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Protestant Christianity began in the early 16th century
as a reform movement directed against Roman Catholic doctrines
and practices. Early leaders such as Martin Luther,
Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin laid out the movement's
foundational principles, including the conviction that salvation
is by god's grace alone, that the Bible is the sole authority
of faith and practice, and that the church is a "priesthood
of all believers."
Four
distinct forms soon arose within Protestantism. Lutheranism
would predominate in Germany,
Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries. The Reformed
churches included Presbyterians, Congregationalists, English-speaking
Baptists, and a variety of ethnic Reformed churches in such
countries as Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Among
the radical extensions of the initial reforming movements were
theocrats, spiritualists, anti-Trinitarians, and Anabaptists.
And the Anglican church was established by England's
Henry VIII in the wake of a dispute with the Catholic
Church. The influential Puritan movement emerged around
1570 within the Anglican tradition.
In
the 17th century the Pietists objected to the increasingly
doctrinaire character of contemporary Protestantism: they advocated
a more intense and intimate relationship with God.
In
the 18th century, the Enlightenment invigorated interests in
natural religion and in morality
as the heart of religion; its objection to ceremonies, mystery
and ecclesiastical authority formed much of the basis for modern
liberal Protestantism. A Protestant evangelical revival
(including Wesleyanism and the "great awakening") emphasized
religious conversion, personal and social effort,
renewed attention to the authority of the Bible, and
a conviction that the doctrine of the atonement stands
at the center of the Christian message.
In
the 19th and 20th centuries, Protestant Christianity spread
world-wide. Ecumenical efforts have brought many groups into
close working relationships and produced unions of churches,
though disagreements continue. The term Protestantism thus has
become a broad umbrella for a variety of beliefs and institutions
that retain some connection with the past as they express renewed
forms of religious vitality in the present.
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On
two audiotapes - about three hours in length.
Narrator: Ben Kingsley
Author: Dr. Dale Johnson
Editor: Professor Walter Harrelson
Publisher: Knowledge Products, Inc.
This
title is part of the Audio Classics Series by
Knowledge Products. Knowledge Products publishes a variety of
audio presentations on the great ideas and events of history.
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