Protestantism

protestantism The term originated with the protest of the reforming minority at the diet of Spires in 1529 against the catholic majority. As a general description of the anti‐catholic position, it was adopted with some caution: several of the churches into which the new movement dissolved were strongly opposed to each other, while conservatives were not anxious to stress the role of individual conscience in religious matters. The common protestant ground was rejection of papal authority, emphasis on the Bible, devotion to preaching, clerical marriage, and a more austere ceremonial. The main divisions of protestantism were Calvinism, Lutheranism, and Zwinglianism, with the Church of England claiming an autonomous and independent position.

Catholic polemicists argued that the appeal to private conscience must, in the end, lead to religious anarchy. Protestantism was not long in dividing—indeed it was born divided—over the nature of the eucharist, the role of bishops, the importance of good works, and the method of baptism. The fissiparous nature of the movement continued to the 20th cent., with splits, secessions, and schisms in most denominations. In the late 20th cent., falling membership, financial problems, and a more ecumenical spirit prompted a number of protestant reunions, but though relations between protestants and catholics are much warmer than in the 19th cent., reunification has yet to come about.

Protestantism. Generic term for manifestations or expressions of Christianity arising from the Reformation. Although the Lat., protestari, means ‘to protest’ (sc., against the errors of Roman Catholicism), it also means ‘to avow’ or ‘to affirm’. Thus Protestants were, and are, not simply negative, but seek to return to a faith and order based on scripture, and in continuity from the early apostolic Church. They stress the sovereign majesty of God, who as Father entrusts Lordship over creation to his Son. They hold strongly to justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers. They reject the claims of papal supremacy, at least as so far practised and expressed, and also the seven sacraments of Catholicism, adhering to the two which have dominical (i.e. from the Lord) warrant, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Protestantism has proved highly fissiparous, and embraces extremes of conservatism and radicalism. There are, in extremely approximate terms, about 500 million Protestants in the world.