The term "Protestant" is today utilized to broadly define those professing Christians who stand apart from Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
Not surprisingly then, there are many "Protestants" who don't appreciate being called "Protestant," and who outright reject any such categorization. This makes understanding Protestantism all the more problematic.
What is Christianity?
Before one can fully appreciate Protestantism or basic Protestant beliefs, it's important to understand Christianity.
The term "Christian" comes from the New Testament book of Acts, where Luke (the likely author) explains that followers (or "disciples") of Jesus were first called "Christians" in the city of Antioch (Acts 11:26). The term stuck, and quickly came to define all those who believed in and followed Jesus of Nazareth.
Christianity is therefore a monotheistic faith that holds the first-century Jewish leader named Jesus of Nazareth to be the divine Son of God (John 3:16) sent to redeem the world from its sins (Romans 10:9-10). Christian beliefs about Jesus are drawn essentially from the New Testament.
Though the Christian faith is arguably in decline in western Europe and, to some extent, in North America, Christianity remains the world's largest religion, with more than two billion adherents. Yet Christianity itself is divided into three main branches, which are Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism.
Definition of Protestant
Protestantism, as a historical movement, began in October 1517, when a monk named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the wall of a German church. Luther's protests against the Roman Catholic Church and his enunciation of doctrinal differences gave him and his followers the name "Protestant" and launched the Protestant Reformation.
While the term "Protestant" historically referred to those who broke their allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church during the tumult of the Protestant Reformation, it has since come to describe virtually all non-Catholic Christians (particularly in the West), including Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians, among others.
Principles of Protestantism
Luther's protests against Roman Catholicism united many who had long held disagreements with the Vatican and encouraged others to explore new differences. In addition, the printing press and the wider distribution of Bibles fueled more of the reformation.
While there was some diversity in the Protestant movement then (and much more today), there was general Protestant agreement on the following main points:
- Sola Scriptura - Doctrine is "by Scripture alone" as opposed to papal decree or council edict.
- Sola Fide - Justification is received "by faith alone" as opposed to works or sacraments.
- Sola Gratia - Salvation comes "by grace alone."
- Sola Christus - Atonement for sins is "by and through Christ alone."
- Soli Deo gloria - All glory is to be given "to God alone."
Major Branches and Movements Within Protestantism
Since the Middle Ages, Protestantism has grown to encompass a wide array of beliefs, traditions, and denominations. Most Protestants could be categorized in the following philosophical branches:
- Anglicanism - When the Church of England broke from papal authority, the Anglican tradition was born. At first, the split was primarily personal (King Henry VIII wanted a divorce) and political. It later became theological, as English Protestants laid out key differences with the Vatican.
- Mainline Protestantism - Churches and structured denominations that trace their origins to the European Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, etc.) or Anglicanism.
- Modern or Postmodern Liberalism - A school of thought within Protestantism that encourages conscience, Enlightenment-driven inquiry, and (in some cases) postmodern thought as a balance to Sola Scriptura.
- Evangelicalism - Christians who emphasize personal conversion to Jesus Christ, Bible study (and Sola Scriptura), morality and ethics (as defined scripturally), and the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Pentecostalism and "Spirit-Filled" Christians - Those who believe that all the apostolic gifts, including faith healing, speaking in tongues, etc. are available to the church today. Some within this camp believe that these gifts are at the discretion of the Holy Spirit, while others believe they are a sign of salvation or spiritual maturity.
There are, of course, spin-offs and variations with the above categories, and some "Protestants" who don't lend themselves well to any category. Indeed, many "Protestants" don't consider themselves part of Protestantism at all.
All labels come with limitations and difficulties. Rather than categorize and compartmentalize people according to certain denominations or movements, it's best to let each person speak for himself or herself.
Understanding the major movements and branches of Protestantism is important, but such understanding should be held with an open hand and considered with an open mind.
