Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a Christian renewal movement in 16th-century Europe and the most momentous schism in Western Christianity, causing the emergence of different denominations.

While there were some earlier attempts to criticise and reform the Catholic Church's dogmas and organisation, such as the Cathars and the Hussites, the starting point of Reformation is commonly set at Martin Luther's publication of 95 theses in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. The most important points of criticism were the sale of indulgences by the Catholic church as well as simony (sale of offices) that created the impression of the church being corrupt. Not much later, Protestantism was substantially advanced in Switzerland by Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin, before spreading to many other parts of Europe. Rifts erupted also among the Reformers, each founding their own denomination. There are now Protestant churches in nearly every country in the world.

The Protestant Reformation happened parallel to the tail end of the Renaissance and the early phases of the Age of Discovery. These events are today considered to mark the end of the European Middle Ages and the beginning of the early modern era. The sociologist and historian Max Weber would go on to describe a "Protestant Work Ethic" (in part based on Reformed concepts on Salvation and Predestination), which he saw as foundational for European capitalism and industrialization.