Protestant Reformation in Europe of the 1500s

Martin Luther was a German monk, theologian and reformist.  Luther played a huge role in the Protestant Reformation movement in Europe in the 1500s. He challenged the authority of the papacy by stating that the bible is the only source of religious authority.  Luther believed that salvation can only be gained through faith in Jesus Christ and does not necessarily require the church’s assistance.

Luther’s stand helped spur the Protestant Reformation in the West.  It was the catalyst of change that fanned discontent among Catholics.

The Protestant Reformation movement began with Martin Luther’s protests in 1517 and ended with Peace of Westphalia in 1648.  The movement was intended to introduce changes to the Catholic Church.  The Christians were appalled by the hypocrisies and misconduct they observed in the Roman Catholic Church such as selling indulgences, buying and selling church positions and corruption.

Martin Luther was soon followed by John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli started his protests in Switzerland about the same time Luther did in Germany.  After the excommunication of Luther, Calvin’s writings help spurred the movement by uniting various groups operating independently in Switzerland, Scotland, Hungary, Germany and the rest of Europe.

Luther, Calvin and Zwingli were all referred to as Magisterial Reformers because the movements they started were supported by magistrates.  In the case of Luther, Frederick the Wise was behind him.  Zwingli and Calvin were protected by the city councils of Zurich and Geneva.

The important Protestant groups formed due to the reformation were the Lutherans, the Reformed/ Calvinists/ Presbyterians, the Anabaptists and the Anglicans.

A series of religious wars were waged during the Reformation which ended in the Thirty Years War.  For thirty years which spanned 1618 to 1648, Catholic Habsburgs and followers waged war against Protestant princes of Germany.   The Reformation period ended when Catholic France broke ties with the Habsburgs and fought side by side the Protestants in the battlefields.  Feuding parties signed the Peace of Westphalia which brought them peace.