Protestant

From RationalWiki

Protestant is a term primarily applied to forms of Western Christianity derived from Martin Luther's schism from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s, and occasionally to churches that are members of the Anglican Communion. The term, derived from the French for "protesting", refers primarily to churches whose theology is based on the principles of sola scriptura, i.e. that the Bible alone, and not the statements of church leaders, is the only source of doctrine, and generally sola fides, that salvation is achieved through the acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice, and not through merit earned through good works. Opinions on social issues such as homosexuality, music, and reproductive rights are wide-ranging, from highly restrictive in the case of many conservative churches to complete acceptance of such things in liberal churches.

Protestantism is not a monolithic movement, and Protestant groups range from very liberal to extremely conservative. It developed primarily in northern Europe, particularly in Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavia, and encompasses numerous traditions, including Lutheran (German), Presbyterian (Scottish), Calvinist (Swiss/Dutch), Methodist, and Baptist (English). It was historically largely northern European in origin, with southern Europe largely dominated by the Catholic Church until fairly recently; Protestantism of various forms is also common in North America, particularly the Baptist tradition.

Christian fundamentalism and evangelicalism comes largely out of a Protestant background, and is particularly associated with conservative Baptist and so-called "non-denominational" churches (often actually denominations unto themselves, though the term "denomination" is a dirty word to many Christians). In addition, the vast bulk of creationists come out of the conservative Protestant tradition, and evangelical Protestantism is growing rapidly in many tropical countries, being spread by aggressive evangelism in Latin America and Africa.