Reformation

In the 16th century, the practice of buying indulgences for the remission of punishment in purgatory was prominent in the Roman Catholic Church. A number of prominent Christians questioned the teaching of purgatory and indulgences, culminating in 1517 with the German Martin Luther circulating his 95 Theses disputing indulgences. This marked the start of the Reformation and the Protestant Church. The ideas in Germany were taken up in other northern European countries, England and Switzerland. The Protestant Churches taught that the Bible had sole absolute authority, that every believer could come to God the Father through Christ without the need for a priest, and that justification was through faith alone. The Roman Catholic response to The Protestant Reformation is known as The Counter Reformation. (Read more)

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See Reformation (overview) for more information

Related topics

• Protestantism | Roman Catholicism
• Martin Luther | 95 Theses
• Wittenburg
• Counter Reformation
• Indulgence

Comments, Personal Articles, Studies and Sermons

Reformation (discussion) (For short comments and opinions)

• Wittenberg: Extracts from a person travellogue (G.G.)

For related quotations see Reformation (quotes)

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