How Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation
Learn more about the Protestant Reformation.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Media Editor: Lee Goldstein
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Passover commemorates the biblical story of the Exodus.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Learn about the life and thought of René Descartes.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Scaliger/Dreamstime.comOverview of Vatican City's art collection, including a discussion of Pope Leo X's patronage.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.This video, produced by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation, discusses the Reformation and its leader Martin Luther, whose grievances against the Roman Catholic Church produced a chain of events that left a profound impact on religion and politics.
-
Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A discussion of Bible translations and of William Tyndale, who was executed for heresy after translating the New Testament into English.
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail The Art Institute of Chicago; Gift of Kate S. Buckingham, reference no. 1938.311 (CC0)Overview of Henry VIII's six marriages.
Transcript
Did You Know? The Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century religious revolution that had a widespread political, social, and economic impact across Europe.
The movement was started by Martin Luther, a German theologian who over time became deeply critical of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time, the church had enormous influence on public and political life, and Luther viewed many of its practices as evidence of its spiritual bankruptcy. He outlined problems such as the sale of indulgences, or spiritual privileges, in a document called the Ninety-five Theses. On October 31, 1517, Luther is said to have nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, to launch the Reformation. Aided by the advent of the printing press, his new ideas were distributed easily and began to circulate rapidly, sparking backlash within the church.
Luther was excommunicated in 1521, and his followers established a new denomination of Christianity called Lutheranism, the first form of Protestantism. Over the course of the 16th century, the movement diversified and spread rapidly across Europe. Lutheranism dominated northern Europe by the middle of the century, and eastern Europe became the home of similar reform efforts.
Groups such as Calvinists, Anabaptists, and others were inspired by Luther’s protests and joined the Protestant movement by launching their own reform efforts. Protestantism would eventually grow to become one of the three major branches of Christianity. At the start of the 21st century, Protestantism was estimated to have 800 million followers around the world.
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century religious revolution that had a widespread political, social, and economic impact across Europe.
The movement was started by Martin Luther, a German theologian who over time became deeply critical of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time, the church had enormous influence on public and political life, and Luther viewed many of its practices as evidence of its spiritual bankruptcy. He outlined problems such as the sale of indulgences, or spiritual privileges, in a document called the Ninety-five Theses. On October 31, 1517, Luther is said to have nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, to launch the Reformation. Aided by the advent of the printing press, his new ideas were distributed easily and began to circulate rapidly, sparking backlash within the church.
Luther was excommunicated in 1521, and his followers established a new denomination of Christianity called Lutheranism, the first form of Protestantism. Over the course of the 16th century, the movement diversified and spread rapidly across Europe. Lutheranism dominated northern Europe by the middle of the century, and eastern Europe became the home of similar reform efforts.
Groups such as Calvinists, Anabaptists, and others were inspired by Luther’s protests and joined the Protestant movement by launching their own reform efforts. Protestantism would eventually grow to become one of the three major branches of Christianity. At the start of the 21st century, Protestantism was estimated to have 800 million followers around the world.