This week in Christian history: Vincent van Gogh preaches sermon, Reformation begins, ‘Quaker’ first used

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, October 29, 2023

The Protestant Reformation begins – Oct. 31, 1517

This week marks the anniversary of when German monk Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany, starting what became known as the Protestant Reformation.

Luther’s theses, or points of argument, came in response to various corruptions within the Roman Catholic Church, as well as theological issues with official teaching on salvation.

While originally meant to be more of an academic debate, Luther’s arguments soon reverberated throughout Europe, causing widespread religious upheaval and the creation of new denominations.

“The Protestant Reformation, a religious movement that began in the sixteenth century, brought an end to the ecclesiastical unity of medieval Christianity in western Europe and profoundly reshaped the course of modern history,” wrote Robb S. Harvey of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

“Sometimes called the Protestant revolution, the Reformation appealed to the founders of the United States, and some of its concepts of individualism and free expression of religion are incorporated into the First Amendment.”