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 became 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 had 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. the development of 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 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 the end of the XVII century. 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 its peculiar forms of preaching - open-air mass worship, the institution of itinerant preachers, home groups, as well as 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 the Last Judgment), the veneration of Saturday as the “seventh day” of serving God, the recognition of the restoration of the gift of prophecy and visions through the founder of the church, Ellen White, as well as a number of food prohibitions and prescriptions healthy lifestyle (“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, bringing together 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 the style of worship and preaching, manuals for Sunday schools and social work, etc.) and "branches" (numerous church communities located 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
In 1054, after the Great Schism, the two branches of Christianity began to build their relationship with God in the way, from their point of view, it should be. A few centuries later, among Catholics, there appeared those who doubted the purity of the Catholic faith. They were called Protestants. A few centuries later, they presented their claims to the Orthodox Church.
Who are Protestants and Orthodox
Protestants- adherents of the religious teachings of the Protestant Church, which broke away from the Catholic in the 16th century as a result of the Reformation.
Orthodox - believing Christians who profess the Orthodox faith and belong to the Eastern Church, which was formed as a result of the split of the Universal Church into two branches - Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox).
Comparison between Protestants and Orthodox
What is the difference between Protestants and Orthodox?
The Orthodox recognize both Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition as absolute authority. Protestants deny Tradition, calling it a human invention.
Orthodox baptize babies, according to the Lord's words that whoever is not born baptized does not inherit eternal life. But if a person was not baptized in infancy, he can receive this sacrament at an older age. Protestants are baptized at a conscious age, because they believe that baptism is unthinkable without repentance, and a child cannot make a promise of fidelity to God. If a child dies, they say, he immediately goes to heaven, because he has no sin.
Icons, the cross, the relics of saints are an absolute value for any Orthodox Christian. Known are the stories of the creation of the first icons - the Image of Christ Not Made by Hands and the images of the Virgin, painted by the Apostle Luke during the life of the Most Pure. Protestants consider this idolatry. They argue that when praying in front of the icon, a person worships not God, but the depicted prototype.
Orthodox worship the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints of God. Protestants reject the cult of the Mother of God and do not recognize the saints, since they were people, albeit of a righteous faith, and people cannot pray. In addition, they argue that the Virgin Mary is the image of an ideal Christian, meek and obedient, but she is not a deity.
Orthodox do not undertake to interpret the Bible themselves. In order to know Scripture better, a Christian can refer to the interpretations of it by the holy fathers of the church. Protestants believe that a person can interpret the texts of Holy Scripture for himself by carefully studying them.
For an Orthodox Christian there is a dual concept of the Church. This is, firstly, a gathering of believers who turn their prayers to God. Believers gather to offer these conciliar prayers in the temple, or, in other words, in the church. The temple for Orthodox believers is a shrine where there is no place for filth. God Himself is there.
For Protestants, the church is an invisible spiritual community of people, not walls, not a roof. They can hold meetings in cinemas, in stadiums, and it doesn't matter what event was held in this place before.
Protestants do not recognize the sign of the cross, as the Bible does not teach this. For the Orthodox, the sign of the cross is a special sign, symbolizing belonging to the Christian faith, protection, protection from evil. Protestants do not wear a pectoral cross.
Protestants believe that the salvation of man took place at Calvary. It remains only for a person to believe and from that moment to receive complete assurance of salvation. It doesn't matter how sinful a life he led before and perhaps will continue to lead. Orthodox believe that life is given to a person for repentance and moral growth. Salvation will depend on it.
Protestants deny the doctrine of posthumous ordeals of the soul, do not bury the dead and do not pray for them. The Orthodox constantly commemorate in their prayers those who have died earlier, there is a special funeral service, and the soul, in their opinion, goes through ordeals after death.
TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between Protestants and Orthodox is as follows:
For the Orthodox, the absolute authority is Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. Protestants only accept Scripture.
Orthodox believe that personal moral deed is important for salvation. Protestants argue that faith alone is enough.
Protestants do not recognize the sign of the cross.
Protestants interpret the Bible themselves, not relying on the spiritual experience of people of the righteous faith, as is customary among the Orthodox.
Orthodox services are held in churches. For Protestants, the place of the meeting does not play a special role.
Protestants deny the Orthodox teaching about the ordeals of the soul, do not bury the dead and do not pray for them.
Protestants do not recognize the deity of the Most Holy Theotokos, saints, and also deny icons and other signs of Christian symbols.
Protestants do not wear a pectoral cross. The Orthodox, even in exceptional cases, do not remove the cross from themselves.
Protestants are baptized only at a conscious age. Orthodox baptize even babies.
Denomination or sect, church or...
PROTESTANTISM (from lat. protestans, genus n. protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main directions in Christianity. He broke away from Catholicism during the Reformation of the 16th century. It unites many independent movements, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.)
In society, there is such a phenomenon as Protestant churches, or as they are often called in our country - "sects". Some people are fine with this, others are very negative about them. You can often hear that Protestant Baptists sacrifice babies, and Pentecostals turn off the lights in meetings.
In this article we want to provide you with information about Protestantism: to reveal the history of the emergence of the Protestant movement, the basic doctrinal principles of Protestantism, and touch on the reasons for the negative attitude towards it in society.
The Big Encyclopedic Dictionary reveals the meaning of the words "Sect", "Sectarianism", "Protestantism":
SECT(from Latin secta - teaching, direction, school) - a religious group, a community that broke away from the dominant church. In a figurative sense - a group of people who are closed in their narrow interests.
SECTARIANISM- religious, the designation of religious associations that are in opposition to one or another dominant religious trend. In history, social, national liberation movements often took the form of sectarianism. Some sects have acquired traits of fanaticism and extremism. A number of sects cease to exist, some turn into churches. Famous: Adventists, Baptists, Doukhobors, Molokans, Pentecostals, Khlysty, etc.
PROTESTANTISM (from lat. protestans, genus n. protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main directions in Christianity. He broke away from Catholicism during the Reformation of the 16th century. It unites many independent movements, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.). Protestantism is characterized by the absence of a fundamental opposition of the clergy to the laity, the rejection of a complex church hierarchy, a simplified cult, the absence of monasticism, celibacy; in Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, saints, angels, icons, the number of sacraments is reduced to two (baptism and communion).
The main source of doctrine is Holy Scripture. Protestantism is spread mainly in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavian countries and Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Latvia, Estonia. Thus, Protestants are Christians who belong to one of several independent Christian churches.
They are Christians and, along with Catholics and Orthodox, share the fundamental principles of Christianity. For example, they all accept the Nicene Creed adopted by the first Council of the Church in 325, as well as the Nicene Constantinople Creed adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 (See inset). They all believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in His divine essence and the coming coming. All three branches accept the Bible as the Word of God and agree that repentance and faith are necessary to have eternal life.
However, the views of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants differ on some issues. Protestants value the authority of the Bible above all else. Orthodox and Catholics, on the other hand, value their traditions more highly and believe that only the leaders of these Churches can interpret the Bible correctly. Despite their differences, all Christians agree with the prayer of Christ recorded in the Gospel of John (17:20-21): “I do not only pray for them, but also for those who believe in Me according to their word, so that they may all be one ...”.
HISTORY OF PROTESTANTS
One of the first Protestant reformers was a priest, professor of theology Jan Hus, a Slav who lived in the territory of modern Bohemia and became a martyr for his faith in 1415. Jan Hus taught that Scripture is more important than tradition. The Protestant Reformation spread throughout Europe in 1517 when another Catholic priest and professor of theology named Martin Luther called for a renewal of the Catholic Church. He said that when the Bible comes into conflict with church traditions, the Bible must be obeyed. Luther declared that the Church was wrong to sell the opportunity to go to heaven for money. He also believed that salvation comes through faith in Christ, and not through an attempt to "earn" eternal life by good deeds.
The Protestant Reformation is now spreading all over the world. As a result, such Churches as Lutheran, Anglican, Dutch Reformed, and later Baptist, Pentecostal and others, including Charismatic, were formed. According to Operation Peace, there are about 600 million Protestants, 900 million Catholics and 250 million Orthodox around the world.
At first glance, it may seem that Protestants appeared on the territory of the CIS only with the collapse of the USSR and came from America. In fact, Protestants first came to Russia during the time of Ivan the Terrible, and by 1590 they were even in Siberia. For a nine-year period (from 1992 to 2000), 11,192 Christian communities were registered on the territory of Ukraine, of which 5,772 (51.6%) are Orthodox and 3,755 (33.5%) are Protestant (According to the State Committee of Ukraine for Religious Affairs) .
Thus, Protestantism in Ukraine has long gone beyond the "group of individuals who are closed in their narrow interests", since more than a third of all churches in the country cannot be called a "sect". Protestant churches are officially registered by the state, they are open to everyone and do not hide their activities. Their main goal remains to convey to people the gospel of the Savior.
DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES
CHURCH TRADITIONS
Protestants have nothing against church traditions, except when those traditions are contrary to Scripture. They justify this primarily by Jesus' remark in Matthew 15:3, 6: "... Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ... Thus you have eliminated the commandment of God by your tradition."
BAPTISM
Protestants believe in the Bible's statement that baptism should only follow repentance (Acts 2:3) and believe that baptism without repentance is meaningless. Protestants do not support infant baptism, as the infant cannot repent because of his ignorance of good and evil. Jesus said: “Let the children go and do not prevent them from coming to Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat. 19:14). Protestants rely on the fact that the Bible does not describe a single case of infant baptism, especially since even Jesus waited for his baptism up to 30 years.
ICONS
Protestants believe that the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:4) forbid the use of images for worship: “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image of what is in the sky above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth”. Leviticus 26:1 says: “Do not make for yourselves idols and statues, and do not set up pillars for yourself, and do not lay stones with images on your land to bow before them; for I am the Lord your God.” Therefore, Protestants do not use images for worship for fear that some people may worship these images instead of God.
PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS
Protestants prefer to follow the instructions of Jesus, where He taught us to pray by saying: “Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven!”(Mat. 6:9). In addition, there are no examples in Scripture where anyone prayed to Mary or the saints. They believe that the Bible forbids praying to people who have died, even to Christians in Paradise, basing this on Deuteronomy (18:10-12), which says: "You must not have ... the questioner of the dead". God condemned Saul for coming into contact with Saint Samuel after his death (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
THE VIRGIN MARY
Protestants believe that Mary was a perfect example of Christian obedience to God and that she remained a virgin until Jesus was born. The basis for this is the Gospel of Matthew (1:25), which says that Joseph, her husband, “did not know her, how at last she gave birth to her firstborn Son”, and other passages from the Bible that speak of the brothers and sisters of Jesus (Matt. 12:46, 13:55-56, Mark 3:31, John 2:12, 7:3). But they do not believe that Mary was without sin, because in Luke 1:47 she called God her Savior; if Mary had been without sin, she would not have needed a Savior.
CHURCH
Protestants believe that there is only one true Church, but do not believe that it is part of any man-made organization. This true Church is made up of all people who love God and serve Him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, no matter what denomination they belong to.
CHURCH FATHERS
Protestants respect and value the teachings of the Church Fathers (church leaders who lived after the apostles) when those teachings are in harmony with Scripture. This is based on the fact that often the Fathers of the Church do not agree with each other.
RELICS OF SAINTS
Protestants do not believe that there is any special power in the relics of the saints, because the Bible does not teach this. Protestants believe that there is no indication in the Bible that Christians should honor the bodies of the dead.
SHOUTANS AND THE TITLE "FATHER"
Protestant ministers do not wear cassocks because neither Jesus nor the apostles wore any special clothing. There is no indication in the New Testament about this either. They are usually not called "father" because Jesus said in Matthew 23:9: “And call no one on earth your father…”, which they think means we should not claim anyone as our spiritual master.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AND THE CROSS
Protestants don't mind the sign of the cross, but since Scripture doesn't teach it, they don't teach it either. The Protestant and Catholic Churches, unlike the Orthodox, prefer to use a simple cross.
ICONOSTASIS
Protestants and Catholics believe that the iconostasis symbolizes the veil that separates people from the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple. They believe that when God tore it in two at the time of Jesus' death (Matt. 27:51), He said that we are no longer separated from Him because of the blood He shed so that we could be forgiven.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them". Protestants believe that worship is sanctified not by the place where the service is held, not by the building, but by the presence of Christ among the believers. The Bible also says that Christians are the temple of God, not buildings: "Don't you know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).
The Bible shows that early Christians held services in many different places: at school (Acts 19:9), in Jewish synagogues (Acts 18:4, 26;19:8), in the Jewish temple (Acts 3:1) , and in private homes (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 18:7; Philip. 1:2; 18:7; Col. 4:15; Rom. 16:5 and 1 Cor. 16:19 ). Gospel services, according to the Bible, took place near the river (Acts 16:13), in the street crowd (Acts 2:14) and in the square (Acts 17:17). There is no evidence in the Bible that the early Christians held services in a church building.
REASONS FOR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TO PROTESTANTS
Orthodoxy officially came to the territory of present-day Ukraine in 988, when the rulers of Rus' introduced Orthodox Christianity as the state religion. Much earlier, the disciples of Christ came to the land of the Scythians in order to bring the good news of the Savior to the barbarian peoples. The most famous is the arrival in Kyiv of the disciple of Jesus - Andrew, who was popularly called "The First-Called". At that time, there was no division of Christianity into Roman and Byzantine, that is, into Catholic and Orthodox, and Andrei represented completely Protestant views - he preached, based only on the word of God; held meetings wherever possible (there were no churches yet); baptized only adults.
With the strengthening of the positions of the Orthodox Church in Rus', and then in Tsarist Russia, everything non-Orthodox passed into the rank of anti-state. At first, this was due to wars in which Catholics fought against the Orthodox, and then to the strengthening of the power of the sovereign, since it is much easier to manage one religion than several. Protestants or "non-believers" were sent to remote regions, and all who remained were hiding from persecution. The authorities and leadership of the Orthodox Church in every possible way encouraged the humiliation of the rights of other religions.
After 1917, the new government tried to completely get rid of the "opium for the people" by destroying churches and the physical destruction of believers. But after certain difficulties and discontent of the population, the power of the Soviets left only one church to exist - the Orthodox. And Protestants, along with Catholics, Greek Catholics, representatives of other denominations, are either serving time in camps or are hiding from power. Under such conditions, houses and basements became the only way to hold meetings of Protestants, and to protect from the eyes of "well-wishers" the lights were turned off. At the same time, in order to discriminate against anti-state religions, stories about the sacrifices of Baptists, the low cultural and educational level of Pentecostals, the witchcraft of charismatics, and more are spread in the press and among the people. Thus, a negative attitude towards everything non-Orthodox was subconsciously brought up in society for decades. And now it is very difficult for people to overcome these negative stereotypes and accept Protestants as Christians.
Now that you know the history of the Protestant movement, its basic doctrinal principles, and understand the reasons for the negative attitude towards Protestantism in society, you can decide for yourself whether or not to accept Protestants as Christians. But today says the following: Protestants are 3755 churches in Ukraine in 9 years!
Yes, they differ from the usual Orthodox Church in some matters, but the goal of the Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants is the same - to preach the Gospel and lead people to Salvation. And Protestants are getting better at it lately. It is the Protestants who conduct mass evangelism and meetings, in which more and more people come to Jesus Christ. It is the Protestants who, through all kinds of media, tell people about the Savior.
By basing their ministry directly on the Bible, Protestants provide people with another path to Christ, a path to salvation. Fulfilling the commission of Jesus Christ, Protestants bring His Salvation closer!
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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 emerged as an independent movement, Protestantism, along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy, became one of the three main trends in Christianity.
What is Reformation in Christianity?
Protestantism is sometimes called the Reformers, the Reformation movement, or even the Revolutionaries of Christianity, for their idea 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 is 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 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 discontent towards large church business 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 knightly 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.
What is Protestantism? This is one of the three branches of Christianity, a collection of independent churches and denominations. The history of Protestantism dates back to the 16th century, in the era of a broad religious and socio-political movement called the "Reformation", which in Latin means "correction", "transformation", "transformation".
Reformation
In the Middle Ages in Western Europe, the church ruled everything. And it's Catholic. What is Protestantism? This is a religious social phenomenon that arose in the first half of the 16th century as an opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.
In October 1517, Martin Luther posted on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church the provisions he formulated, which were based on a protest against the abuses of the church. This document in history was called "95 theses", and its appearance marked the beginning of an important religious movement. Protestantism developed within the framework of the Reformation. In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed, according to which religion finally ceased to play an important role in European politics.
Supporters of the Reformation believed that the Catholic Church had long and far departed from the original Christian principles. Certainly they were right. Suffice it to recall the sale of indulgences. In order to understand what Protestantism is, you should familiarize yourself with the biography and activities of Martin Luther. This man was the leader of the religious revolution that took place in Western Europe in the 16th century.
Martin Luther
This man was the first to translate the Bible from Latin into German. He is considered one of the founders of Hochdeutsch, the literary German language. Martin Luther was born into a family of a former peasant who once left for a big city, where he worked in copper mines, and then became a wealthy burgher. The future public and religious figure had a good inheritance, in addition, he received a good education for those times.
Martin Luther had a master's degree in liberal arts and studied law. However, in 1505, against the will of his father, he took a monastic vow. After receiving a doctorate in theology, Luther launched a wide opposition activity. Every year he felt more and more acutely his weakness in relation to God. Having visited Rome in 1511, he was stunned by the depravity of the Roman Catholic clergy. Luther soon became the main opponent of the established church. He formulated the "95 theses", which were directed primarily against the sale of indulgences.
Luther was immediately condemned and, according to the traditions of the time, called a heretic. But he, as far as possible, did not pay attention to the attacks and continued his work. In the early twenties, Luther began to translate the Bible. He actively preached, called for the renewal of the church.
Martin Luther believed that the church is not an obligatory mediator between God and man. The only way to save the soul, in his opinion, is faith. He rejected all decrees and messages. The main source of Christian truths considered the Bible. One of the directions of Protestantism is named after Martin Luther, the essence of which is the rejection of the dominant role of the church in human life.
Term meaning
The essence of Protestantism was originally the rejection of Catholic dogmas. This term itself is translated from Latin as "disagreement", "objection". After Luther formulated his theses, the persecution of his supporters began. Speyer protest - a document that was filed in defense of the adherents of the Reformation. Hence the name of the new trend in Christianity.
Fundamentals of Protestantism
The history of this Christian direction begins precisely with Martin Luther, who believed that a person is able to find a way to God even without a church. Basic truths are found in the Bible. This, perhaps, is the philosophy of Protestantism. At one time, of course, its foundations were stated quite extensively, and in Latin. The Reformers formulated the principles of Protestant theology as follows:
- Sola Scriptura.
- Sola fide.
- Sola gratia.
- Solus Christus.
- Sοli Deο glοria.
Translated into Russian, these words sound something like this: "only Scripture, faith, grace, Christ." The Protestants formulated five theses in Latin. The proclamation of these postulates was the result of the struggle against Catholic dogmas. In the Lutheran version, there are only three theses. Let us consider in more detail the classical ideas of Protestantism.
Only Scripture
The only source of God's word for a believer is the Bible. In it, and in it alone, are the basic Christian doctrines. The Bible does not require interpretation. Calvinists, Lutherans, Anglicans, to varying degrees, did not accept the old traditions. However, they all denied the authority of the Pope, indulgences, salvation for good deeds, and the veneration of relics.
What is the difference between Protestantism and Orthodoxy? There are many differences between these Christian denominations. One of them is in relation to the saints. Protestants, with the exception of Lutherans, do not recognize them. The veneration of saints plays an important role in the life of Orthodox Christians.
Only by faith
According to Protestant teaching, a person can be saved from sin only with the help of faith. Catholics believed that it was enough just to obtain an indulgence. However, that was a long time ago, in the Middle Ages. Today, many Christians believe that salvation from sin comes after doing good deeds, which, according to Protestants, are the inevitable fruits of faith, evidence of forgiveness.
So, one of the five doctrines is Sola fide. Translated into Russian, it means "only by faith." Catholics believe that forgiveness comes from good deeds. Protestants do not devalue good deeds. However, the main thing for them is still faith.
Only by grace
One of the key concepts of Christian theology is grace. It comes, according to Protestant doctrine, as an unmerited favor. The only subject of grace is God. It is always valid, even if the person does not take any action. People cannot earn grace by their actions.
Only Christ
The Church is not a link between man and God. The only mediator is Christ. However, Lutherans honor the memory of the Virgin Mary and other saints. Protestantism abolished the church hierarchy. A baptized person has the right to preach, to perform worship without the clergy.
Confession is not as important in Protestantism as it is in Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The absolution of sins by the clergy is completely absent. However, repentance directly before God plays an essential role in the life of Protestants. As for the monasteries, they completely reject them.
Glory to God only
One of the commandments says "Do not make yourself an idol." Protestants rely on it, arguing that a person should only bow before God. Salvation is granted exclusively through his will. Reformists believe that any human being, including a saint, canonized by the church, is not worthy of glory and reverence.
There are several branches of Protestantism. The main ones are Lutheranism, Anglicanism, Calvinism. It is worth talking about the founder of the latter.
Jean Calvin
The French theologian, a follower of the Reformation, took tonsure as a child. He studied at universities where many Lutherans studied. After the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in France escalated significantly, he left for Switzerland. Here the teachings of Calvin gained wide popularity. He also promoted Protestantism in his homeland, France, where the number of Huguenots was growing rapidly. The center of the Reformation was the city of La Rochelle.
Calvinism
So, John Calvin became the founder of Protestantism in the French-speaking space. However, he promoted Reformed theories more in Switzerland. The attempt of the Huguenots, the same Calvinists, to gain a foothold in his homeland, did not have much success. In 1560, they made up about 10% of the total population of France. But in the second half of the 16th century, the Huguenot wars broke out. During the St. Bartholomew's night, about three thousand Calvinists were destroyed. Nevertheless, the Huguenots achieved some concessions, which they succeeded thanks to the Edict of Nantes, a law that granted religious rights to French Protestants.
Calvinism also penetrated the countries of Eastern Europe, but did not take a leading position here. The influence of Protestantism was quite strong in Holland. In 1571, the Calvinists firmly entrenched themselves in this state and formed the Netherlands Reformed Church.
Anglicanism
The religious base of the followers of this Protestant movement was approved as early as the sixteenth century. The main feature of the Anglican Church is absolute loyalty to the throne. According to one of the founders of the doctrine, an atheist is a threat to morality. Catholic - for the state. Today Anglicanism is professed by about seventy million people, of whom more than a third live in England.
Protestantism in Russia
The first adherents of the Reformation appeared on the territory of Russia in the sixteenth century. At first, these were Protestant communities founded by master merchants from Western Europe. In 1524, a peace treaty was concluded between Sweden and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, after which the followers of Martin Luther poured into the country. These were not only merchants, but also artists, pharmacists, artisans.
Already, in the reign of Ivan IV, physicians and jewelers also appeared in Moscow. Many arrived from European countries by invitation, as representatives of social professions. Even more foreigners appeared during the time of Peter the Great, who actively invited highly qualified specialists from Protestant countries. Many of them later became part of the Russian nobility.
According to the Treaty of Nishtad, concluded in 1721, Sweden ceded to Russia the territories of Estonia, Livonia, and Ingermanland. The inhabitants of the annexed lands were guaranteed freedom of religion. This was stated in one of the clauses of the contract.
Foreigners appeared on the territory of Russia in another way, less peaceful. Especially many Protestants were among the prisoners of war, in particular, after the Livonian War, which ended in 1582. At the end of the 17th century, two Lutheran churches appeared in Moscow. Churches were also built in Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan. During the 18th century, several Protestant communities formed in St. Petersburg. Among them are three German or Italian, one Dutch Reformed. In 1832, the charter of Protestant churches on the territory of the Russian Empire was approved.
Large Protestant communities also appeared in Ukraine during the 19th century. Their representatives were, as a rule, descendants of German colonists. In the middle of the 19th century, a community of Stundists was formed in one of the Ukrainian villages, which at the end of the sixties consisted of more than thirty families. The Stundists first visited the Orthodox Church, turned to the shepherd for marriage in order to have children. However, persecution soon began, which was accompanied by the confiscation of literature. Then there was a break with Orthodoxy.
Churches
What are the main features of Protestantism? But there are still external differences between this Christian trend and Catholicism, Orthodoxy. What is Protestantism? This is the doctrine that the main source of truth in the life of a believer is the Holy Scriptures. Protestants do not practice prayer for the dead. Saints are treated differently. Some people revere them. Others reject it completely. Protestant churches are free from lavish decoration. They don't have icons. Any building can serve as a church building. Protestant worship consists of prayer, sermon, psalm singing and communion.
