Protestantism is one of the main branches of Christianity. Approximately 801 million Christians, or 36.7% of the 2,184 million Christians, are Protestants. The Protestants were originally from Christian groups who claim that the Catholic Church was incurring numerous theological errors, they separated from it in the sixteenth century, in a process called the Protestant Reformation. Since then, Protestants have denied papal supremacy and the efficacy of the sacraments. Most Protestants believe in the priesthood of all believers, salvation only by faith and not good deeds and the supreme authority of the Bible over the sacred tradition.
It is known as the Protestant Reformation, or simply the Reformation, the Christian religious movement, initiated in Germany in the sixteenth century by Martin Luther, which led to a schism of the Catholic Church to give rise to numerous churches grouped under the denomination of Protestantism.
The Reformation had its origin in the criticisms and proposals with which various religious, thinkers and European politicians sought to cause a profound and widespread change in the customs and customs of the Catholic Church, in addition to denying the jurisdiction of the pope over all Christendom. The movement will later receive the name of Protestant Reformation, for its initial intention to reform Catholicism in order to return to a primitive Christianity, and the importance of the Speyer Protest, presented by some German princes and cities in 1529 against an edict of the Emperor Charles V tending to repeal the religious tolerance that had previously been granted to the German principalities.
The split between Catholicism and Protestantism happened as a result of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
The Protestant Reformation is noted as beginning with Martin Luther's posting of what are commonly called "The 95 Theses." The official title of Luther's document, which he put forth on October 31, 1517, as theses for debate, was: Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences. Indulgences were papers issued by the authority of the pope that granted the person obtaining them the removal of penance owed in regard to their sins. Luther objected not only to the fact that these papers were being peddled for money, but questioned many of the doctrinal foundations behind the use of indulgences.
As Luther continued his reform efforts, he protested not only indulgences, but the revering of relics, prayers to saints, the authority of the pope, and more. Many of the long-standing Catholic Church traditions were challenged. Other reformers, such as Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin, also became part of the Protestant Reformation activity.
Luther and the other Protestant reformers proclaimed salvation as a gift of God's grace, rather than something earned by human efforts. The Roman Catholic Church spoke of God's grace also, but as an enabling power that helped human beings do the works required for obtaining salvation. The reformers still preached that we should do good works, but said those works were a fruit of being saved rather than a source of salvation.
