ARCHIVE

The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge in the Catholic Church and in particular to papal authority, arising from what were perceived to be errors, abuses, and discrepancies by the Church. As the reforms have been accepted by many church priests, monks and theologians, it has not been accepted by the pope, and it brought split between the church leaders.

Prior to Martin Luther, there were many earlier reform movements. Although the Reformation is usually considered to have started with the publication of the Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther in 1517, he was not excommunicated by Pope Leo X until January 1521. The Diet of Worms of May 1521 condemned Luther and officially banned citizens of the Holy Roman Empire from defending or propagating his ideas.

​

The spread of Gutenberg's printing press provided the means for the rapid spread of religious materials. Luther survived after being declared an outlaw due to the protection of Elector Frederick the Wise (famous kidnaping).

The Reformers argued that salvation in Christianity was a completed status based on faith in Jesus alone and not a process that requires good works and must of earning the eternal life. So selling the tickets for it (indulgences) by the Catholic Church was strongly criticized by the reformers and banned. Luther insisted that the Pope had no authority over purgatory and that the Treasury of Merit had no foundation in the Bible. The Reformation developed further to include a distinction between Law (OT) and Gospel (NT), a complete reliance on Scripture as the only source of proper doctrine (sola scriptura) and the belief that faith in Jesus is the only way to receive God's pardon for sin (sola fide) rather than good works. Although this is generally considered a Protestant belief, a similar formulation was taught by Molinist, Jansenist Catholics and much later also the Roman Catholics.

​

So, the Reformation was the start of Protestantism and the split of the Western Church into the Roman-Catholic Church and Protestantism (Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Methodism, Baptism, Pentecostalism, and more). It is also considered to be one of the events that signified the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern period in Europe & enlightenment.

​

The priesthood of all believers downplayed the need for saints or priests to serve as mediators, and mandatory clerical celibacy was ended. Simul justus et peccator (at the same time justified and a sinner) implied that although people could improve, no one could become good enough to earn forgiveness from God, that is why the forgiveness is given from free through God’s grace and love.

​