Timeline Description: Roman Catholic Churches in the 15th began to work as more of a power struggle than a belief system. In a 16th century attempt to restructure Roman Catholicism, the Protestant religion was formed. This movement was seen, by many, as the beginning of the Modern Era.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1517 | The Ninety-Five Theses was published Martin Luther published his arguments against the Catholic Church. This catalyst for the Reformation protested against the many clerical abuses, such as nepotism, pluralism, and the selling of indulgences. |
| January 28, 1521 | The Diet of Worms Held in Worms, Germany, this formal assembly was held for deliberation to determine the fate of Martin Luther. He fled before a decision was made and disappeared for an undetermined amount of time. |
| 1525 | The Anabaptist movement began The Anabaptist movement may have been an offset of Protestantism, or a movement of its own. While that is unknown, we know that the Amish, Apostolic Christian Church, Mennonites, and Hutterites are direct descendants of the Anabaptist movement. |
| 1530 | The Augsburg Confession As the primary confessional for the Lutheran movement, the document was never published because it was poorly written. It was, however, signed and accepted by John Calvin in 1540 and Martin Luther founded the first Lutheran church. |
| 1536 | The Monasteries in England, Wales, and Ireland were dissolved(1536-1540) The Protestant Reformation caused the dissolution of many Monasteries after rulers adopted other beliefs. Most chose to go with the Lutheran or Reformed beliefs and others failed to keep Catholicism with active resistance. |
| 1538 | The Protestant religion was the official religion of Norway and Denmark Christian III of Denmark was a strong believer in Martin Luther and his teachings, officially naming the Protestant religion the state religion of Norway and Denmark. |
| 1541 | Calvin disciplined the fallen cities Creating ordinances to bring peace, John Calvin was asked to bring morality to Switzerland, Scotland, Hungary, and Germany after the fall of Martin Luther. |
| 1549 | The Book of Common Prayer The original was written, with prayers, services, and daily prayers. Traditional Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian books used this book as a standard liturgical communication. |
| 1552 | Defense of Martin Luther Joachim Westphal, Superintendent of Hamburg, began controversy against Calvinism. He defended the Lutheran doctrine of Real Presence. |
| September 25, 1555 | The Peace of Augsburg. The treaty between Charles V and the Schmalkaldic League ended religious conflict between the groups and offered Lutherans religious freedom. It was kept secret for several decades, until the Protestant religion as a whole was accepted. |
| 1560 | The French Wars of Religion(1560-1598) Fought between French Catholics and Protestants, nearly 4,000,000 were slaughtered. Eventually, Protestants were given substantial rights and freedom. However, it did not end the hostility. |
| 1580 | The Book of Concord Consisting of ten documents, this historical doctrine of the Lutheran Church was published on June 25th. It was considered the Holy Scriptures of the Lutheran religion. |
| 1618 | The Thirty Years War(1618-1648) This series of religious wars killed half of Germany’s population. Roman Catholics fought against Protestant princes until the Peace of Augsburg was recognized. |
| 1750 | The Reformation ended While treaties of the Thirty Year War should have ended disagreements between Catholics and Protestants, it took many years for the reformation to truly end.The Protestant Reformation was a very important movement for religious freedom throughout the world. John Calvin and Martin Luther were significant spiritual and political figures of their time, leaving their mark on religion. |