Protestantism

Protestantism is made up of several denominations, all of which separated from Rome during the Reformation in the 16^th century.  Led by Martin Luther, “Protestant” comes from the “protestation” issued by the Lutheran rulers in the Holy Roman Empire, against the decree prohibiting ecclesiastical reforms  at the Diet of Speyer in 1529.  The spread of Protestantism was considerably wide during the Reformation that before Luther’s death in 1546, thousands were converted in Europe.  In fact, from 1536 to 1540 Denmark, Norway and Sweden adopted Lutheranism, one of the denominations in Protestantism, as their national religion.

The Reformation started at different times in different places.  In Germany, it began  on October 31, 1517, when Luther posted his Ninety-five theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, denouncing  abuses of the Roman Catholic Church.  The Reformation started 1534 in England when King Henry VIII made himself the head of the church upon his excommunication for divorcing Catherine of Aragon.  The spread of Protestantism was broken in England only when Roman Catholicism was restored from 1553 to 1558.  During this time, some three hundred Protestant leaders were burned at the stake, including Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer.  Later, from 1558 to 1603, during the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, Protestantism was restored and the Church of England (Episcopalian) was established.

The major Protestant denominations are the Lutheran, Reformed (Calvanist), Presbyterian, Angelican (Episcopal).  Other minor denominations are the Mennonite, Schwenkfeldian, and Unitarian.

In great Britain and American, there are also the Congregationalist, Baptist, Quaker and Methodist.  In the Philippines, the Protestants totaled nine percent of the whole population on the year 1980.  Some of the Protestant denominations in the country with considerable populations are the Lutheran, the Church of Christ (Independent), the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayanism), the Methodist and the Baptist.