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May 5, 2024 · Protestantism, Christian religious movement that began in northern Europe in the early 16th century as a reaction to medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. Along with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, Protestantism became one of three major forces in Christianity.
Apr 6, 2022 · Protestantism is both an idea and movement of the church toward a personal relationship with God and Jesus. Almost a billion people are protestants. Here's more about the reformation, their beliefs and how it's different from Catholicism.
The five solae summarize the basic theological beliefs of mainstream Protestantism. [1] Protestants follow the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation , a movement that began in the 16th century with the goal of reforming the Catholic Church from perceived errors, abuses, and discrepancies .
- Overview: Protestant Christianity is not necessarily a denomination. It is a branch of Christianity under which are numerous denominations. Protestantism came about in the 16th Century when some believers broke off from the Catholic Church.
- Doctrine: The sacred text used by most Protestants is the Bible alone, which is considered the only spiritual authority. The exceptions are Lutherans and Episcopalians/Anglicans who sometimes use the Apocrypha for assistance and interpretation.
- Sacraments: Most Protestant denominations believe that there are only two sacraments: baptism and communion.
- Angels and Demons: Protestants believe in angels, but they are not a focus for most denominations. Meanwhile, the view of Satan differs among denominations.
- Sola Scriptura – “The Bible alone.” Scripture alone speaks authoritatively, and it speaks to all believers, independently of church leaders and councils, human interpreters and so-called spokesmen for God.
- Sola Gratia – “Grace alone.” It is only by the unmerited favor of God that Christ went to the cross and paid the price for man’s salvation. Man is by nature depraved—he has no virtue that commends him to God.
- Sola Fide – “Faith alone.” Only total righteousness is acceptable to God, and that is found in Christ, not us. Man can only accept Christ’s work by placing his trust in him.
- Sola Christus – “Christ alone.” Salvation is accomplished by Christ alone, and mediated by Christ alone—not by angels, saints, relics, sacraments, priests, teachers, churches, or anyone or anything else.
The Protestant Heritage, Protestantism originated in the 16th-century Reformation, and its basic doctrines, in addition to those of the ancient Christian creeds, are justification by grace alone through faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the supremacy of Holy Scripture in matters of faith.
To understand the Protestant Reform movement, we need to go back in history to the early 16th century when there was only one church in Western Europe - what we would now call the Roman Catholic Church - under the leadership of the Pope in Rome.
