Protestantism is a major branch of Christianity that originated in the 16th century as a movement to reform the Roman Catholic Church, emphasizing salvation through faith alone and the authority of the Bible alone. It began with Martin Luther's 1517 protest against certain Catholic practices, particularly the sale of indulgences, and spread with leaders like John Calvin and others across Europe
. Key characteristics of Protestantism include:
- Justification by faith alone (sola fide), meaning salvation is a gift from God received through faith, not by works
- The Bible as the sole infallible authority in matters of faith and practice (sola scriptura)
- The priesthood of all believers, rejecting the Catholic hierarchy that places priests as mediators between God and people
- Emphasis on God's grace alone (sola gratia) and Christ alone (solus Christus) as the basis for salvation
The term "Protestant" originally referred to princes and cities in the Holy Roman Empire who protested an imperial edict against Luther's reforms in 1529, but it later came to describe all Christian groups that separated from the Catholic Church during the Reformation or descended from them
. Today, Protestantism includes many denominations such as Lutheranism, Calvinism (Reformed churches), Anglicanism, Baptists, Methodists, and others, all sharing these foundational theological principles but differing in various doctrines and practices
. In summary, a Protestant is a Christian who belongs to one of these churches that arose from the Reformation, holding to the Bible as the ultimate authority and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone, distinct from Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions
