Christian History

The Reformation

The Reformation was a sixteenth-century movement to renew the Western church, usually dated from 1517, when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses protesting the sale of indulgences. Its central convictions are often summarized as the 'solas': salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, on the authority of Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone. It reshaped Western Christianity and gave rise to the Protestant churches, alongside the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

What happened in 1517

On October 31, 1517, an Augustinian monk and professor named Martin Luther published his 'Ninety-Five Theses' in Wittenberg, Germany, objecting above all to the sale of indulgences, payments said to reduce punishment for sin. Luther's deeper concern was pastoral and biblical: he had come to believe, wrestling with Romans, that sinners are made right with God as a free gift received by faith, not earned. What began as a call to debate became, with the new printing press, a movement that spread across Europe.

The five solas

The Reformers' convictions are often gathered into five Latin phrases:

• Sola gratia, by grace alone: salvation is God's free gift, not something we earn.
• Sola fide, through faith alone: we receive that gift by trusting Christ, not by our merits.
• Solus Christus, in Christ alone: Jesus is the only Savior and mediator between God and people.
• Sola scriptura, by Scripture alone: the Bible is the highest authority for faith and life.
• Soli Deo gloria, to the glory of God alone: all of it is for God's glory, not ours.

Beyond Luther

The movement broadened quickly. Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich and John Calvin in Geneva shaped the Reformed tradition; the Anabaptists pressed for believers' baptism and a free church; and in England the Reformation took its own course, producing the Anglican tradition. The Catholic Church responded with its own reform at the Council of Trent (1545 to 1563), often called the Counter-Reformation. Christianity in the West divided into the Protestant and Catholic families that endure today, alongside the Eastern Orthodox churches.

Held with humility

The Reformation era also brought real bitterness and, tragically, wars and violence on many sides. It is honest to grieve that. It is also honest to say that much has changed: in 1999 Catholics and Lutherans signed a Joint Declaration finding significant agreement on justification, the very issue that sparked the split. Faithful Christians still differ on important questions, and those differences deserve to be weighed seriously rather than glossed over. But Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants confess together one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5), and can call one another brothers and sisters in Christ.

What this means for us

At its best the Reformation was a return to something the church can always drift from and always needs to hear again: that we are loved and saved not because we are good enough, but because God is gracious in Jesus. That is not a Protestant slogan so much as the gospel itself, and it is still good news for anyone worn out by trying to earn what God is longing to give.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Reformation and when did it start?

The Reformation was a sixteenth-century movement to renew the Western church, usually dated from 1517, when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses protesting the sale of indulgences. It gave rise to the Protestant churches alongside the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

What are the five solas of the Reformation?

They are five Latin phrases summarizing the Reformers' convictions: sola gratia (grace alone), sola fide (faith alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola scriptura (Scripture alone), and soli Deo gloria (to the glory of God alone).

Are Catholics and Protestants still divided?

Christians still differ on real and important questions, and those differences deserve honest weight. Yet much has drawn closer; in 1999 Catholics and Lutherans signed a Joint Declaration on justification. Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants confess one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5).