Protestantism is a form of Christianity that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Protestants broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, rejecting some of its doctrines and practices. Here is an overview of some key beliefs and history of Protestantism:
Core Beliefs
Some core Protestant beliefs include:
- Bible alone – The Bible alone is the ultimate authority on matters of faith, not church tradition or the Pope.
- Salvation by grace – Salvation comes through God’s grace alone, not by good works.
- “Priesthood of all believers” – All Christians have direct access to God through Christ, not requiring a priest as intermediary.
- Only two sacraments – Most Protestants recognize baptism and communion as the only two sacraments, not seven like in Catholicism.
- No veneration of Mary or saints – Protestants do not pray to Mary or canonized saints, only God.
The Five Solas are considered pillars of the Protestant Reformation:
- Sola Fide – Salvation comes by faith alone, not by good works.
- Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone is the supreme authority, not church tradition.
- Sola Gratia – Salvation comes by grace alone, only through God’s undeserved favor.
- Solus Christus – Christ alone is the mediator between God and man, not Mary or the saints.
- Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God alone, not to human achievement.
These Solas contrast with Catholic doctrines on good works, church authority, the role of Mary/saints, and more.
History and Origins
Protestantism traces back to Martin Luther, a 16th century German monk and professor of theology. Luther strongly objected to corrupt practices he saw in the medieval Catholic Church:
- Sale of indulgences – effectively selling forgiveness for sins
- Corruption and luxury among church leaders
- Church doctrines not fully aligned with Scripture
In 1517 Luther wrote his famous 95 Theses critiquing indulgences and sparking the Protestant Reformation. Key events in early Protestant history include:
- 1517 – Luther’s 95 Theses
- 1521 – Luther excommunicated by the Pope
- 1525 – Anabaptist movement begins, rebaptizing believers
- 1534 – Henry VIII breaks English church from Rome, founding Anglicanism
- 1536 – John Calvin publishes Institutes of the Christian Religion
- 1555 – Peace of Augsburg allows German states to adopt Lutheranism
Protestantism quickly spread beyond Germany to Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and elsewhere in Europe. Major denominations today descending from early Protestantism include:
- Lutherans
- Reformed/Calvinists (Presbyterians, Congregationalists)
- Anglicans/Episcopalians
- Methodists
- Baptists
- Pentecostals
There is diversity among Protestant denominations and beliefs. But core emphases on the supreme authority of Scripture, salvation by grace through faith, and the priesthood of all believers unite them.
Distinct Protestant Teachings
Here are some key theological differences between Protestantism and Catholicism:
Scripture Alone: Protestants believe the Bible alone is the ultimate spiritual authority inspired by God. It is sufficient and accessible to all believers who can interpret it guided by the Holy Spirit. Catholicism also venerates church tradition and Papal decrees as authoritative. (Sola Scriptura)
Salvation: Protestants teach salvation is a free, unearned gift from God received solely by faith in Christ’s sacrifice, not by any human effort or works. Catholicism teaches faith plus good works contribute to salvation. (Sola Fide)
Sacraments: Most Protestants only observe baptism and communion as sacraments, not the additional five rites in Catholicism. They reject transubstantiation, believing communion is symbolic.
Structure: Protestant denominations have autonomy and decentralized leadership. Catholicism has a hierarchical structure under the authority of the Pope and Roman Curia.
Simplicity: Protestant worship spaces are generally plainer. Catholic liturgy incorporates more elaborate rituals, vestments, and visual arts.
Veneration of Saints: Protestants pray to God alone, not Mary or canonized saints. They also reject praying for the dead in purgatory.
Major Protestant Denominations
There are an estimated 800 million Protestants worldwide. Here are some of the largest Protestant branches today:
Lutheranism: The original Protestant denomination founded by Martin Luther in Germany in the 1500s. Salvation by faith alone and the Bible as sole authority are core beliefs. Uses liturgical worship services. About 80 million adherents globally.
Anglicanism: The Church of England broke from Rome in the 1500s during the Protestant Reformation in England, founded by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Retains some Catholic forms of worship and structure. About 85 million adherents globally.
Baptists: A Protestant movement originating in 17th century England that rejected infant baptism, promoting adult baptism by immersion. Congregationalist polity with local church autonomy. Around 100 million global adherents.
Methodism: Originated from Anglican minister John Wesley’s 18th century revival movement. Emphasizes personal holiness and discipleship informed by God’s grace. Around 40 million global adherents.
Pentecostalism: Began in the early 20th century U.S., tracing roots to Azusa Street Revival. Emphasizes baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues, faith healing, expressive worship. Around 280 million global adherents.
Presbyterianism: Calvinist reformed denomination founded by John Knox in Scotland in the 1500s. Ruled by elected elders using Presbyterian church polity. Around 20 million global adherents.
Congregationalists: Protestant churches operating autonomously, governing themselves democratically. Originated with Puritan settlers in America as Congregational churches. Around 2 million global adherents.
There are also various smaller Protestant denominations such as Mennonites, Quakers, Amish, Huguenots, and others. Despite differences, all uphold the pillars of the Reformation.
Comparison to Other Religious Groups
Catholicism: Both are forms of Christianity but major theological differences exist, as outlined above. Catholics recognize church tradition, seven sacraments, good works contributing to salvation, priestly hierarchy under the Pope, prayers to saints, purgatory, and more.
Orthodox Christianity: While theologically similar in some areas like rejecting Papal authority, Orthodox Christians split from Catholicism in 1054 AD, before the Protestant Reformation. Orthodox worship is highly liturgical, venerates Mary/saints, recognizes seven sacraments, and is more mystical.
Non-Trinitarian Groups: Protestants are Trinitarian, accepting the triune Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons of one God. By contrast, non-Trinitarians such as Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Christadelphians reject this core doctrine of traditional Christianity.
Judaism: Judaism completely rejects the New Testament accounts of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecies. While Christianity emerged from Judaism, core differences exist around whether Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.
Islam: Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet, but see Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet, do not believe Jesus was divine or died on the cross. The theologies of Christianity and Islam have little in common.
So in summary, Protestantism occupies a distinctive middle ground – rejecting Papal authority and Catholic traditions while maintaining historical orthodox Christian theology unlike non-Trinitarian sects or other world religions.
Denominational Divisions
Despite their shared foundational principles, Protestants have experienced significant divisions into different denominations over the centuries. Some of the major debates behind splits include:
Church Structure and Governance: Congregationalist vs. Presbyterian polity. Level of decentralization or hierarchy in church leadership.
Baptism: Infant baptism vs. adult believer’s baptism. Sprinkling vs. full immersion. Baptismal regeneration vs. symbolic ordinance.
Worship Style: Formal liturgical services vs. informal worship and preaching. Use of set prayers, creeds, vestments, etc.
Gifts of the Spirit: Cessationism vs. Continuationism. Whether miraculous spiritual gifts like tongues and prophecy continue today.
End Times: Differing eschatological interpretations of future events from books like Daniel and Revelation. Post-millennialism vs. Pre-millennialism vs. Amillennialism. Rapture timing.
Social Issues: Homosexuality, gender roles, abortion, social justice. Biblical inerrancy vs. infallibility.
Calvinism vs. Arminianism: Differing views on salvation, free will, predestination, extent of atonement.
Such differences have led to separate denominations forming over disagreements in doctrine or practice. But most still share foundational Reformation principles.
Worship and Practices
Protestant practices vary across denominations but generally reflect several key principles:
Preaching the Word: Scripture is read and preached from during worship services. The sermon explaining biblical texts is central.
Simple Worship: Worship spaces are relatively plain with little ornamentation compared to Catholic or Orthodox churches. Focus is on biblical teaching over rituals.
Congregational Singing: Corporate hymn singing by the congregation is a core part of services. Music voices praise simply with limited instruments.
Lord’s Supper: Communion or Eucharist is celebrated regularly as a memorial of Christ’s death. Bread and wine are symbolic of Christ’s body and blood sacrificed.
Believer’s Baptism: Baptism is primarily reserved for professing believers, not infants. Full immersion symbolizes death to sin and new life in Christ.
Priesthood of All Believers: Rank and hierarchy are deemphasized. All Christians have equal access to God without mediation by priests. Many unpaid pastors and volunteerism.
Bible Study: Personal and group Bible reading and study is encouraged for all believers to grow in faith and knowledge of Scripture.
The focus is direct worship of God through His Word and Spirit, with less emphasis on ritual or ecclesiastical structure.
Role of Faith and Works
A key issue that drove the Protestant Reformation was the relationship between faith and works in salvation. Protestants emphasize:
- Salvation is by faith alone (Sola Fide), not based on human effort or merits, but God’s grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- Good works flow from salvation but do not earn it. They glorify God out of gratitude. (James 2:14-26)
- Justification before God is by faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, not human works or penance. (Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16)
- All spiritual blessings are due to Christ’s work, not our earning favor with God. (Ephesians 1:3)
This countered medieval Catholic practices like selling indulgences whereby monetary donations to the church earned merits towards salvation.
Protestants teach faith and works are both necessary for the Christian life but occupy different roles:
- Faith justifies and regenerates believers, uniting them savingly to Christ. (1 Peter 1:9)
- Works flow from the believer as the fruit and evidence of true faith and new life. (James 2:17,26)
Salvation is entirely by God’s undeserved favor, not human effort. But saving faith will inevitably yield good works through the Spirit as evidence of true conversion.
Continuing Influence
Protestantism fundamentally shaped Christianity. Key impacts include:
- Bible translated into common languages and literacy promoted.
- Doctrinal debates and catechisms further developed theology.
- Renewed evangelistic and missionary zeal to spread the gospel.
- Spread of Christianity accelerated across the world via Protestant missions.
- Adoption of vernacular in worship made church services more understandable.
- Contributed to advances in education, languages, printing, politics and science.
Protestant theological roots also influenced the 18th century Evangelical Revival in Europe and the Great Awakenings in America which shaped Western Christianity and society in lasting ways.
While not without flaws, the Protestant Reformation restored key elements of biblical doctrine and practice. It proliferated biblical literacy and accessibility. And it fundamentally renewed Christianity by redirecting it to Christ’s finished work and calling all believers back to Scriptural authority and authentic faith.
