Protestant Reformation

Q: What was the main cause of the Protestant Reformation?

The Protestant Reformation was a reaction to the corruption and abuses of the medieval Catholic Church.

Q: When did the Protestant Reformation begin?

The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 when the German priest Martin Luther issued his 95 Theses challenging the Church's policy on indulgences.

Q: What are the dates of the Protestant Reformation?

Although scholars differ on an answer, the dates of the Protestant Reformation are usually given as 1517-1648.

Q: Who were the major reformers during the Protestant Reformation?

There were many significant reformers but the three considered the most important are Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Calvin.

Q: Were there any women involved in the Protestant Reformation?

There were many women involved in the Protestant Reformation including Marguerite of Navarre, Marie Dentiere, Argula von Grumbach, and Katharina Zell. Women's contributions to the Reformation are only now becoming fully appreciated.

Q: What are some effects of the Protestant Reformation?

Effects of the Protestant Reformation include widespread literacy, modern democracy, individualism, civil rights, philosophical skepticism, and religious diversity.

Joshua J. Mark

Definition

The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social upheaval of 16th-century Europe that broke the hold of the medieval Church, allowing for the development of personal interpretations of the Christian message and leading to the development of modern nation-states. It is considered one of the most important events in Western history.

More about: Protestant Reformation

Timeline

1 Mar 1516
The humanist thinker Desiderius Erasmus publishes the first edition of his Greek New Testament, printed in Basel, Switzerland, and correcting many passages of the officially accepted Vulgate translation. The work helped encourage further challenges to ecclesiastical authority in the year before the start of the Protestant Reformation.
1517 - 1648
The most widely accepted dates for the Protestant Reformation.
31 Oct 1517
The Protestant Reformation begins when German priest and reformer Martin Luther posts his *Ninety-Five Theses* to the door of the Wittenberg church. The event is world-famous but has been challenged by modern historians. Even so, the date was celebrated as Reformation Day on the 500th anniversary in 2017.
3 Jan 1521
Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther from the Catholic Church for his challenges to ecclesiastical authority and policies. This act only encourages the momentum of the Protestant Reformation.
13 Jun 1525
During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora in Wittenberg, Germany, in defiance of Catholic clerical celibacy vows as Luther was a former monk and von Bora a former nun.
5 Jan 1531
Pope Clement VII forbids Henry VIII of England from divorcing his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marrying Anne Boleyn, sparking the Protestant Reformation in England when Henry VIII defies the pope.
4 Feb 1555
English clergyman and translator John Rogers becomes the first Protestant martyr under Catholic Queen Mary I when he is burned at the stake for refusing to renounce his faith and defending the Protestant translation of the Bible. His death began the persecutions of Protestants in England that gave Mary I the name "Bloody Mary.".
9 Feb 1555
John Hooper, Protestant Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester, is burned at the stake for heresy by decree of Catholic Queen Mary I ("Bloody Mary") during the Marian Persecutions of Protestants in England. His execution is noted for its cruelty as it was said to have taken 45 minutes.
21 Mar 1556
Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, is executed by burning at the stake in Oxford, England for heresy under a decree by Catholic Queen Mary I who resented him for authorizing the annulment of her parents' marriage, that of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
27 Jun 1556
The Stratford Martyrs, eleven men and two women, are burned at the stake for professing their Protestant belief outside of London, England during the anti-Protestant, pro-Catholic Marian persecutions.
2 May 1559
Preacher and writer John Knox returns to Scotland from exile to lead the Protestant Scottish Reformation, bringing him into conflict with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.