The Protestant Reformation transformed Christianity from a single, omnipotent religion (the catholic church) to one that brings together new views that differ from the universal church. The religious groups within Christendom began to arise in opposition to the Catholic Church’s corruption, resulting in protests for reforms. Martin Luther initiated the reformation movement on October 31, 1517, when he nailed his total of 95 theses to the Wittenberg castle church door in defiance of the Pope (Noll, 2022, p.173). The Catholic Church underwent significant changes due to the Reformation, as detailed here.
Even though the Catholic Church had placed a high value on tradition, the Reformers believed in returning to the scriptures. They had their pastors and professors read the Bible extensively, and they encouraged the populace to do so as well. The reformers preached and translated the Bible because they wanted everyone to comprehend it. The Catholic Church feared the Bible was harmful in the hands of untrained people (Noll, 2022, p.211). The evangelical love of the Bible can be traced back to the Reformation. One of Martin Luther’s most important insights was that salvation is based solely on faith (Noll, 2022, p.208). Penance was the only way to earn forgiveness in the early church. This refers to the acts of prayer, charity, or self-punishment necessary to induce interior repentance and was inextricably linked to it. Many people, including Luther, believed this at one time but later recognized that salvation was based primarily on what Christ had done, not on what we did.
Before the Reformation, spirituality was the responsibility of the church. In the West, the catholic church determined right and wrong doctrine. The church exploited catholic rulers to wield political power. All of that changed after the Reformation, albeit it took a long time because many protestant countries were intolerant (Noll, 2022, p.210). True religious liberty was still a long way off, and only Anabaptists taught it at first, but the catholic church’s monopoly was broken. As a result, both protestants and Catholics’ theologies blossomed. As a result, a devoid of religion market arose, and everyone was obliged to enhance their product.
The arrival of the Reformation was a tremendous gift from God, as it revealed truths that had been buried for many generations. On the other side, it also signified the end of ancient authority systems. Because everyone could read and interpret the Bible for themselves, Protestantism was and continues to be subject to new heresies. Reformers and the movements they sparked were not without flaws as well.
Reference
Noll, M. (2012). Turning points (2nd ed.). Baker Academic.