The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Protestantism:

Protestantism – form of Christian faith and practice which arose out of the Protestant Reformation, a movement against what the Protestants considered to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the major branches of the Christian religion, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Nature of Protestantism

Beliefs of Protestants

Branches of Protestantism

  • Lutheranism – a major branch of the reformation, adhering to the theology of Martin Luther
  • Anabaptist – part of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe. Many consider Anabaptism to be a distinct movement from Protestantism. Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites are descendants of the movement.
  • Anglicanism – churches with historical connections to the Church of England.
  • Arminianism – a Protestant theological movement based on the teachings of Jacobus Arminius.
  • Calvinism – a Protestant theological system based in large part on the teachings of John Calvin, a reformer.
  • Baptist – English separatists distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only.
  • Methodism – a revival movement within the Church of England which later became a separate denomination.
  • Pentecostalism – a movement within Christianity putting particular emphasis on the direct experience of God in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Interdenominational movements

  • High church – a movement within Protestantism (especially in Anglican and Lutheran traditions) to employ a very formal style of worship, similar to that of the Catholic Church.
  • Pietism – a Protestant movement born out of 17th century Lutheranism which emphasizes individual piety over ritualism. It is accused by its opponents as downplaying doctrine.
  • Evangelicalism – a Protestant Christian movement (having roots in the Pietist movement) which grew prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries during the Great Awakenings; it emphasizes personal conversion and individual piety as well as unity between different Christian denominations with the scope of spreading the Gospel (something they all share in common), while acknowledging the doctrinal differences that set them apart.
  • Ecumenism – a Christian movement, not particular to Protestantism, which seeks reconciliation between Christian denominations (Protestant as well as others) on doctrinal issues with the chief goal of reunification.
  • Holiness movement – a 19th-century movement with roots in Wesleyan–Arminian theology which asserts that entire sanctification can be achieved as a second work of grace. This movement comprises multiple Protestant traditions such as: Methodists, Anabaptists, Quakers and Pentecostals.
  • Liberalism – a movement which is rooted in enlightenment thinking and emphasizes doctrinal reinterpretation (in light of new scientific discoveries) over creedalism, tradition or church authority.
  • Confessionalism – a Protestant movement, opposed to both Ecumenism and Liberalism, which refers to denominations that hold to their particular doctrines as they are defined in their confessions of faith, as opposed to striving for doctrinal reconciliation with other denominations. Adherents to the movement tend to be dogmatic and have a very well structured Systematic theology.
  • Fundamentalism – a response to Liberalism, this movement is characterised by an unwavering devotion to the Bible to the point of Biblical literalism (with no room for allegorical or figurative interpretations). For this reason it has been accused of being a form of anti-intellectualism.
  • Confessing Movement – a movement within Liberal churches, which seeks to accomplish a conservative resurgence.
  • Charismatic movement – an interdenominational movement in traditional non-Pentecostal denominations which emphasizes contemporary experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
  • Progressivism – a movement which is rooted in postmodern thinking and emphasizes theological diversity (to the point of affirming non-Christian religions as well) while being very active in social issues like racism, social justice and more.
  • Church Growth – also labeled as "Seeker Sensitive Movement" by its opponents, is a movement which aims to grow churches by appropriating their practices to what studies have shown people seek from a church.
  • Emerging church – a response to the formation of Megachurches by the Seeker sensitive movement, it emphasizes the importance of a small and personal Christian community at the cost of doctrinal diversity.
  • Young, Restless, Reformed movement – a response to the Seeker sensitive movement, the movement rejects the question "what people want from the church?" asking instead "what God wants from the church?". It represents a return to the theology of the Reformers and Puritans which resulted in the adoption of Calvinist theology in historically non-Reformed churches.

History of Protestantism

Pre-Reformation figures and movements

Patristic Age

Middle Ages

Renaissance

The Protestant Reformation

Reformation era movements

  • Lutheranism – the Protestant movement which identified itself with the theology of Martin Luther.
  • Calvinism – a Protestant theological system largely based on the teachings of John Calvin, a reformer.
  • Anabaptism – a 16th-century movement which rejected infant baptism; Many consider Anabaptism to be a distinct movement from Protestantism. Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites are descendants of this movement.
  • Anglicanism – the multitude of doctrines and practices of the Church of England.
    • Nonconformism – the practice of refusing to adhere to the practices of the Church of England.
    • Dissenters – in this context, those who have separated themselves from the "Established Church" (Church of England).
    • Puritanism – Calvinist English Protestants who thought the Church of England was not truly reformed and sought to purify the Church from its remaining Roman Catholic practices.
  • Polish Brethren – members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a non-Trinitarian church in Poland (1565–1658).
  • Remonstrants – Dutch Protestants adhering to the views of Arminius, in opposition to Calvinism.
  • Counter-Reformation – a series of reforms within the Catholic Church that occurred in response to the Protestant Reformation.

Personalities of the era of the Reformation

Protestant reformers

Evangelical (Lutheran)
Reformed (Calvinist)
Anglican
Anabaptist
  • Balthasar Hubmaier (1480–1528) – influential Anabaptist theologian, author of numerous works during his five years of ministry, tortured at Zwingli's behest, and executed in Vienna.
  • Menno Simons (1496–1561) – founder of the Mennonites.

Non-Trinitarians

Catholic opponents of the Reformation

  • Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) – Dutch theologian and philosopher, agreed with many points of the reformation but disagreed with the reformers over the doctrine of free will and accused them of being schismatic, believing the Catholic Church must be reformed from within.
  • Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) – founder of the Jesuit Order
  • Luis de Molina (1535–1600) – founder of the school of thought known as Molinism to reconcile the doctrines of sovereignty of God and human free will.

Political figures

  • Frederick III (1463–1525) – Elector of Saxony (1486–1525), protector of Martin Luther.
  • Francis I (1494–1547) – king of France (1515–1547), a repressor of the Reformation.
  • Charles V (1500–1558) – emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1519–1556).
  • Henry VIII (1491–1547) – king of England (1509–1547), founder of the Church of England.
  • Edward VI (1537–1553) – king of England (1547–1553), significant reforms of the Church of England were implemented during his reign.
  • Mary I (1516–1558) – queen of England (1553–1558), a great persecutor of Protestants.
  • Elizabeth I (1533–1603) – queen of England (1558–1603), most reforms of the Church of England were implemented during her reign.

Popes

*dates represent the time of papacy

The Great Awakenings

Great Awakenings

The Reformation History

See also

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