The Protestant Reformation

1007 Words3 Pages

The intent of this paper is to evaluate the distinct character and quality of the expressions of the Protestant Reformation. This paper will discuss Lutheran Reformation, The Anabaptist, and The English Puritans as well as the Catholic Reformation also known as the Counter Reformation. It is the hope that after the reader has had the opportunity to view each of the characteristics and the expressions of each of the reformation the reader will have a better understanding of each and will be able to articulate the differences of each.

The Protestant Reformation called the Protestant Revolt and known too many as The Reformation. This movement was the European Christian reform movement this was the beginning of Protestantism the branch of contemporary Christianity. Martin Luther and John Calvin and many other Protestants led this movement. These reformers protest and objected to the doctrines rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church this led to the new national Protestant churches. The Catholic Church response to this objection with a Counter Reformation that was led by the Jesuit order, which is part of the Roman Catholic Church, which a man who has taken the required steps to belong to the Society of Jesus this includes, taken the vows of poverty and obedience (McGrath 2007). The Protestant Reformation began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church, carried by the Western European Catholic who opposed what was perceived as a false doctrine and ecclesiastic malpractice. The reformers saw evidence of the systemic corruption of the Church’s Roman hierarchy, which included the Pope (Noll 2000). Martin Luther along with John Wycliffe and Jan Hus attempted to reform the Roman Catholic Church. The Protes...

... middle of paper ...

... Anabaptists urged separation of church and society and rejected the Christendom system, where the church and state were intertwined. The English Puritans passed on to us a heritage of pastoral theology of the English speaking church. The Puritans modeled a pattern of ministry that was both plainly Biblical and devotional.

Works Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_Reformation

http://www.homiliesbyemail.com/Special/Reformation/timeline.html

Knight, K. (2009) New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm

Shelley B.L. (2008). Third Edition Church History in Plain Language. Nashville TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Freedman D.N. (2000). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

McGrath A.E. (2007). Christian Theology An Introduction Fourth Edition. Malden, MA. Blackwell Publishing.

Open Document