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Protestantism originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Protestant doctrine, also known in continental European traditions as Evangelical doctrine, is in opposition to that of Roman Catholicism. It typically holds that Scripture (rather than tradition or ecclesiastic interpretation of Scripture)[1] is the source of revealed truth.
The word Protestant is derived from the Latin protestari [2][3] meaning publicly declare which refers to the letter of protestation by Lutheran princes against the decision of the Diet of Speyer in 1529, which reaffirmed the edict of the Diet of Worms in 1521, banning Luther's documents. Since that time, the term Protestantism has been used in many different senses, often as a general term merely to signify that they are not Roman Catholics.
While churches which historically emerged directly or indirectly from the Protestant Reformation generally constitute traditional Protestantism, in common usage the term is often used to refer to any Christian church other than the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.[4] This usage is imprecise, however, as there are non-Roman Catholic and non-Eastern Orthodox churches which predate the Reformation (notably Oriental Orthodoxy). The Anglican tradition, although historically influenced by the Protestant Reformation in what is called the English Reformation, differs from many Reformation principles and understands itself to be a middle path—a via media—between Roman Catholic and Protestant doctrines. Other groups, such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses, reject traditional Protestantism as another deviation from Christianity, while perceiving themselves to be restorationists.
The three fundamental principles of traditional Protestantism are the following:
Trinitarian Protestant denominations are divided according to the position taken on Baptism:
There are many independent, non-aligned or non-denominational trinitarian congregations that may take any one of these or no particular position on Baptism.
Some religious movements, such as Restorationists, Nontrinitarian movements, or the New Religious Movements, which share certain characteristics of the Protestant churches, are termed 'Protestant' by outsiders, even though neither mainstream Trinitarian Christians, nor the groups themselves, would consider the designation appropriate.
Protestants often refer to specific Protestant churches and groups as denominations to imply that they are differently named parts of the whole church. This "invisible unity" is assumed to be imperfectly displayed, visibly: some denominations are less accepting of others, and the basic orthodoxy of some is questioned by most of the others. Individual denominations also have formed over very subtle theological differences. Other denominations are simply regional or ethnic expressions of the same beliefs. Because the five solas are the main tenets of the Protestant faith, many Non-denominational churches are also Protestant churches. The actual number of distinct protestant denominations is hard to calculate, but has been estimated to be over thirty thousand.[7] Various ecumenical movements have attempted cooperation or reorganization of Protestant churches, according to various models of union, but divisions continue to outpace unions, as there is no overarching authority to which any of the sects owe allegiance, which can authoritatively define the faith. Most denominations share common beliefs in the major aspects of the Christian faith, while differing in many secondary doctrines, although what is major and what is secondary is a matter of idiosyncratic belief. There are "over 33,000 denominations in 238 countries" and every year there is a net increase of around 270 to 300 denominations.[7] According to David Barrett's study (1970), there are 8,196 denominations within Protestantism.
There are about 800 million Protestants worldwide,[8] among approximately 1.5 billion Christians.[9][10] These include 170 million in North America, 160 million in Africa, 120 million in Europe, 70 million in Latin America, 60 million in Asia, and 10 million in Oceania.
Protestants can be differentiated according to how they have been influenced by important movements since the magisterial Reformation and the Puritan Reformation in England. Some of these movements have a common lineage, sometimes directly spawning later movements in the same groups. Only general families are listed here (due to the above-stated multitude of denominations); some of these groups do not consider themselves as part of the Protestant movement, but are generally viewed as such by the public at large[citation needed]:
Australian Evangelical Alliance • site
National Council of Churches • site
Anglican Church of Australia • site
Roman Catholic Church • site
Christian and Missionary Alliance • site
Christian Outreach Centre • site
Church of the Nazarene • site
Salvation Army • site
Seventh-day Adventist Church • site
Australian Friends • site
Baptist Union of Australia • site
Brethren • site
Christian Reformed Churches of Australia • site
Churches of Christ • site
Fellowship of Congregational Churches • site
Lutheran Church of Australia • site
Presbyterian Church of Australia • site
Uniting Church in Australia • site
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia • site
Antiochian Orthodox of Australia & New Z. • site
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia • site
Serbian Orthodox of Australia & New Z. • site
Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia • Mel-Syd
Australian Christian Churches (AOG) • site
Christian City Church Intl. • site
CRC Churches International • site
Revival Centres International • site
Vineyard Churches Australia • site
Worldwide Church of God • site
Affinity (formerly British Evangelical Council) • site
Churches Together in Britain & Ireland • site
Evangelical Alliance, UK • site locate
Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches • site
Churches Together in England • site
Action of Churches Together, Scotland (ACTS) • site
Associating Evangelical Churches of Wales • site
Churches Together in Wales • site
Evangelical Movement of Wales • site
Church of England • site
Free Church of England • site
Church of Ireland • site
Scottish Episcopal Church • site
Church in Wales • site
Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland • site
Baptist Union of Great Britain • site
Baptist Union of Scotland • site
Baptist Union of Wales • site
Grace Baptist Assembly • site
Old Baptist Union • site
England & Walessite
Irelandsite
Scotland • site
British Old Catholic Church • site
Old Catholic Church in Europe • site
Old Catholic Mariavite Church • site
Old Catholic Church of Great Britain • site
Traditional Catholic Orthodox Church • site
United Ecumenical Catholic Church • site
Christian Outreach Centre • site
Church of the Nazarene • nth , sth
British Moravian Church • site
Salvation Army • site
Seventh-day Adventist Church • site
Wesleyan Holiness Church • site
Free Methodist of the UK • site
Methodist Church in Ireland • site
Methodist Church of Great Britain • site
Wesleyan Reform Union • site
Vineyard Churches UK • site
Ichthus Christian Fellowship • site
Newfrontiers • site
Pioneer Church • site
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of G.B. • site
Russian Orthodox Diocese, G.B. & Ire. • site
Russian Tradition Vicariate, G.B. & Ire. • site
British Orthodox Church • site
Celtic Orthodox Church • site
Assemblies of God • G.Bri Ire
Church of God in Christ • site
Elim Pentecostal Church • site
Foursquare Gospel Church • site
Worldwide Church of God • site
Associated Presbyterian Churches, Scotland • site
Church of Scotland]] • site
Congregational Federation • site
Evangelical Presbyterian Church • site
Free Church of Scotland • site
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) • site
Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland • site
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster • site
Non-subscribing Presbyterian, Ireland • site
Presbyterian Church in Ireland • site
Presbyterian Church of Wales • site
Reformed Presbyterian Church • N.Ire, Scot
United Free Church of Scotland • site
United Reformed Church • site
Brethren in Christ • site
Churches of Christ • site
Fellowship of Ind. Evangelical Churches • site
Quakers/ Britain Yearly Meeting • site
Quakers/ Ireland Yearly Meeting • site
National Association of Evangelicals
National Council of Churches
Churches Uniting in Christ
S. Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America
North Am. Presbyterian & Reformed Council
Church of the Brethren
Friends United Meeting
Mennonite Church USA
Old Order Amish Mennonite Church
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Association
American Baptist Churches
Baptist Bible Fellowship International
Baptist General Conference
Baptist Missionary Association of America
Conservative Baptist Association of America
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
National Association of Free Will Baptists
National Primitive Baptist Convention
North American Baptist Conference
Southern Baptist Convention
National Baptist Convention of America
National Baptist Convention, USA
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
Progressive National Baptist Convention
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ
Churches of Christ
International Churches of Christ
Episcopal Church
Old Roman Catholic Church
Polish National Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church of God (Anderson)
Church of the Nazarene
Evangelical Covenant Church
Evangelical Free Church of America
Free Methodist Church of N. Am.
Salvation Army
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Wesleyan Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
United Methodist Church
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Orthodox Church in America
Serbian Orthodox Church
Armenian Apostolic of Am.
Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Am.
Coptic Orthodox Church
Assemblies of God
Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
Church of God in Christ
Church of God of Prophecy
Full Gospel Fellowship
Intl. Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Intl. Pentecostal Holiness Church
Pentecostal Church of God
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
United Pentecostal Church Intl.
Christian Reformed Church in North America
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Korean Presbyterian Church in America
International Council of Community Churches
National Asso. of Congregational Christian Churches
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church in America
Reformed Church in America
United Church of Christ
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Community of Christ
Grace Gospel Fellowship
Independent Fundamental Churches of America
Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
Plymouth Brethren
Vineyard USA
Interdenominational Associations
World Council of Churches • site
World Evangelical Alliance • site
Denominational Associations
Friends World Committee for Consultation • site
Mennonite World Conference • site
Anglican Communion • site
Baptist World Alliance • site
World Convention of Churches of Christ • site
Eastern Orthodox Church • site
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference • site
International Lutheran Council • site
Lutheran World Federation • site
World Methodist Council • site
Pentecostal World Conference • site
International Conference of Reformed Churches • site
Reformed Ecumenical Council • site
World Communion of Reformed Churches • site
World Reformed Fellowship • site
Regional Associations
All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) • site
Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA) • site
All Africa Baptist Fellowship • site
Africa Lutheran Communion • site
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) • site
Evangelical Fellowship of Asia • site
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation • site
Asia Lutheran Communion • site
Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) • site
Evangelical Association of the Caribbean • site
Caribbean Baptist Fellowship • site
Conference of European Churches (CEC) • site
European Evangelical Alliance • site
European Baptist Federation • site
Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) • site
Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) • site
Latin American Evangelical Fellowship (FIDE) • site
Union of Baptists in Latin America • site
North American Baptist Fellowship • site
Standing Conference of Orthodox Bishops in America • site
North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council • site
Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) • site
Evangelical Fellowship of the South Pacific (EFSP) • site
Asia Pacific Baptist Federation • site
The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic theological beliefs in opposition to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church of the day. The Latin word sola means "alone," "only," or "single" in English. The five solas were what the Reformers believed to be the only things needed in their respective opinions for Christian salvation. The Bible was taught as the only norm. Listing them as such was also done with a view to excluding other things that in the Reformers' respective views hindered or were unnecessary for salvation. This formulation was intended to distinguish between what were viewed as deviations in the Christian church and the essentials of Christian life and practice. In these opinions they differed from the universal consensus of Christians in historical Christianity.
The Protestant movement began to coalesce into several distinct branches in the mid-to-late sixteenth century. One of the central points of divergence was controversy over the Lord's Supper.
Early Protestants generally rejected the Roman Catholic dogma of transubstantiation, which teaches that the bread and wine used in the sacrificial rite of the Mass lose their natural substance by being transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. They disagreed with one another concerning the manner in which Christ is present in Holy Communion.
Some hold to understandings like those of Lutherans, Calvinists, or Zwinglians, while others hold doctrines very similar (or even identical) to the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation.
In Protestant theology, as the bread shares identity with Christ (which he calls "my body"), in an analogous way, the Church shares identity with Christ (and also is called "the Body of Christ"). Thus, controversies over the Lord's Supper may seem to be only about the nature of the bread and wine, but are ultimately about the nature of salvation and the Church; and indirectly about the nature of Christ. There are as many different views on the question as there are Protestant denominations.
Contrary to how the Protestant reformers were often characterized, the concept of a catholic, or universal, Church was not brushed aside during the Protestant Reformation. To the contrary, the visible unity of the Catholic Church was an important and essential doctrine of the Reformation. The Magisterial Reformers, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli, believed that they were reforming a corrupt and heretical Catholic Church. Each of them took very seriously the charges of schism and innovation, denying these charges and maintaining that it was the medieval Roman Catholic Church that had left them; notwithstanding that they were individuals in the 16th century who espoused radically different opinions from what was the common and constant teaching of the Christian Church hitherto.
Wherever the Magisterial Reformation, which received support from the ruling authorities, took place, the result was a reformed national church envisioned to be a part of the whole visible Holy catholic Church described in the creeds, but disagreeing, in certain important points of doctrine and doctrine-linked practice, with what had until then been considered the normative reference point on such matters, namely the See of Rome. The Reformed Churches thus believed in a form of Catholicity, founded on their doctrines of the five solas and a visible ecclesiastical organization based on the 14th and 15th century Conciliar movement, rejecting the Papacy and Papal Infallibility in favor of Ecumenical councils, but rejecting the Council of Trent. Catholic unity therefore became not one of doctrine and identity, but one of invisible character, wherein the unity was one of faith in Jesus Christ, not common identity, belief, and collaborative action.
Today there is a growing movement of Protestants, especially of the Reformed tradition, that reject the designation "Protestant" because of its negative "anti-catholic" connotations, preferring the designation "Reformed," "Evangelical" or even "Reformed Catholic" expressive of what they call a "Reformed Catholicity"[12] and defending their arguments from the traditional Protestant Confessions.[13]
Unlike mainstream Evangelical (Lutheran), Reformed (Zwinglian and Calvinist) Protestant movements, the Radical Reformation, which had no state sponsorship, generally abandoned the idea of the "Church Visible" as distinct from the "Church Invisible". It was a rational extension of the State-approved Protestant dissent, which took the value of independence from constituted authority a step further, arguing the same for the civic realm.
Church leaders such as Hubmaier and Hofmann preached the invalidity of infant baptism, advocating baptism as following conversion, called "believer's baptism", instead.
In the view of many associated with the Radical Reformation, the Magisterial Reformation had not gone far enough, with radical reformer, Andreas von Bodenstein Karlstadt, for example, referring to the Lutheran theologians at Wittenberg as the "new papists".[14] A more political side of the Radical Reformation can be seen in the thought and practice of Hans Hut, although typically Anabaptism has been associated with pacifism.
Early Anabaptists were severely persecuted by both Calvinist and Catholic civil authorities.
The German Pietist movement, together with the influence of the Puritan Reformation in England in the seventeenth century, were important influences upon John Wesley and Methodism, as well as new groups such as the Religious Society of Friends ("Quakers") and the Moravian Brethren from Herrnhut, Saxony, Germany.
The practice of a spiritual life, typically combined with social engagement, predominates in classical Pietism, which was a protest against the doctrine-centeredness Protestant Orthodoxy of the times, in favor of depth of religious experience. Many of the more conservative Methodists went on to form the Holiness movement, which emphasized a rigorous experience of holiness in practical, daily life.
Beginning at the end of eighteenth century, several international revivals of Pietism (such as the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening) took place across denominational lines, largely in the English-speaking world. Their teachings and successor groupings are referred to generally as the Evangelical movement. The chief emphases of this movement were individual conversion, personal piety and Bible study, public morality often including Temperance and Abolitionism, de-emphasis of formalism in worship and in doctrine, a broadened role for laity (including women) in worship, evangelism and teaching, and cooperation in evangelism across denominational lines.
Adventism, as a movement, began in the United States in middle nineteenth century. The Adventist family of churches are regarded today as conservative Protestants.[15]
Modernism, Liberalism and Sunderianism do not constitute rigorous and well-defined schools of theology, but are rather an inclination by some writers and teachers to integrate Christian thought into the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment. New understandings of history and the natural sciences of the day led directly to new approaches to theology.
Pentecostalism, as a movement, began in the United States early in the twentieth century, starting especially within the Holiness movement. Seeking a return to the operation of New Testament gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues as evidence of the "baptism of the Holy Ghost" or to make the unbeliever believe became the leading feature. Divine healing and miracles were also emphasized. Pentecostalism swept through much of the Holiness movement, and eventually spawned hundreds of new denominations in the United States. A later "charismatic" movement also stressed the gifts of the Spirit, but often operated within existing denominations, rather than by coming out of them.
In reaction to liberal Bible critique, fundamentalism arose in the twentieth century, primarily in the United States and Canada, among those denominations most affected by Evangelicalism. Fundamentalism placed primary emphasis on the authority and sufficiency of the Bible, and typically advised separation from error and cultural conservatism as an important aspect of the Christian life.
A non-fundamentalist rejection of liberal Christianity, associated primarily with Karl Barth, neo-orthodoxy sought to counter-act the tendency of liberal theology to make theological accommodations to modern scientific perspectives. Sometimes called "Crisis theology", according to the influence of philosophical existentialism on some important segments of the movement; also, somewhat confusingly, sometimes called neo-evangelicalism.
Evangelicalism is a movement from the middle of the twentieth century, that reacted to perceived excesses of Fundamentalism, adding to concern for biblical authority, an emphasis on liberal arts, cooperation among churches, Christian Apologetics, and non-denominational evangelization.
Paleo-orthodoxy is a movement similar in some respects to Neo-evangelicalism but emphasising the ancient Christian consensus of the undivided Church of the first millennium AD, including in particular the early Creeds and councils of the church as a means of properly understanding the Scriptures. This movement is cross-denominational and the theological giant of the movement is United Methodist theologian Thomas Oden.
The ecumenical movement has had an influence on mainline churches, beginning at least in 1910 with the Edinburgh Missionary Conference. Its origins lay in the recognition of the need for cooperation on the mission field in Africa, Asia and Oceania. Since 1948, the World Council of Churches has been influential, but ineffective in creating a united Church. There are also ecumenical bodies at regional, national and local levels across the globe; but schisms still far outnumber unifications. One, but not the only expression of the ecumenical movement, has been the move to form united churches, such as the Church of South India, the Church of North India, The US-based United Church of Christ, The United Church of Canada, Uniting Church in Australia and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines which have rapidly declining memberships. There has been a strong engagement of Orthodox churches in the ecumenical movement, though the reaction of individual Orthodox theologians has ranged from tentative approval of the aim of Christian unity to outright condemnation of the perceived effect of watering down Orthodox doctrine.[2]
In 1999, the representatives of Lutheran World Federation and Roman Catholic Church signed The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, apparently resolving the conflict over the nature of Justification which was at the root of the Protestant Reformation, although some conservative Lutherans did not agree to this resolution. This is understandable, since there is no compelling authority within them. On July 18, 2006 Delegates to the World Methodist Conference voted unanimously to adopt the Joint Declaration. [3] [4]
(in alphabetical order by century.)
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