The Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517 with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, was largely dominated by the theologies of Luther and the Genevan reformer John Calvin. Luther threw out the Catholic doctrine of purgatory and indulgences for a new interpretation of the Bible. Calvin accepted most of Luther’s doctrine, and added his own doctrine of double predestination. From these two traditions, Protestant Christianity spread much throughout Europe. Martin Luther’s writing of the 95 Theses was inspired by the traveling indulgence. who sold the University of Wittenberg in 1517. Luther, studying the Greeks of the New Testament in preparation for his classes at the Academy, had rejected the Catholic faith, and was judged to be a human being by the divine Jerome’s interpretation of the Vulgate translation. /i> by his faith. Luther asserted instead that a man is justified by his faith. He rejected the Catholic doctrine that good works are necessary for salvation, and that sins are punished in purgatory, the spiritual tortures of God. For this doctrine, Luther accepted the principle of Solafidianism, that a man is saved only by faith, and that good works are merely faith in God, and not a necessity for salvation.
The 95 Theses, a learned debate between Luther’s only intent on organizing the faculties of Witeberg, for the church to split.
Europe Martin Luther was thrust into leadership roles, making full use of his position, publishing many books that spread his views. . Luther’s theology replaced Catholic theology throughout Protestantism – he believed that Christianity had destroyed God’s direct relationship with man through the Bible and the work of the priesthood to his followers. In place of the ancient Catholic priests, Protestants believed in “believing priests”, with each congregation electing representatives to serve the Eucharist and be teachers. In, John Calvin expands on Luther’s ideas. Calvin firmly believed in Solafidianism, but tempered his doctrine by a double predestination. God believed time to be a snapshot, and therefore He knew who would be saved and damned even before they were born. In this model, only those who are chosen by God will be saved and everyone else will go to hell. Those who were not chosen cannot do anything to save themselves, as Calvin wrote, God opens the eyes “only the chosen” In spite of this, Calvin and his followers were obsessed with helping people to discover the grace of God. Those unfortunate souls, whom God had previously condemned to hell, were forced by the Calvinists to conform to the laws of God in the City of God He went as far as his relentless pursuit of unity
God burned him as one of his heretical enemies.
These two leaders were largely responsible for the split between Catholics and Protestants and the spread of Protestantism throughout much of Europe. Even John Calvin, from whom he fled after his conversion to Lutheranism, had large Calvinist congregations. The theology of Luther and Calvin and their successors to dominate Protestant Europe for years to come.
