Protestantism

Protestantism is a major branch of Christianity that emerged from the sixteenth-century Reformation. Its churches reject papal authority and differ widely in doctrine, worship, and organization.

Martin Luther: A German theologian whose challenge to church practices helped initiate the Reformation. His writings and teaching launched the movement that became Protestantism.
Sola scriptura: The principle that Scripture is the supreme or sole infallible authority for Christian doctrine. It distinguishes Protestant accounts of religious authority from papal teaching authority.
Catholic Church: The Christian church in communion with the pope, with a worldwide hierarchy and distinctive teachings and traditions. Protestant churches define a central difference by rejecting papal jurisdiction.
Protestant work ethic: A proposed link between Protestant religious values, disciplined labor, and the development of modern capitalism. Max Weber’s thesis made Protestant culture central to debates about economic change.
Ninety-five Theses: Martin Luther’s 1517 propositions criticizing the sale of indulgences and related church practices. Their circulation became a defining opening episode of the Reformation.
Justification by faith: The Christian doctrine that sinners are justified before God through faith rather than by meriting salvation. The Reformation made this doctrine a central account of salvation.
Eastern Orthodoxy: A communion of Christian churches rooted in the ancient eastern patriarchates and sharing Orthodox theology and worship. It is another major Christian tradition, distinct from both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches.
Thirty Years' War: A series of conflicts from 1618 to 1648 that devastated much of Central Europe and involved religious and dynastic struggles. Confessional divisions between Protestant and Catholic powers helped shape its course.
John Calvin: A French theologian whose writings shaped Reformed Protestant theology and church organization. His influence established a major Protestant tradition distinct from Lutheranism.
Priesthood of all believers: The Christian teaching that all believers have direct access to God and share a priestly vocation. It underlies Protestant challenges to a uniquely mediating priesthood.

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