What is the Protestant Religion. Protestant Church: what is it? History of formation and modernity

One of the main modern trends in Christianity is Protestantism, a doctrine that actually opposes the official Catholic Church, and we intend to talk about this in more detail today, considering its main ideas, essence, principles, and philosophy of Protestantism, as one of the most massive religious teachings today. peace.

Having arisen as an independent trend, Protestantism, along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy, has become one of the three main directions in Christianity.

What is Reformation in Christianity?

Protestantism is sometimes called the Reformers, the Reformation movement, or even the Revolutionaries of Christianity, for their ideas that the individual should be responsible for himself, not the Church.

According to the Protestant reformers, after the split of Christianity into Catholics and Orthodoxy, the Christian Church turned into officials who departed from the original teachings of the Apostles, but rather began to earn money from parishioners and increase its influence in society and on politicians.

History of Protestantism

It's believed that Protestantism appeared in Europe in the 16th century in the form of opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.. The doctrine of the Protestants is sometimes called the Reformation, since the Protestants decided that the Catholics had departed from the principles of true Christianity, based on the teachings of the apostles.

The rise of Protestantism is associated with Martin Luther born in Saxony. And it is he who is considered the initiator of the Reformation, who opposed the sale of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, it has already been canceled, perhaps thanks to him.

Indulgence among Catholics

In the modern Catholic Church, the position is accepted that one can be freed from sins if one performs repentance during the sacrament of confession. But during the Renaissance or the Renaissance, sometimes indulgences were simply handed out for money.

Seeing what the Catholics had come to, Martin Luther began to speak out openly against this, and also argued that Christianity needed to be urgently and significantly reformed.

Principles of Protestantism and the Protestant Faith

Religious principles in Protestantism are expressed in the form of the theology or statement of faith of the Reformation, that is, the transformation of Catholic Christianity. These principles include the following:

• The word of God is found only in the Bible and therefore it is the Bible that is the only source and document for the believer;
• No matter what actions a person does - Forgiveness can be earned only by faith, but not by money.;
• Salvation in Protestantism is generally regarded as God's grace and this is not the merit of man, but it is a gift from God for the sake of Jesus Christ and for people living on earth. And salvation, according to the Bible, is the deliverance of a person from his sins and, accordingly, from grave consequences, namely from death and hell. And it says that salvation is possible because of the manifestation of God's love for man;
• The Church cannot even be a mediator between God and man. And the only mediator is Christ. And therefore salvation is possible not through faith in the church, but through faith in Jesus and in God directly;
• You can only worship God, since salvation comes only through him. Therefore, just as a person believes in the redemption of sins through Jesus, so faith in God is also salvation;
• Any believer can and has the right to expound and interpret the word of God.

Basic ideas of Protestantism

All the main ideas of Protestantism began with Martin Luther, when he began to oppose the indulgence of the Roman Catholic Church, when the absolution of sins was sold for money and there was a fee or price for every crime.

Himself Martin Luther argued that absolution is not performed by the Pope, but by God. Also in Protestantism, the idea is seriously affirmed that the Bible is the only source of the teachings of Christianity.

As a result, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, which led to the split of the Church into Catholics and Protestants ( Lutherans) and contributed to the emergence of many wars on religious grounds.

Supporters or followers of Martin Luther became known as Protestants after they spoke in his defence. This happened after the Speyr Reichstag (the highest legislative authority of the Roman Church) declared Martin Luther a heretic.

Essence of Protestantism

At its core, the teaching of Protestantism, like Orthodoxy and Catholics, relies on faith in the One God, as well as on the Bible, as the only source of the teachings of Christianity.

Protestants recognize the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and his death for human sins. They also believe in the resurrection of Jesus after his death.

And they are waiting for the messiah or the return of Christ in the flesh in the future. Lutherans in the 20th century even succeeded in obtaining a ban on the teaching of the theory of Charles Darwin in some US states as "anti-divine".

Philosophy of Protestantism

The philosophy of Protestantism is based on the reformation of Roman Catholicism, which is considered to have departed from the true teachings of the Bible.

In addition, the Catholic Church in the West owned up to 1/3 of the cultivated land, where the labor of serfs was used, that is, practically slaves. And Protestantism emphasizes personal responsibility to God and society, and also disapproves of slavery.

In England, the Lutherans even demanded the abolition of the papal system of power. So the well-known Lutheran John Wyclif argued that the Roman Church had departed from the true doctrine after the schism. And he talked about the fact that Jesus Christ, and not the Pope, is the head of the church and the authority for the believer is the Bible, not the Church.

Supporters of Protestantism

The Lutheran Reformation was supported by the peasants, who were practically ruined by the church tithe, as well as by the artisans, who were heavily taxed.

Protestantism rejects all decrees of the Pope and all his decrees, arguing that one Sacred Teaching or the Bible is sufficient. At one time, Martin Luther even publicly burned one of the papal decrees.

Naturally, soon after dissatisfaction with large church businesses with a turnover of tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars a year, the persecution of Protestants began, and although Martin Luther himself did not suffer, nevertheless two Protestant monks were burned. The philosophy of the Lutherans was already used in their own way by the masses in their chivalrous and peasant wars.

Later, Martin Luther wrote two books for Protestant believers: one for pastors, which tells how to preach correctly, and the other for ordinary believers, which outlined the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.

Directions in Protestantism

One of the famous trends in Lutheranism is Evangelicalism- this includes Mennonites and Baptists. So in Russia the gospels are known Baptists, Pentecostals and prokhanovites.

The main principles of Evangelicalism include the affirmation of the Bible as the only affirmation of God, as well as active missionary activity.

Also, the directions in Protestantism can be attributed fundamentalism, Liberalism and dialectical theology. All of them are based on the Bible - as the only teaching from God.

Features of the teachings of Protestantism

Protestants have common ideas with other Christian traditions, such as the One God, the Trinity, Heaven and Hell, and the sacraments of Baptism and Communion are also recognized.

But on the other hand, there is no tradition of prayers for the dead and prayers to the saints, as is the case with Catholics or Orthodox.

Any room can be used in Protestant worship and it is based on preaching, prayer and psalm singing.

Number of Protestants

Protestantism is considered the second largest number of believers in Christianity and has up to 800 million people. Protestantism is spread in 92 countries of the world.

Conclusion

Needless to say, Martin Luther managed to spread his teachings, which he always dreamed of. And perhaps the Protestants went deeper, towards the personal freedom of each person, in contrast to the more traditional ecclesiastical and commercial Christianity.

And yet, God still acts as something external to man. And for some reason, everyone passes by the main thing - by God, and "God is Love," as Jesus Christ said.

After all, if God is Love, then it is invisible, it can only be felt, it simply is. I am what I am. Love is being itself, it is love for everyone, it is really g, and what even Protestants should not forget about with their desire to reform only the external part of this doctrine, in fact, as well as love for nature and everything else.

I hope for further meetings on our Learning and Self-Development portal, where we have already written not only about the philosophy, essence, ideas of the Protestant church and Protestants, but also about other types of Christianity, for example, you can or about.

In modern society, there are three world religions - Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. However, almost all of them have changed over time and absorbed something new. Each of the religions has several branches (the main directions of Islam, for example, are Sunnism and Shiism). The same can be said about Christianity. Everyone knows about the split into the Catholic and Orthodox churches that occurred in 1054. But in Christianity there are other directions - Protestantism (it, in turn, also has subspecies), Uniatism, Old Believers and others. Today we will look at Protestantism. In this article we will analyze such a phenomenon as the Protestant Church - what it is and what are its main principles.

How did Protestantism originate?

In the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church began to enrich itself at the expense of the parishioners (for example, it sold sacred degrees, for money it absolved sins). Moreover, the Inquisition has acquired a truly enormous scale. Of course, all these facts indicated that reform was needed in the church. Unfortunately, internal reforms failed (many reformers ended their lives at the stake), so separate confessions began to emerge in the bosom of Catholicism.

The first such denomination Lutheranism(an offshoot of Protestantism) - originated in the 16th century, the founder was Matrin Luther, who wrote 95 theses against indulgences. He was persecuted by church officials, but Catholicism still divided. This gave impetus to the development of other branches of Protestantism. Speaking of Protestantism, many do not even think about the name. But it has a root "protest". What were the people up against?

In 1521, the Roman Empire issued a decree declaring Martin Luther a heretic and forbidding the publication of his writings. In history, this decree is called the Edict of Worms. But in 1529 it was cancelled. After that, the princes of the Roman Empire came together to decide which faith to follow. Most remained in classical Catholicism, and those who protested against him were called Protestants.

How is Protestantism different from Catholicism?

So what was it that Luther and his followers proposed that sharply distinguished Protestantism from Catholicism?

• Holy Scripture is the only source of faith, the authority of the Church was not recognized;
• One cannot thoughtlessly believe in God, only labor can confirm faith;
• In Protestantism there is no divinely established hierarchy;
• In Protestantism, only two sacraments are celebrated, since the rest are considered unimportant;
• Protestants reject icons and objects of worship;
• Fasting and austerity are unimportant;
• Simplified worship, the main part of which is a sermon;
• A person of any gender can become a bishop (in Protestantism, women act on an equal footing with men).

In general, the Protestant church is much poorer than the Catholic one, virtuous work is the only way a person can prove his faith. Apparently, this is why the Protestant church has so many followers.

What other trends are there in Protestantism?

Besides Luther, J. Calvin and W. Zwingli are recognized as the founders of Protestantism. Accordingly, Lutheranism is not the only direction of this church. There are the following branches:

1. Calvinism. As the name suggests, this trend was founded by John Calvin. Calvinists consider the Bible to be the only holy book, but they also revere the works of Calvin. Sacraments and church paraphernalia are not recognized. Scholars agree that Calvinism is the most radical branch of Protestantism.
2. Anglican Church. Under Henry VIII, Protestantism was recognized as the state religion in England, and this is how Anglicanism was formed. The main teaching of the Anglicans is the work "39 Articles". The Bible is also considered the primary source of teaching. The king or queen stands at the head of the church. However, there is a hierarchy of priests, the saving role of the church is recognized (that is, there are Catholic traditions).

Thus, the three main branches of Protestantism are Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism.

Sectarian trends in the Protestant Church

Perhaps every church has its own sects, Protestantism is no exception.

1. Baptism. The sect appeared in the 17th century. The main difference from, for example, Lutheranism is that Baptists are baptized as adults and before that they must pass a year of probation (the rite of catechiment). Baptists do not recognize objects of worship, but they adhere to the sacraments. Now the Baptist church is not considered sectarian.
2. 7th Day Adventists. In the 19th century, a sect appeared in the United States, the main purpose of which is the expectation of the Second Coming. The founder of this sect was the farmer William Miller, who, by mathematical calculations, predicted the end of the world and the Second Coming in 1844. As we know, this did not happen, but Adventists continue to believe, referring mainly to the Old Testament.
3. Pentecostals. Again, the movement originated in the United States, but it is younger - it appeared in the middle of the 20th century. The goal of Pentecostals is to revive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which the apostles received on the day of Pentecost. The focus is on the ability to speak different languages. There have been cases in the history of Pentecostals when people suddenly spoke in foreign languages. The followers of this church recognize some sacraments, original sin, the Holy Trinity.

Countries where this religion is widespread

It is worth saying that Protestantism is widespread in many countries. It attracts with its (seeming at first glance) simplicity, the absence of church sacraments and cults. After Catholicism, Protestantism is the most popular offshoot of Christianity. The largest number of adherents of Protestantism can be found in:

• Australia;
• Angola;
• Brazil;
• Great Britain;
• Ghana;
• Germany;
• Denmark;
• Namibia;
• Norway;
• Sweden.

About 2.5 million Protestants live in Russia.

Understanding what a Protestant church is is not easy. This religion makes very serious demands on a person, its main thesis is that you need to constantly work, only then you can find salvation. Now you know a little more about this church and its differences from Catholicism. In this article, we have analyzed such a direction of Christianity as the Protestant Church, what it is and what are the main differences from other religions.

Video: Who are Protestants?

In this video Father Peter will answer the popular question who are Protestants and why they are not baptized:

How many Protestants? Protestantism ranks second among the world's currents of Christianity in terms of the number of followers after Catholics (over 600 million people; according to some sources - about 800 million people). In 92 countries, Protestantism is the largest Christian denomination, in 49 of which Protestants make up the majority of the population. In Russia, Protestants make up about 1% of the population (1.5 million people).

Where did the term come from? The term "Protestants" originated in Germany at the Speyer Reichstag in 1529, at which it was proposed to cancel the decision of the previous Reichstag that the princes and so-called. Imperial cities have the right to choose their religion until the convening of an all-German council. Supporters of the Reformation did not agree with this and, having drawn up a protest document, left the meeting. Those who signed the protest became known as Protestants. Subsequently, the term came to be applied to all followers of the Reformation.

What do Protestants believe? Protestantism is based on five "only":

• a person is saved only by faith (“only by faith”, sola fide)
• one should believe in only one Mediator between God and man - Christ (“only Christ”, solus Christus);
• a person gains faith in Him only through the grace of God (“only grace”, sola gratia);
• a person does good deeds only by the grace of God and only for God, therefore all glory should belong to Him (“only glory to God”, soli Deo gloria);
• the only authority in matters of faith is Holy Scripture (“only Scripture”, sola Scriptura).

Who are considered Protestants? Protestantism, having arisen as a combination of various currents, has never been united. Its largest movements include Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism, which are commonly referred to as "classical" Protestantism or the first wave of the Reformation. Other independent denominations that arose in the 17th-19th centuries are associated with them. (the second wave of the Reformation), which differ from each other in dogma, cult and organization: Baptists, Quakers, Mennonites, Methodists, Adventists, etc. Pentecostalism, which appeared in the twentieth century, is attributed to the third wave of the Reformation.

And who is not included? Jehovah's Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Days (Mormons), the Christian Science Society, the Church of Christ (Boston Movement), who are genetically related to Protestantism, but in their ideological development have gone far beyond it (as well as Christianity in general), are usually referred to as new religious movements.

How to deal with denominations, when did someone arise and what does he believe in? Let's take a closer look at the history of Protestantism. Speaking in 1517 in Wittenberg with 95 theses against indulgences, Luther initiated the process of the Reformation and a new confession - Lutheranism. Later, Luther's doctrine of justification by faith, which became the cornerstone of Protestantism as a whole, caused a wide resonance in society and condemnation from the papacy; in 1521 Luther was excommunicated by a papal bull. Luther's special attitude to Scripture (his translation of the Bible into German was a great contribution to culture), especially to the New Testament texts as the main authority, caused his followers to be called evangelical Christians (later this term became synonymous with the word "Lutherans").

The second major center of the Reformation arose in Switzerland among the followers of the Zurich priest Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli's doctrine was common features with Lutheranism - reliance on Scripture, sharp criticism of scholastic theology, the principles of "justification by faith" and "universal priesthood" (denial of the ordained priesthood as a mediator for the salvation of man, the priesthood of all believers). The main difference was a more rationalistic interpretation of the Eucharist and a more consistent criticism of church rites. From the mid 1530s. development reform ideas and their implementation in Switzerland are associated with the name of John Calvin and his activities in Geneva. The followers of Calvin and Zwingli became known as Calvinists. The main provisions of the teachings of Calvin - the doctrine of predestination to salvation and the inseparable connection between the state and the church.

The third major direction of Protestantism, Anglicanism, appeared in the course of reformation in the Church of England, initiated by King Henry VIII. Parliament in 1529–1536 adopted a number of documents that formed a national church independent of Rome, from 1534 subordinate to the king. The main ideologue of the English Reformation was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. The carrying out of the Reformation "from above", the compromise nature of the transformations (a combination of the provisions of the Catholic Church and Calvin), the preservation of the church hierarchy with the apostolic succession of ordinations allow us to consider Anglicanism the most moderate Protestant trend. Anglicanism is ideologically divided into so-called. the high church (which advocates the preservation of pre-Reformation worship), the low church (close to Calvinists), and the broad church (which advocates Christian unity and distances itself from doctrinal disputes). The Anglican Church is called Episcopal, as a rule, outside the UK.

From the second half of the XVI century. Differences in Protestant theory and practice led to the formation of various currents in the Reformation movement. In Calvinism, there was a division according to the principle of organizing communities into Presbyterians (managed by an elected consistory headed by a presbyter) and Congregationalists (who proclaimed the complete autonomy of communities). Communities that recognize, unlike the Presbyterians, the episcopate, and unlike the Congregationalists, centralized government, began to be called Reformed. Puritans appeared in England, advocating the cleansing of the Anglican Church from the Catholic heritage in the spirit of Calvin's ideas. The Spanish theologian Miguel Servet, who had a polemic with Calvin, became one of the first preachers of Unitarianism, a doctrine that rejects the dogma of the Trinity and the God-manhood of Jesus Christ. In the second half of the XVI century. Unitarianism spread in Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, in the 17th century. in England in the 19th century. - in the USA.

The Reformation found wide support from all strata of European society, representatives of the lower classes got the opportunity to express social protest with an appeal to the biblical commandments. In Germany and Zurich, Switzerland, an active sermon on the establishment of social justice in society was started by the Anabaptists, whose doctrinal features were the requirement to baptize only adults and not to take up arms. Subjected to severe persecution from both Catholics and "classical" Protestants, the Anabaptists fled to Holland, England, the Czech Republic, Moravia (Hutterites), and later to North America. Part of the Anabaptists merged with the followers of the so-called. Moravian Church (followers of Jan Hus, a preacher who lived in the 15th century) and in the 18th century. formed a community of herrnguters. The most famous Anabaptist denomination is Mennonite (1530), named after its founder, the Dutch priest Menno Simons, whose followers emigrated as a sign of social protest. From the Mennonites in the second half of the 17th century. the Amish separated. Influenced by the ideas of the Anabaptists and Mennonites in the middle of the 17th century. In England, Quakerism appeared, distinguished by the doctrine of an "inner light", unusual for the 17th century. social ethics (denial of social hierarchy, slavery, torture, death penalty, uncompromising pacifism, religious tolerance).

For Protestant theology of the 17th-18th centuries. characteristic is the idea that the church should consist only of consciously converted people who have experienced a personal meeting with Christ and active repentance. In "classical" Protestantism, the pietists (from the word pietas - "piety") in Lutheranism and the Arminians (who proclaimed free will) in Calvinism became the spokesmen for this idea. AT late XVII in. in Germany, a closed community of Dunkers emerged from the Pietists into a separate denomination.

In 1609, in Holland, from a group of English Puritans, a community of followers of John Smith was formed - Baptists, who borrowed the Anabaptist doctrine of adult baptism. Subsequently, the Baptists were divided into "general" and "private". In 1639 Baptism appeared in North America and is now the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Famous preachers and writers are Baptist followers: Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892), Martin Luther King, Billy Graham (b. 1918).

The main feature of Methodism, which emerged from Anglicanism in Great Britain at the beginning. XVIII century, is the doctrine of "sanctification": the free conversion of a person to Christ takes place in two stages: first, God sanctifies a person with the righteousness of Christ ("justifying grace"), then gives him the gift of holiness ("sanctifying grace"). Methodism quickly spread, primarily in the United States and in English-speaking countries, thanks to peculiar forms of preaching - mass worship under open sky, the Institute of Itinerant Preachers, home groups, and annual conferences of all ministers. In 1865, the Salvation Army, which is an international charitable organization, appeared in Great Britain on the basis of Methodism. The Church of the Nazarene (1895) and the Wesleyan Church (1968) also emerged from Methodism, reproaching Methodism for excessive doctrinal liberalism.

Reformation processes also affected Orthodox Russia. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. among the Russians appeared the so-called. Spiritual Christianity - Christophers (whips), Dukhobors, Molokans, whose doctrine was partly similar to the Protestant one (in particular, the rejection of icons, the veneration of saints, the rejection of rituals, etc.).

The denomination of the Plymouth Brethren (Darbists), which appeared in Great Britain in the 1820s. from Anglicanism, adheres to the doctrine according to which the history of mankind is divided into separate. periods, in each of which the characteristic law of God operates (dispensationalism). In the 1840s there was a split into "open" and "closed" Darbists.

Adventism appeared in the 1830s. in the USA based on the interpretation of biblical texts about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the possibility of its exact calculation. In 1863, the organization of the largest current in Adventism, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was created. During the 1st World War reformist Adventists stood out, dissatisfied with the partial rejection of Adventists from pacifism. Seventh-day Adventists are distinguished by their denial of the immortality of the soul and eternal torment (sinners will simply be destroyed during Doomsday), honoring the Sabbath as the "seventh day" of serving God, recognizing the restoration of the gift of prophecy and visions through church founder Ellen White, as well as a number of food prohibitions and prescriptions healthy lifestyle life ("health reform").

A distinctive feature of the New Apostolic Church, which arose in the second half of the XIX century. in the UK based on the communities of the so-called. Irvingian (a community that broke away from the Presbyterians), is the cult of "apostles" - the leaders of the church, whose word is the same doctrinal authority as the Bible.

In the 19th century there was a tendency to unite the Protestant churches. In the English-speaking world, this was facilitated by the so-called. revivalism is a movement that called Christians to repentance and personal conversion. The result was the emergence of the Disciples of Christ (Church of Christ), the so-called. Evangelicals and United Churches. The Disciples of Christ (Church of Christ) appeared in the early 1830s. in the United States from Presbyterianism. This denomination included Protestants who proclaimed a complete rejection of any dogmas, symbols and institutions not specified in the New Testament. The disciples of Christ allow differences of opinion even on such important issues as the Trinity, believing that this and many other dogmas are not clearly explained in Scripture. Evangelicals that appeared in the United States in the 19th century preach non-denominational personal conversion, "birth again" with a special act of God changing the believer's heart, faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and active missionary work. The conservative wing of the Evangelicals created dispensationalism, the liberal wing created social evangelism (changing social reality in order to bring it closer to the Kingdom of God). On the basis of evangelicalism, fundamentalism arose (named after a series of pamphlets "Fundamentals", published in 1910-1915). Fundamentalists insisted on the absolute authenticity of common Christian dogmas and a literalist reading of the Bible. so-called. neo-evangelicalism emerged in the 1940s, uniting those who criticized liberal evangelicals for moral relativism and fundamentalism for being closed, and advocated active preaching by modern means. Neo-evangelicalism has given rise to the so-called in the United States. megachurches - church organizations in which there is a "center" (the main church, headed by a leader, which develops a style of worship and preaching, manuals for Sunday schools and social work etc.) and "branches" (numerous church communities that are in direct and rigid submission to the "center").

In the middle of the XIX - early. XX centuries appeared so-called. united churches as a result of the merger of different Protestant denominations - Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Quakers, etc. In most cases, the merger was voluntary, sometimes imposed by the state. The unifying basis of these churches is their historical involvement in the Reformation and doctrinal affinity. At the end of the XIX century. appeared so-called. free churches are Protestant communities that exist independently of state Protestant churches.

The development of the theology of Protestantism in the XX century. characterized by the ideas that the mystical gifts of the ancient church should return to the church and that Christianity should be adapted to non-European cultures. So, at the beginning of the XX century. from the Methodist group "Movement of holiness" Pentecostalism was formed, which is characterized by an exclusive role in the church of the Holy Spirit, the gift of glossolalia (pronouncing specific sounds reminiscent of unknown languages ​​during prayer), etc. In the 1960s and 70s Pentecostalism received a new impetus for development due to representatives of Christian denominations using Pentecostal practices. Under the influence of the so-called. Pentecost in the 20th century original Asian and African churches arose, characterized by a combination of Christian and pagan practices.

Oksana Kuropatkina

Protestantism is one of the three main Christian denominations, along with Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In addition to the conservative branch - Lutheranism, there are many others. Baptists, Pentecostals, Calvinists are also Protestants. Protestantism is the youngest of the three denominations, having appeared in the 16th century thanks to Martin Luther.

How Protestantism Started

The origin of Protestantism is inextricably linked with the Reformation. This is the name of the movement that arose in the 16th century in the Catholic Church in Germany. The leader of the Reformation was Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, thanks to his studies at the University of Wittenberg, he had extensive knowledge in theology and other sciences. It is believed that Luther took the monastic vow after falling under a heavy downpour and a thunderstorm in the field. Falling to the ground, he prayed for salvation and promised to dedicate his life to God if he survived. Being a zealot of the faith, young Luther was shocked by the free morals that reigned in those Rome in 1511.

In churches, indulgences were sold, often fake shrines were worshipped, such as "the thorn from the Savior's crown of thorns." All this cost a lot of money. The priests behaved loosely, and the flock did not understand even half of what was happening at the service. Returning from Rome, a stricken Martin Luther decided to set about changing the established order in the Catholic Church. He did not think about creating a new denomination, but wanted to reform the old one, believing that, behind the heap of rites, the Church had departed from its true purpose, and from the word of the Savior.

Thinking for a long time about how to correct the current situation, on October 31, 1517, Luther, according to a common legend, nailed 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church, in which he outlined the principles of the Reformation. Luther criticized the dogma of Purgatory, demanded the abolition of indulgences and allow the laity to read Scripture in German. One of his life's work was the translation of the Bible into German. Only those who knew Latin could read the Scriptures in those days.

While Luther went into seclusion to translate the Scriptures, pogroms of Catholic churches began in the country. Upon learning of this, Martin Luther came out to announce that he wanted something completely different. His wife was Katharina von Bora, a runaway nun (Luther rejected the idea of ​​monasteries, in his opinion Christ and the apostles did not leave the world). During Luther's trial, he was asked to renounce the principles of Protestantism. Without thinking twice, Martin Luther declared “I stand on this and I cannot do otherwise, so help me God!”. His sentence was not harsh. But Catholic Church did not accept the reform. Luther by that time had thousands of followers. The result was the emergence of a new denomination - Protestantism.

Basic principles (theses) of Protestantism

The basic principles of Protestantism are set forth in the Augsburg Confession, the doctrinal document of the Lutherans.

1. There is a deep gap between God and man; with the help of rational thinking, man is not able to understand and know God.
2. God Himself reveals himself to man, realizing his weakness.
3. Only by trusting Jesus Christ can a person avoid sin, error and permissiveness in the face of God.
4. The Bible is the norm and criterion of truth for church preaching. The Word of God exists not only in the preached message, but the sermon also points to the written Word, that is, the Bible.

The three main Sola or Protestant principles are:

1. Sola Scriptura - "Only Scripture" - Protestants do not recognize Church Tradition and believe that the Word of the Lord is sufficient for salvation. A person cannot judge the inspiration of other texts, therefore one should be guided only by the Holy Scriptures.
2. Sola fide - "Only by faith" - Salvation is given only by faith, and not by faith and works, and, moreover, not only by human deeds. Protestants do not deny that faith without works is dead, but from a "technical" point of view, a person is saved by faith.
3. Solus Christus - "Only Christ" - salvation for Protestants is only in Christ, Lutherans offer prayers only to God and, without denying the Mother of God and the saints, believe that there is no need for their special "intercession" before God.

There are other principles as well:

1. Soli Deo gloria - “Glory to God only” - The church hierarchy is formal among Protestants, and the pastor is just a person who knows and understands scripture well. Protestantism does not honor icons and holy relics.
2. Sola gratia - "Only by grace" - this doctrine says that a person cannot contribute to the cause of his salvation and will be saved only thanks to Divine grace.

• Protestantism shares common Christian ideas about the existence of God, His trinity, the immortality of the soul, heaven and hell.
• Protestants recognize the authority of only the first four Ecumenical Councils.
• One of the symbols of Protestantism is the Luther Rose.

Protestantism in the modern world

• In terms of the number of followers in Christianity, Protestantism is second only to Catholicism. In 2010, there were over 800 million Protestants in the world;
• Protestants made up 37% of all Christians and 11.6% of the world's population.
• In 92 countries of the world, Protestantism is the largest branch of Christianity, and in 49 countries the majority of the population called themselves Protestants.
• In a number of countries, Protestant churches have the status of "state" or "official" churches.

Protestantism and Orthodoxy: differences

• Orthodoxy, unlike Protestantism, recognizes Church Tradition.
• In Orthodoxy, they pray for the dead, while Lutherans believe that the Lord will decide the fate of a person after death and prayers will no longer help the soul of a person.
• Protestants do not recognize a number of Sacraments, considering them ceremonies. At the same time, during Communion, conservative Protestants (Lutheranism) still receive the Body and Blood of Christ and consider the Eucharist a Sacrament.
• Protestants do not pray to the Mother of God and the saints.
• Protestants do not have monasticism and monasteries, but a person of his own free will can accept celibacy and not marry.
• Protestant churches are usually very ascetic, instead of domes they have a spire, in the church there are benches for parishioners, from which it is customary to get up at certain moments of the service.

Interesting fact about Protestantism

It is believed that Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation, was the first of the clergy to bury a suicide in the city cemetery, and not outside it, as was customary. The suicide was a teenage boy, and Luther wanted to support his heartbroken parents. When reproached for this, Luther replied: “Do you think that this man killed himself? I think the devil killed him."

Many historians doubt the authenticity of this episode.

Protestantism in Russia

The first Russian and Ukrainian Protestant communities arose in the second half of the 19th century in several regions Russian Empire: in the south of Ukraine (in the Kherson, Yekaterinoslav and Kyiv provinces), in the territory of Transcaucasia, in St. Petersburg and in the territory of the Left-bank Ukraine (in the Taurida province). By the beginning of the 20th century, the confessional composition of Protestants in Russia was represented by Lutherans, Calvinists and Mennonites who had state recognition, as well as Baptists and Evangelical Christians, who for several years received relative freedom of action after the signing of the Decree “On strengthening the principles of religious tolerance” dated April 17, 1905. and according to the Manifesto of Nicholas II of October 17, 1905.— From Wikipedia.

Unfortunately, there were also a number of Protestant sects in Russia, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, who presented themselves as Protestant communities. Conservative Protestants "Lutherans" sharply oppose destructive Christian sects.

In atheistic times, Lutheran pastors were also persecuted, and churches were closed.

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Scripture is proclaimed to be the only source of doctrine. The Bible was translated into national languages, its study and application in one's own life became an important task for every believer. The attitude towards Holy Tradition is ambiguous - from rejection, on the one hand, to acceptance and veneration, but, in any case, with a reservation - Tradition (as well as any other doctrinal opinions, including our own) is authoritative, since it is based on Scripture , and to the extent that it is based on Scripture. It is this reservation (and not the desire to simplify and cheapen the cult) that is the key to the refusal of a number of Protestant churches and denominations from one or another doctrine or practice.

Protestants teach that original sin corrupted human nature. Therefore, a person, although he remains fully capable of good deeds, cannot be saved by his own merits, but only by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Organization

Every Christian, being elected and baptized, receives a "consecration" for communion with God, the right to preach and worship without intermediaries (the Church and the clergy). In Protestantism, the dogmatic distinction between the priest and the laity is thus removed, and the church hierarchy is simplified. Confession and remission of sins is not a sacrament, while repentance directly before God is very important. Celibacy, as well as compulsory marriage for priests and pastors, is not regulated in any way. Protestantism also rejected the authority of the Pope and abandoned the idea of ​​monasticism as a special saving field. The principle of universal priesthood laid the foundation for the democratic organization of communities (equality of laity and clergy, election, accountability, etc.).
In practice, priests and pastors tend to be specially trained and professional. Hierarchy, in one form or another (formally or informally), exists at least to maintain order. There may also be monasteries in the form of communes.

Rites

Protestantism limited the number of Sacraments, leaving only Baptism and Communion. In addition, Protestants do not see much point in prayers for the dead, prayers to the saints and numerous holidays in their honor. At the same time, respect for the saints is respectful - as examples of a righteous life and good teachers. The worship of relics is generally not practiced as unscriptural. The attitude towards the veneration of images is ambiguous: from rejection as idolatry, to the teaching that the honor given to an image goes back to the prototype (determined by the adoption or non-adoption of decisions of the Ecumenical Councils).
Protestant prayer houses, as a rule, are free from lavish decoration, images and statues, which, however, is not an end in itself, and comes from the belief that such decoration is not necessary. A church building can be any building that is rented or purchased on equal terms with worldly organizations. Protestant worship is centered on preaching, praying, and singing psalms and hymns in national languages. Some churches, such as the Lutheran, place a lot of emphasis on the sacrament, which may require confirmation for admission.

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Reformation

Reformation

Main article: History of Protestantism

The original forms of Protestantism were Lutheranism, Zwinglianism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Mennonism, Anglicanism. In the future, a number of other movements arise - Baptists, Adventists, Methodists, Quakers, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army and a number of others. The formation of most of these movements took place under the sign of "religious revival" (rivalism), a return to the ideals of early Christianity and the Reformation. They all differ from old or liturgical Protestantism in their preference for free preaching and active evangelistic missionary activity.

Theology

The theology of Protestantism has gone through a number of stages in its development. This is the orthodox theology of the sixteenth century. (Martin Luther, J. Calvin, F. Melanchthon), non-Protestant, or liberal theology of the 18th-19th centuries. (F. Schleiermacher, E. Troelch, A. Harnack), “crisis theology”, or dialectical theology that appeared after the First World War (K. Barth, P. Tillich, R. Bultmann), radical, or “new” theology, spread after World War II (D. Bonhoeffer).

The final formation of Protestant theology took place by the middle of the 17th century, and is set out in the following religious documents of the Reformation:

• Heidelberg Catechism 1563 (Germany)
• Book of Concord 1580 (Germany)
• Canons of the Synod of Dort 1618-1619 (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
• Westminster Confession of Faith 1643-1649 (Westminster Abbey, London, UK).

A characteristic feature of classical Protestant theology is a very strict attitude towards what is considered essential - faith, the sacraments, salvation, the doctrine of the church, and a less strict attitude towards the external, ritual side of church life (adiaphora), which often gives rise to a wide variety of forms while maintaining strictness. teachings.

Later currents often develop their own doctrine, only partly correlating with the classical theological legacy. Thus, for example, Adventists accept the prophecies of Ellen White. Pentecostals, unlike other Christians, pay very significant attention to "speaking in other tongues" (glossolalia), considering this a sign of "Baptism in the Holy Spirit."

Spread of Protestantism

Currently, Protestantism is most widespread in the Scandinavian countries, the USA, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, and Switzerland. The United States is rightfully considered the world center of Protestantism, where the headquarters of the Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists and some other Protestant churches and denominations have settled. Modern Protestantism is characterized by a desire for integration, which found expression in the creation in 1948 of the World Council of Churches.

Protestantism is one of the few religions that is rapidly spreading around the world today. To date, 15-20% of the population of Brazil, 15-20% of the population of Chile, about 20% of the population of South Korea have adopted Protestantism. According to Sabri Khizmetli, a member of the Eurasian Islamic Council of Kazakhstan, over 500,000 Muslims of Central Asia have converted to Protestantism over the past 15 years.

Relationships with other confessions, intra-church discussions and an atheistic view

From Orthodox and Catholics

There have been debates about Protestantism by other Christians from the very beginning of its existence.

Major points of disagreement or criticism of Protestantism by Orthodox and Catholics. Arguments from supporters of Protestantism highlighted in italics.

creed

The most fundamental shortcoming of the Protestant doctrine is considered by Orthodox and Catholics to be the denial of the role of Sacred Tradition, which it has in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In their opinion, thanks to the Holy Tradition, the Holy Fathers selected (from many dubious apocryphal books) a list (canon) of inspired books of the New Testament. In other words, Protestants use a set of canons, but deny the traditions by which they were adopted. The Protestants themselves deny the role of Holy Tradition in the formation of the canon, believing that it was formed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The teaching of Protestantism that only faith and the grace of God is sufficient for salvation is rejected by Catholics and Orthodox.

Organization

According to many Orthodox and Catholics, Protestantism does not have an unbroken apostolic succession. The absence of apostolic succession is not recognized by the Protestants themselves, for example, the Anglican Church and the Lutheran churches of all Scandinavian states have apostolic succession, since the churches in these countries were formed by the complete separation of local dioceses (together with bishops, priests and flocks) from the RCC. In the opinion of many Protestants, apostolic succession in itself is optional or obligatory, but not the only condition of the Church of God - there are cases when Orthodox bishops became schismatics and created their own churches (for example, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate).

Protestants do not recognize the acts of the Ecumenical Councils. De facto all Protestants recognize the decisions of the first two Ecumenical Councils: the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople ( Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses Those who do not recognize them are not considered Christians by Protestants).

Most Protestants reject monasticism, icons, and the veneration of saints. Lutherans and Anglicans have monasteries, saints and icons are also not denied by these denominations, but there is no icon veneration in the form that is characteristic of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Reformed Protestant icons also deny monasticism.

Lifestyle, issues of ethics and morality

According to critics, the absence of rites and rituals reveals the Protestant religion to be inferior, ... flawed and unstable, leads Protestantism to endless fragmentation into many denominations, and the spirit of rationalism to complete atheism (which developed precisely in predominantly Protestant countries. Protestant rational collectivism neglects obedience to God and is expressed in sinful and shameful human pleasing, for example: the Protestants of Western Europe crown homosexuals, allow abortions, drugs, euthanasia (suicide), etc.

These phenomena are now becoming more and more the norm in the developed countries of the West and have an increasingly strong corrupting influence on church life in those countries (there is even a corresponding term for these manifestations - “secularization of the Church”). There are more and more such "Protestant" churches in Western society every year. However, this is already marginal Protestantism, which has nothing in common either with classical Protestantism or with Christianity in general. "By their fruits you will know them." Nowadays, even some classical Protestant churches are marginalized, for example, the Lutheran Church of Sweden (which, as mentioned above, has apostolic succession) approves same-sex marriages. The Protestant churches of the CIS and Baltic states are much more conservative in these matters, modern Western trends have affected them to a lesser extent.

Atheistic view

Just as often, Protestant churches are criticized by atheists and representatives of traditional denominations for intrusive self-promotion and proselytism. Although proselytism is condemned by the World Council of Churches, in practice the missionaries of some Protestant churches are actively promoting their creeds among representatives of traditional denominations. For example, the already mentioned pastor of the New Generation Church A. S. Ledyaev, formally tolerant of the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, in his sermons and speeches regularly harshly criticizes Orthodoxy, often descending to banal attacks on Orthodox Church; he also repeatedly called himself an apostle and called to build a society where every sphere of life would be led by people of a certain denomination; in voting for the best figures in Latvia, he called residents of other countries to vote for himself. Naturally, such behavior of a well-known Protestant pastor inevitably becomes the object of counter-criticism. The representative of another trend of Protestantism, Baptist Tom Carl Wheeler, in his book "Pseudo-Christianity" points out that "the creeds of such large ecumenical groups as liberal Protestantism in the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox (Russian and Greek) churches contradict the basic fundamental doctrines Holy Scripture”, thereby actually equating the named Christian churches (including the Protestant ones, which are part of the WCC) with pseudo-Christian religious organizations.

Mass “evangelizations” or crusades conducted by some prominent Protestant ministers, notably the American preacher Benny Hinn.

Consistent critics of the proselytizing methods of Protestants and Protestantism in general are A. I. Osipov (Russian theologian) and A. L. Dvorkin (anti-cultist, sectarian, activist).

From human rights organizations

Human rights societies are currently criticizing mainly conservative Protestant churches (including the New Generation Church) for prohibiting