Protestantism is a historical movement, but it is also about the individual believer and her response to God. A Protestant is a member of a Western Christian religion that adheres to the Reformation's doctrines and has separated from the Roman Catholic Church or a person who protests.
Protestantism is a change within our Lord Jesus Christ's more remarkable Church that is propelled by a primary concern for a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture.
Protestantism is a spiritual impulse within the believer as well as an ecclesial movement of the Church.
"Justification by faith, and mercy of God, i.e., Jesus Christ, according to the Scriptures, and all to the glory of God" is the theological foundation for the connection. The five "Solae" express the Protestant faith's foundational doctrines: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fides, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria.
During the late fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries in the British Isles and Northern Europe, what has come to be known as "the Protestant faith" arose from perceived and undeniable excesses within the Roman Catholic Church. Lutherans, Calvinists, and Anabaptists were not alone in their "protests" against teaching and praxis. Even the Roman Catholic Church reacted to the "Protestants" by launching a "Counter-Reformation" to effect change.
Protestantism is still a historical fact, as the movement has maintained its essential ideas while taking on new forms in the Global South and East.
Protestantism is a personal response to oneself or a specific Christian community, with the primary concern for personal salvation via Christ as revealed in the Bible. The phrase ecclesia reformat, Semper reformanda is an excellent way to describe the Protestant faith's heartbeat for a community as well as an individual.
|
Catholic |
Protestant |
Place of origin |
Palestine & Rome; Roman Empire |
Palestine & Rome, with a schism originating in Germany |
Founder |
Jesus Christ was followed by Peter, the first Pope, and then all Popes after him. |
Followers of Jesus Christ were Peter, Paul, and other disciples of Jesus. The Pope's position was challenged, and the Catholic Church eventually split apart to re-establish the ancient Church. |
Scriptures |
The Holy Bible is a two-part collection of canonical books (the Old Testament and the New Testament). Typically, the Douay-Rheims or Knox Versions are used. |
The Holy Bible is a two-part collection of canonical books (the Old Testament and the New Testament). Typically, the King James Version is used. |
Literal Meaning |
catholic - from the Greek adjective katholikos, meaning "universal." |
Protestant - to 'protest' |
Clergy |
Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Monks, and Deacons follow the Pope. Nuns can be women. |
Pastors, Elders, and Deacons lead each Church, which is autonomous. |
Practices |
While all Catholics must engage in the Church's liturgical activity, personal prayer and devotions are entirely up to the individual. |
On Sundays or other days of worship, study the Bible, pray, and fellowship with other believers. |
Authority of Pope |
Affirmed |
Denied. |
Belief of God |
God is the omnipotent, loving creator of the Universe, and he is monotheistic. Believe in the Trinity as God's revealed form. The Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Son. |
Protestants believe that there is only one God who has revealed Himself in the form of the Trinity. |
Life after death |
Everlasting Salvation at Heaven, Eternal Perdition in Hell, and Purgatory, a third secular state before Heaven. |
There is no such thing as Purgatory. Those who believe in Jesus as their Savior will go to Heaven; else, people who believe in their works will go to hell. These two groups will be admitted to Heaven and the lake of fire, respectively, at the end of time. |
Marriage |
A holy union between a man and a woman. No one can separate what God has joined together. |
A holy union between a man and a woman. No one can separate what God has joined together. In circumstances of adultery or abandonment, divorce is permitted. |
Prophet |
Believe in all the prophets in the Bible's books. |
Believe in all of the prophets mentioned in the Bible's books and that Muhammad is a false prophet. |
Confessing sins |
To God through priests |
To God through Jesus |
Mary |
God selected Mary to be the mother of Jesus through a virgin birth, and she is regarded as favored among women. As a result, she is considered to be holy and maybe prayed to as a divine intercessor. |
Mary is regarded as favored among women because God selected her to be the mother of Jesus through a virgin birth. Still, she is otherwise just a regular woman with no special abilities. |
Human Nature |
In the image of God, humans are free to devote themselves to knowledge and fellowship. Infants must be baptized due to the "original sin" inherited from Adam - a propensity for wickedness. |
"Original sin" inherited from Adam, a propensity for evil; yet, the sins of the father do not pass down to the son; hence, children are holy, and their misdeeds are not held against them until they reach the age where they can discern good from evil. |
Original Language(s) |
Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin |
Hebrew, Greek, and German |
Holy days |
Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Saints' Feast Days are all-important holidays. |
Christmas and Easter are two of the most important holidays in the Christian. |
Population |
1.2 billion people |
590 million of people |
Type of Worship |
Adoring Eucharist, Prayer, Praise, Singing, Scripture Reading |
Prayer, worship, music, Scripture reading, and teaching are all part of the worship service. |
Geographical distribution and predominance |
France, Spain,Italy, Latin America, and the United States |
Europe and North America |
Praying to Saints, Mary, and Angel |
At the end of each prayer, you must declare "but only God's will be done" if you pray for their intercession or assistance. |
Anyone who believes is a saint, whereas Mary is merely a human. Jesus, not saints, Mary, or angels, is the only one who can mediate between God and man. |
Goal of religion |
Peace, love, and total surrender to God. |
A personal relationship with Jesus Christ |
Legislation |
The Church's prerogative, which does its best to obey the Holy Spirit and God's Word. |
Only the Bible is sufficient. |
Belief |
Catholics believe that God's will for all people is salvation and eternal life. To achieve this, you must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, receive Baptism, confess your sins, and attend Holy Mass. |
Catholics believe that salvation and eternal life are God's will for everyone. You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, undergo Baptism, confess your sins, and attend Holy Mass to attain this. |
Although the different faiths disagree on many fundamental principles, they all have Protestant roots. Some of these similar characteristics include the stress on faith above good works, the importance of the Scriptures, and the usage of only two sacraments.
Learn more about Protestant beliefs and practices by clicking on the links below:
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