Most of the early Protestants wanted less in the way of outward symbols of ceremony and ritual and rejected the authority of the Pope (because they believed the only true authority to be the [[Bible]]). The various Protestant churches wanted the Bible to be available to all by publishing it in the common language and by promoting universal education. The mandatory [[celibacy]] of the [[clergy]] and monasticism were rejected, along with the Catholic use of images in church buildings, priestly vestments, and many of the Catholic Church's festival days. Instead, Protestantism emphasized a new participation in public worship services by the members of the congregation. Congregational singing became a feature of Protestantism, unlike Catholic worship. The wine in Communion was distributed to the congregants, no longer being reserved for the priest as had been Catholic practice. And in most churches, the congregation was empowered to select its own ministers rather than have them chosen, in Catholic fashion, by the bishop.
==History==
===Pre-Reformation Protestants==
Before the official beginning of the Reformation, groups like the [[Waldenses]] and [[Albigenses]] adhered to Protestant doctrines, and were thus persecuted by the Catholic Church.<ref>[http://reformationhappens.com/works/Waldenses/ Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Chapter IV]</ref> Similarly, figures such as [[Jan Hus]] and [[John Wycliffe]] are considered reformers, despite acting before 1517. Luther claimed that he was distinguished from the previous reformers by going to the theological root of Catholic corruption.<ref>[Reformation,] Encyclopædia Brittannica. </ref>
===Luther===
In 1515, Martin Luther, a German monk, experienced a spiritual enlightenment when he read Romans 1:17: "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." On October 31, 1517, Luther is thought to have nailed his 95 Theses on the University of Wittenberg door, angered at the Church's sale of indulgences to fund the building of St. Peter's Basilica.<ref>[https://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-9389283?_escaped_fragment_= Martin Luther], Biography.com.</ref> This is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation and Making Luther a household name. In 1520, the Pope sent a letter to Luther threatening to excommunicate him. He burned that letter publicly. He would be excommunicated in 1521. Under legal condemnation, Luther fled to Warburg Castle, where he translated the New Testament into German.
Concerning his impact:
: Luther's legacy is immense and cannot be adequately summarized. Every Protestant Reformer—like Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, and Cranmer—and every Protestant stream—Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Anabaptist—were inspired by Luther in one way or another. On a larger canvas, his reform unleashed forces that ended the Middle Ages and ushered in the modern era.<ref>[http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/theologians/martin-luther.html Martin Luther], Christianity Today. </ref>
===[[Reformation Terms]]===
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc12.toc.html Vol. 12: Trench - Zwingli]
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc13.toc.html Vol. 13: Index]
==References==
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