. See the Baptist article and its Baptist#Origins for a further discussion of Baptist Perpetuity., Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Brethren, Mennonites and Amish eschew infant baptism and see baptism as aligned with a demonstration of the gifts of the spirit.

Nontrinitarianism reject the doctrine of the trinity. Today, they include such denominations as the Universalist Church of Americas, Unitarians, and some Quakers.

Restorationism are a more recent movement. Today, they include such denominations as the Latter Day Saint movement, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

List of Christian Denominations#Protestant Protestants often refer to specific Protestant churches and groups as denominations to imply that they are differently named parts of the whole church. This "invisible unity" is assumed to be imperfectly displayed, visibly: some denominations are less accepting of others, and the basic orthodoxy of some is questioned by most of the others. Individual denominations also have formed over very subtle theological differences. Other denominations are simply regional or ethnic expressions of the same beliefs. The actual number of distinct denominations is hard to calculate, but has been estimated to be over thirty thousand. Various Christian ecumenism have attempted cooperation or reorganization of Protestant churches, according to various models of union, but divisions continue to outpace unions. Most denominations share common beliefs in the major aspects of the Christian faith, while differing in many secondary doctrines. There are "over 33,000 denominations in 238 countries" and every year there is a net increase of around 270 to 300 denominations. World Christian Encyclopedia (2nd edition). David V. Barrett, George Kurian and Todd Johnson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001 According to David Barrett's study (1970), there are 8,196 denominations within Protestantism.

There are about 590 million Protestants worldwide. These include 170 million in North America, 160 million in Africa, 120 million in Europe, 70 million in Latin America, 60 million in Asia, and 10 million in Oceania. Nearly 27% of the 2.1 billion Christians in the world are Protestants.

Protestants can be differentiated according to how they have been influenced by important movements since the magisterial Reformation and the Puritan Reformation in England. Some of these movements have a common lineage, sometimes directly spawning later movements in the same groups. Only general families are listed here (due to the above-stated mulititude of List of Christian denominations); some of these groups do not consider themselves as part of the Protestant movement, but are generally viewed as such by scholars and the public at large:

Adventists
Anabaptist
Anglicanism
Baptist
Calvinist
Charismatic (movement)
Congregational church
Lutheranism
Methodism
Non-denominational
Pentecostalism
Presbyterian Church
Religious Society of Friends
Reformed churches
Restoration Movement
Unitarian
Waldensians

Theological tenets of the reformation The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic theological beliefs in contradistinction to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church of the day. The Latin word sola means "alone," "only," or "single" in English. The five solas were what the Reformers believed to be the only things needed in their respective functions in Christian salvation. Listing them as such was also done with a view to excluding other things that hindered salvation. This formulation was intended to distinguish between what were viewed as deviations in the Christian church and the essentials of Christian life and practice.

Solus Christus: Christ alone.

The Protestants characterize the dogma concerning the Pope as Christ's representative head of the Church on earth, the concept of meritorious works, and the Catholic idea of a treasury of the merits of saints, as a denial that Christ is the only mediator between God and man.

Sola scriptura: Scripture alone.

Protestants believe that the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church obscure the teachings of the Bible by convoluting it with church history and doctrine.

Sola fide: Faith alone.

Protestants believe that faith in Christ alone is enough for eternal salvation (as stated in Ephesians 2:8-9), whereas Catholics believe that the phrase "faith without works is dead" (as stated in Epistle of James) points to salvation needing to be earned. Protestants, pointing to the same bit of scripture, believe that practicing good works attests to one's faith in Christ and his teachings.

Sola gratia: Grace alone.

The Roman Catholic view of the means of salvation was believed by the Protestants to be a mixture of reliance upon the grace of God, and confidence in the merits of one's own works, performed in love. The Reformers posited that salvation is entirely comprehended in God's gifts, (i.e. God's act of free grace) dispensed by the Holy Spirit according to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone. Consequently, they argued that a sinner is not accepted by God on account of the change wrought in the believer by God's grace, and that the believer is accepted without any regard for the merit of his works — for no one deserves salvation.

Soli Deo gloria: Glory to God alone

All glory is due to God alone, since salvation is accomplished solely through his will and action—not only the gift of the all-sufficient atonement of Jesus on Christian cross but also the gift of faith in that atonement, created in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit. The reformers believed that human beings—even saints canonization by the Roman Catholic Church, the popes, and the ecclesiastical hierarchy—are not worthy of the glory that was accorded them.

Real presence in the Lord's Supper The Protestant movement began to coalesce into several distinct branches in the mid-to-late sixteenth century. One of the central points of divergence was controversy over the Lord's Supper.

Although early Protestants generally rejected the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation, which teaches that the bread and wine used in the sacrificial rite of the Mass lose their natural substance by being transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ (see Eucharist), they disagreed with one another concerning the manner in which Christ is present in Holy Communion.

Lutherans hold to the Real Presence as Consubstantiation (although some Lutherans disapprove of Consubstantiation because of misunderstandings, it was Philipp Melancthon's term used with Martin Luther's approval), which affirms the physical presence of Christ's true Body & Blood supernaturally "in, with, and under" the Consecrated Bread and Wine. Lutherans point to Jesus' statement, "...This IS my body...". According to the Lutheran Confessions of Faith the Sacramental Union takes place at the time of Consecration, when Christ's Word's of Institution are spoken by the celebrant . Lutheran teaching insists that the Consecrated Bread & Wine ARE the truly abiding and adorable Body & Blood of Christ in a Sacramental Union, while also affirming the Lord's Supper ranges along the continuum from Calvin to Zwingli.
The Reformed closest to Calvin emphasize the real presence, or sacramental presence, of Christ, saying that the sacrament is a means of saving grace through which only the elect believer actually partakes of Christ, but merely WITH the Bread & Wine rather than in the Elements. Calvinists deny the Zwingli assertion that Christ makes himself present to the believer in the elements of the sacrament, but affirm that Christ is united to the believer through faith—toward which the supper is an outward and visible aid, this is often referred to as dynamic presence.
A Protestant holding a popular simplification of the Zwinglian view, without concern for theological intricacies as hinted at above, may see the Lord's Supper merely as a symbol of the shared faith of the participants, a commemoration of the facts of the crucifixion, and a reminder of their standing together as the Body of Christ (a view referred to somewhat derisively as memorialism).
Anglicans (members of the Church of England, the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the USA, the Scottish Episcopal Church and other Protestant churches claiming the Anglican heritage) recognize Christ's presence in the Eucharist in a spectrum (according to specific denominational, diocesan, and parochial emphasis) ranging from acceptance of the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, through the Lutheran position, to high Calvinistic notions. However, the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth of the 39 Articles - an Anglican Confession following the Augsburg Confession - teach that Christ's Body and Blood in the Consecrated Elements are truly present in a spiritual modality.

In Protestant theology, as the bread shares identity with Christ (which he calls "my body"), in an analogous way, the Church shares identity with Him (and also is called "the Body of Christ"). Thus, controversies over the Lord's Supper seem to be only about the nature of the bread and wine, but are ultimately about the nature of salvation and the Church; and indirectly about the nature of Christ.

Catholicism Contrary to how the Protestant reformers were often characterized, the concept of a catholic, or universal, Church was not brushed aside during the Protestant Reformation. To the contrary, the visible unity of the catholic Church was an important and essential doctrine of the Reformation. The Magisterial Reformers, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli, believed that they were reforming a corrupt and heretical Catholic Church. Each of them took very seriously the charges of schism and innovation, denying these charges and maintaining that it was the medieval Roman Catholic Church that had left them. Because of this the fundamental Unity of the Catholic Church remained a very important doctrine in the churches of the Reformation. Dr. James Walker wrote in "The Theology of Theologians of Scotland":

The visible church, in the idea of the Scottish theologians, is catholic. You have not an indefinite number of Parochial, or Congregational, or National churches, constituting, as it were, so many ecclesiastical individualities, but one great spiritual republic, of which these various organizations form a part. The visible church is not a genus, so to speak, with so many species under it. It is thus you may think of the State, but the visible church is a totum integrale, it is an empire. The churches of the various nationalities constitute the provinces of this empire; and though they are so far independent of each other, yet they are so one, that membership in one is membership in all, and separation from one is separation from all... This conception of the church, of which, in at least some aspects, we have practically so much lost sight, had a firm hold of the Scottish theologians of the seventeenth century.Dr. James Walker in The Theology of Theologians of Scotland. (Edinburgh: Rpt. Knox Press, 1982) Lecture iv. pp.95-6.

Wherever the Magisterial Reformation, which received support from the ruling authorities, took place, the result was a reformed national church envisioned to be a part of the whole visible Holy Catholic Church described in the creeds, but disagreeing, in certain important points of doctrine and doctrine-linked practice, with what had until then been considered the normative reference point on such matters, namely the See of Rome. The Reformed Churches thus believed in a form of Catholicity, founded on their doctrines of the five solas and a visible ecclesiastical organization based on the 14th century and 15th century Conciliarism, rejecting the Papacy and Papal Infallibility in favor of Ecumenical councils, but rejecting the Council of Trent.

Today there is a growing movement of Protestants, especially of the Calvinist tradition, that reject the designation "Protestant" because of its negative "anti-catholic" connotations, preferring the designation "Reformed," "Evangelical" or even "Reformed Catholic" expressive of what they call a "Reformed Catholicity" and defending their arguments from the traditional Protestant Confession of Faith. The canadian Reformed Magazine 18 (Sept. 20-27, Oct. 4-11, 18, Nov. 1, 8, 1969) - http://spindleworks.com/library/faber/008_theca.htm

Radical Reformation Unlike mainstream Evangelical (Lutheran), Reformed (Huldrych Zwingli and Calvinist) Protestant movements, the Radical Reformation, which had no state sponsorship, generally abandoned the idea of the "Church Visible" as distinct from the "Church Invisible." For them, the Church only consisted of the tiny community of believers, who accepted Jesus Christ by adult baptism, called Believers Baptism. Others believed that the Church could not be defined as anything more than a single congregation meeting together for worship at one time in a single place. The Radical Reformation thus did not believe that the Magisterial Reformation had gone far enough. For example, radical reformer Andreas von Bodenstein Karlstadt referred to the Lutheran theologians at Wittenberg as the 'new papists.'The Magisterial Reformation - http://www.reformationhappens.com/movements/magisterial/ It was exactly because the Reformation still strongly defended the visible unity of the Catholic Church that they were criticized by the Radical Reformers and vice versa.

Pietism and Methodist movement The German Pietism movement, together with the influence of the Puritan Reformation in England in the seventeenth century, were important influences upon John Wesley and Methodism, as well as through smaller, new groups such as the Religious Society of Friends ("Quakers") and the Moravian Brethren from Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany.

The practice of a spiritual life, typically combined with social engagement, predominates in classical Pietism, which was a protest against the doctrine-centeredness Protestant Orthodoxy of the times, in favor of depth of religious experience. Many of the more conservative Methodists went on to form the Holiness movement, which emphasized a rigorous experience of holiness in practical, daily life.

Evangelicalism Beginning at the end of eighteenth century, several international revivals of Pietism (such as the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening) took place across denominational lines, which are referred to generally as the Evangelical movement. The chief emphases of this movement were individual conversion, personal piety and Bible study, public morality often including Temperance (virtue) and Abolitionism, de-emphasis of formalism in worship and in doctrine, a broadened role for laity (including women) in worship, evangelism and teaching, and cooperation in evangelism across denominational lines.

Modernism Modernism, or Liberalism, does not constitute a rigorous and well-defined school of theology, but is rather an inclination by some writers and teachers to integrate Christian thought into the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment. New understandings of history and the natural sciences of the day led directly to new approaches to theology.

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism, as a movement, began in the United States early in the twentieth century, starting especially within the Holiness movement. Seeking a return to the operation of New Testament gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues as evidence of the "baptism of the Holy Ghost" or to make the unbeliever believe became the leading feature. Divine healing and miracles were also emphasized. Pentecostalism swept through much of the Holiness movement, and eventually spawned hundreds of new denominations in the United States. A later Charismatic movement movement also stressed the gifts of the Spirit, but often operated within existing denominations, rather than by coming out of them.

Fundamentalism In reaction to liberal Bible critique, Fundamentalism arose in the twentieth century, primarily in the United States and Canada, among those denominations most affected by Evangelicalism. Fundamentalism placed primary emphasis on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible, and typically advised separation from error and cultural conservatism as an important aspect of the Christian life..

Neo-orthodoxy A non-fundamentalist rejection of liberal Christianity, associated primarily with Karl Barth, neo-orthodoxy sought to counter-act the tendency of liberal theology to make theological accommodations to modern scientific perspectives. Sometimes called "Crisis theology", according to the influence of philosophical existentialism on some important segments of the movement; also, somewhat confusingly, sometimes called neo-evangelicalism.

Neo-evangelicalism Neo-evangelicalism is a movement from the middle of the twentieth century, that reacted to perceived excesses of Fundamentalism, adding to concern for biblical authority, an emphasis on liberal arts, cooperation among churches, Christian Apologetics, and non-denominational evangelization.

Paleo-Orthodoxy Paleo-orthodoxy is a movement similar in some respects to Neo-evangelicalism but emphasising the ancient Christian consensus of the undivided Church of the first millennium AD, including in particular the early Creeds and councils of the church as a means of properly understanding the Scriptures. This movement is cross-denominational and the theological giant of the movement is United Methodist theologian Thomas Oden.

Ecumenism The ecumenical movement has had an influence on mainline churches, beginning at least in 1910 with the Edinburgh Missionary Conference. Its origins lay in the recognition of the need for cooperation on the missio field in Africa, Asia and Oceania. Since 1948, the World Council of Churches has been influential. There are also ecumenical bodies at regional, national and local levels across the globe. One, but not the only expression of the ecumenical movement, has been the move to form united churches, such as the Church of South India, the Church of North India, The US-based United Church of Christ, The United Church of Canada and the Uniting Church in Australia. There has been a strong engagement of Eastern Orthodox Church churches in the ecumenical movement, though the reaction of individual Orthodox theologians has ranged from tentative approval of the aim of Christian unity to outright condemnation of the perceived effect of watering down Orthodox doctrine.

In 1999, the representatives of Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church signed The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, apparently resolving the conflict over the nature of Justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation, although some conservative Lutherans did not agree to this resolution. On July 18, 2006 Delegates to the World Methodist Conference voted unanimously to adopt the Joint Declaration.

Founders: the first Protestant major reformers and theologians (in alphabetical order by century.)

Fourteenth century

John Wycliffe, English reformer, the "Morning Star of the Reformation".

Fifteenth century

Jan Hus, Czech reformist/dissident; burned to death by Roman Catholic Church authorities for unrepentant and persistent heresy.

Sixteenth century

Jacobus Arminius, Dutch theologian, founder of school of thought known as Arminianism
Heinrch Bullinger, successor of Zwingli, leading reformed theologian
John Calvin, French theologian, Protestant Reformation and resident of Geneva, Switzerland, he founded the school of theology known as Calvinism
Abaomas Kulvietis, jurs and a professor at Königsberg Albertina University, as well as a Reformer of the Lithuanian church.
John Knox, Scottish Calvinist reformer,
Martin Luther, German religious reformer, theologian, founder of the Lutheran church in Germany, founder of Lutheranism
Philipp Melanchthon, early Lutheran leader
Menno Simons, founder of Mennonitism
Huldrych Zwingli, founder of Swiss reformed tradition
John Smyth (1570-1612), founder of the Baptist denomination

References

See also

Anglicanism
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Protestantism
Arminianism
Black Legend
Catholic Evangelical
Calvinism
Christianity
Christian eschatology
Christian Flag
Christian humanism
Detailed Christian timeline#Renaissance and Reformation
Forgiveness
History of Protestantism
List of former Protestants
List of Protestant churches
Persecution of Christians
Protestant Reformation
Protestant work ethic
Waldensians

External links Supporting

"Is Sola Scriptura a Protestant Concoction?" by Greg Bahnsen
"Why Protestants Still Protest" by Peter J. Leithart from First Things

Critical

Catholic websites on sola scriptura
"Protestantism" from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia
"Why Only Catholicism Can Make Protestantism Work" by Mark Brumley

Miscellaneous

The Future of American Protestantism from Catalyst (United Methodist Church)
Protestantism - Christianity in View

The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation is the name given to a religious and ...

Protestantism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. Protestant doctrine, in contradistinction to that of ...

Definition: protestant from Online Medical Dictionary
The Online Medical Dictionary is a searchable dictionary of definitions from medicine, science and technology.

Protestant Reformation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in the Holy Roman Empire that began in 1517, though its roots lie further back in time. The Reformation involved cultural, economic ...

French protestant refugees
Huguenots: persecution of French Protestants and flight into exile ... Spread of Protestant ideas Edict of Nantes 1598 Louis XIV's support for catholic ...

BBC - Press Office - The Protestant Revolution press pack
Press Releases ... The Protestant Revolution – starts Wednesday 12 September 2007, 9pm on BBC Four

Max Weber - Protestant Ethic
The Protestant Ethic . Max Weber. Weber's concern with the meaning that people give to their actions allowed him to understand the drift of historical change.

Protestant Work Ethic
Work hard and fear God" -- inscription on a Scottish tunnel portal. "You were not put on this Earth to enjoy yourself" -- common maxim used in child-rearing

Welcome to the home of Calton Protestant Defenders Online
District 14 Calton Orange and Purple, Glasgow, Scotland. Contains information on the Protestant faith, the reformation and covenanters. Includes pictures, a forum and chat room.

Protestant Truth Society | Promoting the Truth of God's Word
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