Denomination or sect, church or ...
Protestantism (from Lat. Protestans, born. Protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main directions in Christianity. Slipped from Catholicism during the reformation of 16 V. Combines many independent currents, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.)
In society, there is such a phenomenon as Protestant churches, or as they are often called - "sects". Some people relate to this normal, others respond about them very negative. Often you can hear that Baptists who belong to Protestants are sacrificed to babies, and Pentecostals are turned off at meetings.
We want to provide you with information about Protestantia: to reveal the history of the Protestant movement, the main doctrinal principles of Protestantia, to concern the reasons for a negative attitude towards him in society.
The big encyclopedic dictionary opens the meaning of the words "sect", "sectarianism", "Protestantism":
SECT (from Lat. Secta - Teaching, Direction, School) - Religious group, community, whipped from the dominant church. In a figurative sense, a group of persons who closed in their narrow interests.
SECTARIANISM - religious, designation of religious associations, opposition in relation to one or another dominant religious areas. In history, the form of sectarianism often had social, national liberation movements. Some sects acquired the features of fanaticism and extremism. A number of sect ceases to exist, some turn into the church. Known: Adventists, Baptists, Dukhobor, Molokanes, Pentecostals, Chucks, etc.
Protestantism (from Lat. Protestans, born. Protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main directions in Christianity. Slipped from Catholicism during the reformation of 16 V. Combines many independent currents, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.). For Protestantism, the lack of fundamental opposition of the clergy of the Mijanam, the refusal to the complex church hierarchy, a simplified cult, lack of monastics, celibacy; In Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, Saints, Angels, Icons, the number of sacraments is reduced to two (baptism and communion).
The main source of verbation is the Holy Scripture. Protestantism is distributed mainly in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavian countries and Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Latvia, Estonia. Thus, Protestants are Christians who belong to one of several independent Christian churches.
They are Christians, and together with Catholics and Orthodox shares the fundamental principles of Christianity. For example, they all take the Nicene Symbol of Faith, adopted by the first Cathedral of the Church in 325, as well as the Nikotzarendian Symbol of Faith, adopted by the Chalkidon Cathedral in 451 (see insertion). They all believe in death, the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in His Divine Essence and the coming coming. All three flows take the Bible as the Word of God and agree that repentance and faith are needed to have eternal life.
However, the views of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants are different for some issues. Protestants are above all appreciated the authority of the Bible. Orthodox and Catholics appreciate their traditions higher and believe that only the leaders of these churches can interpret the Bible true. Despite its differences, all Christians agree with the prayer of Christ, recorded in the Gospel of John (17: 20-21): "Not only pray for them, but also the believers in me according to the word of them, and everyone will be one ...".
The history of the emergence of Protestantism
One of the first Protestant reformers was a priest, a professor of theology Jan Gus, Slavyan, who lived in the territory of the modern Czech Republic and became a martyr for faith in 1415. Jan Gus taught that Scripture is more important than traditions. Protestant Reformation has spread in 1517 throughout Europe, when another Catholic priest and professor of theology named Martin Luther called on the Catholic Church to the update. He said that when the Bible enters the conflict with church traditions, it is necessary to obey the Bible. Luther said that the church is incorrect, selling the opportunity to get to the paradise for money. He also believed that salvation comes through faith in Christ, and not through an attempt to "earn" the eternal life of good deeds.
Protestant Reformation is distributed now worldwide. As a result, such churches were formed as Lutheran, Anglican, Dutch reformist, and later - Baptist, Pentecian and others, including charismatic. According to the World Operation Agency, there are about 600 million Protestants around the world, 900 million Catholics and 250 million Orthodox.
At first glance, it may seem that Protestants appeared on the territory of the CIS only with the collapse of the USSR and came from America. In fact, for the first time, Protestants came to Russia at the time of Ivan the Terrible and by 1590 were even in Siberia. For the nine-year period (from 1992 to 2000), 11,192 Christian communities were registered on the territory of Ukraine, of which 5772 (51.6%) - Orthodox and 3755 (33.5%) of the Protestant direction (according to the State Committee of Ukraine for Religious Affairs) .
Thus, the Protestantism in Ukraine has long been outside the "Group of persons who closed in their narrow interests", since more than a third of all churches in the country cannot be called "sect". Protestant churches are officially registered by the state, they are open to all and do not hide their activities. Their main goal remains to convey people the Gospel about the Savior.
Doctrinal principles
Church traditions
Protestants have nothing against church traditions, except those cases when these traditions contradict the Scriptures. They justify this first of all by the comment of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (15: 3, 6): "... why and you break the commandment of God for the sake of your legend? ... So you eliminated the commandment of God's legend."
EPIPHANY
Protestants believe in the statement of the Bible that baptism should only follow repentance (Acts 2: 3) and believe that baptism without repentance is meaningless. Protestants do not support the baptism of babies, as the baby can not repent because of his ignorance of good and evil. Jesus said: "Let the children and do not let them come to me, because there are the kingdom of heaven," (Matt. 19:14). Protestants are based on the fact that not a single case of baptism of babies is not described in the Bible, especially since Jesus was waiting for his baptism to 30 years.
Icons
Protestants believe that the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20: 4) prohibit the use of images for worship: "Do not make yourself a idol and no image of what is at the sky at the top, and that on Earth below, and that in the water below the earth". In the book Levit (26: 1) recorded: "Do not make yourself idols and sculptures, and do not put the pillars, and the stones with the images do not put yours on the ground to bow to them; For I am your Lord. " Therefore, Protestants do not use images to worship from fear that some people can worship these images instead of God.
Saints prayers
Protestants prefer to follow the instructions of Jesus, where he taught us to pray saying: "Pray as follows: our father, which is in heaven!" (Matt. 6: 9). In addition, there are no examples in Scripture, where anyone would pray Maria or Saints. They believe that the Bible prohibits paying prayers to people who died, even to Christians who are in Paradise, based on this on Deuteronomy (18: 10-12), where it says: "You should not be ... Questioning dead". God condemned Saul for what he entered into contact with Saint Samuel after his death (1st steam. 10: 13-14).
THE VIRGIN MARY
Protestants believe that Maria was an excellent example of Christian obedience to God, and that she remained a Virgin before Jesus was born. The basis for this is the gospel of Matthew (1:25), where it says that Joseph, her husband, "I didn't know her, as she finally gave birth to the son of her firstborn", and other excerpts from the Bible, where the brothers and sisters of Jesus (Matt. 12:46, 13: 55-56, Mark. 3:31, Ioan. 2:12, 7: 3). But they do not believe that Maria was sinless, because in the Gospel of Luke (1:47) she called God by their Savior; If Maria had been without sin, she would not need a Savior.
CHURCH
Protestants believe that there is only one True Church, but do not believe that it is part of any organization created by man. This True Church consists of all people who love God and serve him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of what kind of denominations they treat.
Fathers of the Church
Protestants respect and appreciate the teachings of the fathers of the Church (church leaders who lived after the apostles), when these teachings are in harmony with the Scripture. This is based on the fact that often the fathers of the church disagree with each other.
RELICS OF SAINTS
Protestants do not believe that any special power has been concluded in the relics of saints, because the Bible does not teach it. Protestants believe that there are no indication in the Bible that Christians must honor the bodies of the dead.
Sutani and title "Father"
Protestant ministers do not wear sutin because neither Jesus nor the apostles wore some special clothes. In the New Testament, there are also no instructions on this. Usually they are not called "Father" because Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew (23: 9): "And my father does not call anyone on Earth ..."What, in their opinion, means that we should not declare anyone with their spiritual lord.
Cross sign and cross
Protestants do not object to the gloor sign, but since the Scripture does not teach this, they also do not teach it. Protestant and Catholic church, unlike Orthodox, prefer to use a simple cross.
Iconostasis
Protestants and Catholics believe that the iconostasis symbolizes the veil, separating people from the holy of saints in the Jerusalem temple. They believe that when God ruined her at night at the time of the death of Jesus (Matthew 27: 51), thereby he said that we were no longer separated from him thanks to the blood he was shed in order to be forgiven.
Worship services
Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew (18:20): "For, where two or three are assembled in my name, there I am in the midst of them". Protestants believe that the worship is sanctified not by the place of service, not by the building, but the presence of Christ in the rheric medium. The Bible also says that the temple of God is Christians, not the building: "Do not you know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you?" (1 Cor.3: 16).
The Bible shows that the first Christians held ministries in many different places: at school (Acts.19: 9), in Jewish synagogues (Acts. 8: 4, 26; 19: 8), in the Jewish Church (Acts 3: 1) , and in private houses (Acts 2: 46; 5:42; 18: 7; Philip 1: 2; 18: 7; Kol.4: 15; Rome.16: 5 and 1st Cor.16: 19 ). The ministry of evangelism, according to the Bible, passed near the river (Acts.16: 13), in a street crowd (Acts 2: 14) and on Square (Acts.17: 17). There is not a single testimony in the Bible that the first Christians held worship in a church building.
Causes of negative attitudes to Protestants
Officially, Orthodoxy came to the territory of this Ukraine in 988, then Rusi rulers introduced Orthodox Christianity as a state religion. Much earlier, the disciples of Christ came to the Earth Scythians in order to convey the good news of the Savior for the barbaric peoples. The most famous is the arrival of the student of Jesus - Andrei, whose people called "first-revisted". At that time, there was no separation of Christianity to Roman and Byzantine, that is, the Catholic and Orthodox, and Andrei represented quite Protestant views - preached, based only on the Word of God; held a meeting everywhere where there was an opportunity (churches were not yet); baptized only adults.
With the strengthening of the position of the Orthodox Church in Russia, and then in Tsarist Russia, all the uninostable passed into the rank of anti-state. At first it was associated with wars in which Catholics fought against the Orthodox, and then with the strengthening of the Sovereign, as to manage one religion much easier than several. Protestants or "Inovers" were sent to remote regions, and everyone who remained was hidden from persecution. The power and leadership of the Orthodox Church in every way encouraged the humiliation of the rights of other religions.
After 1917, the new government tried to completely get rid of "opium for the people" by destroying churches and the physical destruction of believers. But after certain difficulties and discontent of the population, the power of the Council left for existence only one church is Orthodox. And Protestants, together with Catholics, Greek Catholics, representatives of other denominations or serving a term in camps, or hide from power. In such conditions, at home and basements became the only way to carry out assessments of Protestants, and the light turned off to protect against the eye of the "benevolers". At the same time, to discriminate against anti-state religions in the press and among the people there are stories about the sacrifices of Baptists, the low cultural and educational level of Pentecostals, witchcraft of charismatov and another. Thus, in the Society for decades subconsciously brought up a negative attitude towards the entire uninosty. And now people are very difficult to overcome these negative stereotypes and accept Protestants as Christians.
Now that you know the history of the Protestant movement, its basic doctrinal principles, you understand the reasons for the negative attitude towards Protestant in society, you can decide for yourself to accept or not Protestants as Christians. But today says the following: Protestants are 3755 churches in Ukraine for 9 years!
Yes, they have the difference from the usual Orthodox Church in some issues, but the goal and the Orthodox, and Catholics, and the Protestants are one to preach the Gospel and bring people to salvation. And Protestants cope with it lately all better. It is the Protestants who conduct mass evangelism and meetings, on which more and more people comes to Jesus Christ. Protestants through all kinds of media tell people about the Savior.
Based on its ministry directly on the Bible, Protestants provide people with another way to Christ, the path to salvation. By fulfilling the instruction of Jesus Christ, Protestants bring him to salvation!
Roman Kot.
newspaper "Word of Awakening»
When writing an article, materials are used:
Let's start with the fact that the word Protestantism occurs at all from the word protest. There is just a coincidence in Russian. Protestantism or Protestantism (from Lat. Protestans, born. Protestantis - publicly proving).
In a number of world religions, Protestantism can be briefly described as one of three, along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the main directions of Christianity, which is a combination of numerous and independent churches and denominations. It is necessary to stay in more detail on the question: who are such Protestants from the point of view of theology?
Here you can say a lot. And it is necessary to start with the fact that Protestants consider the basis of their faith. This is, first of all, the Bible is the books of the Holy Scriptures. This is the infallible recorded Word of God. It is unique, verbally and completely, inspired by the Holy Spirit and unmistakably captured in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the highest and final authority in all issues affected by it.
In addition to the Bible, Protestants recognize the symbols of faith generally accepted for all Christians:
Protestant theology does not contradict the theological decisions of the Ecumenical Councils. The whole world knows the famous five theses of Protestantism:
1. Sola Scriptura - "Only Scripture"
"Believe, learn and confess that the only and absolute rule and standard, according to which all dogmas and all teachers should be evaluated, are only the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testament"
2. Sola Fide - "only faith"
This is the doctrine of justification only by faith, regardless of the performance of good deeds and any external attacks. Protestants do not deprecize good deeds; But they deny their meaning as a source or condition of rescue the soul, considering their inevitable fruits of faith and evidence of forgiveness.
3. Sola Gratia - "Just grace"
This doctrine that salvation is grace, i.e. Good gift from God man. A person cannot deserve salvation or somehow participate in his salvation. Although a person and takes God's salvation by faith, all the glory for the salvation of a person should be removed only to God.
In the Bible it says: "For grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from you, God's gift: not from affairs so that no one boasts" (Eph.2: 8.9).
4. SOLUS CHRISTUS - "Only Christ"
From the point of view of Protestants, Christ is the only mediator between God and Man, and the salvation is possible only through faith in him.
Scripture approves: "For God is one, one and the mediator between God and man, the man of Christ Jesus" (1: 5).
Protestants traditionally deny the mediation of the Virgin Mary and other saints in salvation, and also teach that the church hierarchy cannot be an intermediary between God and people. All believers are "universal priesthood" and are in equal rights and equally before God.
5. Soli Deo Gloria - "Only God Glory"
The Wikipedia Internet project very accurately determines the features of theology, which traditionally share Protestants: "Scripture is proclaimed by the only source of creed. The Bible has been translated into national languages, its study and application in their own life has become an important task of each believer. Attitude towards a sacred legend is ambiguous - from rejection, on the one hand, before adopting and reading, but, in any case, with a reservation - a legend (as, however, any other challenges, including their own) authoritatively, since it is based on Scripture , and to the extent that it is based on the Scriptures. It is this reservation (and not the desire to simplify and reduce the coal) is the key to the failure of a number of Protestant churches and denominations from a particular teaching or practice.
Protestants are taught that the original sin has distraved the nature of man. Therefore, a person, even though he remains quite capable of good deeds, can not be saved by his merits, but only faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ "
And although the Protestant theology does not exhaust this, nevertheless, according to these features, it is customary to allocate Protestants from the environment of other Christians.
The resulting - wide religious and political movement, which began in Germany, spread throughout Western Europe and aimed at transformation of the Christian Church.
The term "Protestantism" comes from protest stated by German princes and a number of imperial cities against the cancellation of the early decree on the right of local rulers to choose faith for themselves and their subjects. However, in a broader sense, Protestantism is associated with a socio-political and moral protest of the rising, but still disastrous third estimation against the unzipped medieval orders and standing on their guard.
See also: , .Creation of Protestantism
The difference between Protestantism from Orthodoxy and Catholicism
Protestants share the general Christian ideas about the Being of God as the Creator of the World, about his trinity, about the sinfulness of a person, about the immortality of the soul and salvation, about Rae and Herde, rejecting the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, about the divine revelation and some others. At the same time, Protestantism has a number of significant dogmatic, organizational and cult differences from Orthodoxy and Catholicism. First of all, this is the recognition of the priesthood of all believers. Protestants believe that every person is directly connected with God. This leads to the rejection of the separation of people to the Clear and the Mijan and the approval of the equality of all believers in the matters of faith. Every believer with a good knowledge of the Holy Scripture may be for himself and other people a priest. Thus, the clergy should not have any advantages and its very existence becomes superfluous. In connection with these ideas, religious cult in Protestantism was significantly reduced and simplified. The number of sacraments is reduced to two: baptism and communion; All worship is reduced to reading sermons, joint prayers and singing hymns and psalms. In this case, worship takes place on his believing language.
Almost all external cult attributes: temples, icons, statues, bells, candles - were discarded, as well as the church hierarchical device. A monasticism and celibacy was canceled, the position of the priest became elected. Serving in Protestantism is usually in modest prayer houses. The right of servants of the church for the vacation of sins were abolished, since it was considered the prerogative of God, the reverence of saints, icons, relics, reading prayers for the dead, since these actions were recognized as pagan prejudices. The number of church holidays is reduced to minima.
The second basic principle Protestantism is the salvation of personal faith. This principle was opposed to the Catholic principle of justification by cases, according to which every thirsty salvation should do everything that the church needs, and above all to promote its material enrichment.
Protestantism does not deny that faithless faith without good deeds. Good deeds are useful and necessary, but it is impossible to justify them before God, only faith makes it possible to hope for salvation. All directions of Protestantism in one form or another, the teachings on predestination were adhered to: each person before his birth was pre-prepared his fate; It does not depend on any prayers, no of activity, a person is deprived of the opportunity to change the fate of his behavior. However, on the other hand, a person could prove with his behavior to himself and others that he is intended to fish in God for a good fate. It could spread not only on moral behavior, but also for successfulness in life situations, to get rich. It is not surprising that Protestantism becomes the ideology of the most enterprising part of the bourgeoisie of the era of the initial accumulation of capital. The doctrine of predestination justified the inequality of states and class division of society. As the German sociologist showed Max Weber, It is the installation of Protestantism that contributed to the rise of the entrepreneurial spirit and its final victory over feudalism.
The third basic principle Protestantism is recognition of exceptional bible authority. Any Christian religion recognizes the Bible as the main source of revelation. However, the contradiction contained in the Holy Scripture led to the fact that in Catholicism the right to interpret the Bible only to priests. To this end, a large number of works were written by the Fathers of the Church, a large number of decisions of church councils were adopted, all this is called a sacred tradition. Protestantism deprived the church of the monopoly right to interpret the Bible, completely abandoning the interpretation of the sacred legend as a source of revelation. Not the Bible receives its accuracy from the Church, and any church organization, a group of believers or a separate believer can qualify for the truth of the ideas preached if they find their confirmation in the Bible.
However, the fact of the presence of a contradiction in the Holy Scripture was not refuted. Criteria were required to understand the various provisions of the Bible. In Protestantism, the point of view of the founder of one or another direction was considered the criterion, and all who did not agree with her were declared heretics. Driving on heretics in Protestantism was not smaller than in Catholicism.
The possibility of its own interpretation of the Bible led Protestantism to the fact that it does not constitute a single teaching. There are a large number of things close in spirit, but in something excellent directions and flows.
The theoretical constructions of Protestantism entailed changes in the cult practice that led to the cheaper of the Church and the Church Ritual. The reverence of biblical righteous people remained unshakable, but was devoid of elements of fetishism, characteristic of the cult of saints in Catholicism. Refusal to worship visible images was based on the Old Testament Pentateuch, considering such worship as idolatry.
Among different directions of Protestantism did not have unity in matters related to the cult, with the external situation of churches. Lutherans retained crucifix, altar, candles, organ music; Calvinists refused from all this. Mesa was rejected by all the directions of Protestantism. Worship everywhere is conducted in his native language. It consists of sermons, singing prayer hymns, reading certain heads of the Bible.
In the biblical canon, Protestantism made some changes. He acknowledged by the apocryphic those Old Testament works that were not preserved in the Hebrew or the Aramaic original, but only in the Greek translation of the Septuagints. The Catholic Church considers them as Secondary.
The sacraments were also subject to revision. Lutheranism left only two sacraments from seven sacraments - baptism and communion, and Calvinism is only baptism. At the same time, the interpretation of the sacrament as a rite, when the miracle occurs, is muffled in Protestantism. Lutherancy retained some element of wonderful in the interpretation of communion, believing that in the performance of the rite, the body and blood of Christ are really present in bread and wine. Calvinism also considers such a presence symbolic. Some directions of Protestantism are baptized only in adulthood, believing that a person must consciously approach the choice of faith; Others, without refusing to baptize babies, conduct an additional rite of adolescent confirmation, as if of the second baptism.
Modern position of Protestantism
Currently there are up to 600 million followers of Protestantism living on all continents and in almost all countries of the world. Modern Protestantism is an extensive totality (up to 2 thousand) independent, practically not connected with each other churches, sects and denominations. From the very beginning of its occurrence, Protestantism did not constitute a single organization, its division continues to the present. In addition to the main directions of Protestantism already discussed, the other, which emerged later enjoyed.
The main directions of Protestantism:
- Quakers
- Methodists
- Mennonites
Quakers
The direction arose in the XVII century. in England. Founder - Craftsman Dbyd Fox. Proclaimed that the Truth of Faith manifests itself in the insight in the inner light. For ecstatic techniques to achieve communication with God or due to the fact that they emphasized the need to stay in a constant thrill before God, the followers of this direction received their name (from the English. quake- "shake"). Quakers completely abandoned external rituals, clergy. Worship is in their inner conversation with God and sermons. In moral teachings of quakers, ascetic motifs are traced, they are widely practicing charity. Quaker communities exist in the USA, England, Canada, countries of East Africa.
Methodists
The flow occurred in the XVIII century. As an attempt to increase the interest of the masses to religion. His founders were brothers Wesley - John and Charles. In 1729, they founded a small circle in Oxford University, whose members were distinguished by special religious perseverance and the methodology in the study of the Bible and the fulfillment of Christian prescriptions. Hence the name of the direction. Methodists have paid special attention to preaching activities and its new forms: the open-air sermons, in labor houses, in prisons, etc. They created the Institute of So-called Wearing Preachers. As a result of these measures, the direction was widely distributed in England and its colonies. Separated from the Anglican Church, they simplified the creed, reducing 39 articles of the faith symbol to 25. The principle of salvation by the personal faith they complemented the teachings about good deeds. 18В1 was created World Methodist Council. Methodism in the USA, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea and other countries is especially widespread.
Mennonites
The course in Protestantism, which arose on the basis of anabaptism in the XVI century. in the Netherlands. The Founder-Dutch Preacher Mento Simone. The principles of verbation are set forth in "Declarations of the main articles of our common Christian faith." The features of this direction is that it preaches the baptism of people in adulthood, denies the church hierarchy, proclaims the equality of all members of the community, the failure of evil by violence, up to the ban to serve with weapons in hand; Communities have independent management. Created an international body - World Conference Mennonitovlocated in the USA. Their greatest number in the USA, Canada, Holland and Germany.
Portal: Christianity
Scripture is proclaimed by the only source of creed. The Bible has been translated into national languages, its study and application in their own life has become an important task of each believer. Attitude towards a sacred legend is ambiguous - from rejection, on the one hand, before adopting and reading, but, in any case, with a reservation - a legend (as, however, any other challenges, including their own) authoritatively, since it is based on Scripture , and to the extent that it is based on the Scriptures. It is this reservation (and not the desire to simplify and reduce the coal) is the key to the failure of a number of Protestant churches and denominations from a particular teaching or practice.
Protestants are taught that the original sin has distraved the nature of man. Therefore, a person, even though he remains quite capable of good deeds, can not be saved by his merit, but only faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Organization
Each Christian, being chosen and baptized, receives "dedication" to communicate with God, the right to preach and make worship without intermediaries (churches and clergy). In Protestantism, the dogmatic distinction between the priest and laymanin is removed in this way, a church hierarchy is simplified. Confession and absolution of sins are not a sacrament, while repentance is very important immediately before God. Celebrates, as well as a mandatory marriage for priests and pastors, are not regulated in any way. Also Protestantism rejected the authority of Pope Roman and refused the idea of \u200b\u200bmonastic as a special saving field. The principle of the universal priesthood laid the foundation for the democratic device of communities (the equality of the laity and the clergy, election, reporting, etc.).
In practice, priests and pastors, as a rule, are undergoing special training and are professionals. Hierarchy, in one form or formally or informally) there is at least to maintain order. Monasteries in the form of communes can exist.
Rituals
Protestantism limited the number of sacraments, leaving only baptism and communion. In addition, Protestants do not see a special meaning in prayers for the dead, prayers of the holy and numerous holidays in their honor. At the same time, respect for the saint is respectful - as examples of righteous life and good teachers. Worship of relics, as a rule, is not practiced as inappropriate to Scripture. The attitude to the reverence of images is ambiguous: from rejection as idolatry, before the exercise that the honor, rewarding the image goes back to the primitiveness (determined by the adoption or non-decisions of the Ecumenical Councils).
The prayerful houses of Protestants are usually free from lush decoration, images and statues, which, however, is not an end in itself, and comes from the belief that in such a decoration there is no need. The building of the Church can serve as any structure that is taken for rent or is acquired on equal conditions with worldly organizations. The worst of Protestants focuses on sermons, prayer and singing of Psalms and hymns in national languages. Some churches, for example, Lutheran pay a lot of attention to the communion, to admit to which confirmation may be required.
History
| Reformation
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Main article: History of Protestantism
Initial forms of Protestantism were Lutheranism, Zwingleanism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Mennonity, Anglicism. In the future, a number of other currents arise - Baptists, Adventists, Methodists, Quakers, Pentecostals, Salvation Army and a number of others. The formation of most of these flows was held under the sign of "Religious Renaissance" (Rivaivelism), return to the ideals of early Christianity and Reformation. All of them differ from the old or liturgical Protestantism preference to free sermons and active evangelical missionary activities.
Theology
The theology of Protestantism has passed a number of stages in its development. This is the orthodox theology of the XVI century. (Martin Luther, J. Calvin, F. Melanchton), Non-Stopedan, or Liberal Theology of the XVIII-XIX centuries. (F. Shleiermacher, E. Treillach, A. Garnak), "Theology of Crisis", or dialectical theology, which appeared after the First World War (K. Barth, P. Tilich, R. Bultman), Radical, or "New" Theology, spread after World War II (D. Bonheffer).
The final formation of Protestant theology occurred by the middle of the XVII century, and is set out in the following religious documents of the Reformation:
- Heidelberg Catechism 1563 (Germany)
- Consection Book of 1580 (Germany)
- Canons of Dorta Synod 1618-1619 (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
- Westminster confession of faith 1643-1649 (Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom).
A characteristic feature of the classical Protestant theology is a very strict attitude towards what is considered to be essential - faith, sacraments, salvation, teachings about the church, and less severe attitude to the external, ritual side of church life (adiafora), which often generates a large variety of forms when complying with rigor teaching.
Latest trends often produce their own teachings, only partly correlated with the Classic Theological Heritage. So, for example, Adventists take the prophecies of Elena Uyat. Pentecostals, unlike other Christians, pay a very significant attention to "speaking in other languages" (glossolalia), considering it a sign of the "baptism of the Holy Spirit".
Spreading Protestantism
Currently, Protestantism was most common in Scandinavian countries, USA, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland. The World Center for Protestantism is considered to be the United States, where the headquarters of Baptists, Pentecostal, Adventist and some other Protestant churches and denominations were settled. For modern Protestantism, the desire to integrate, which has found an expression in the 1948 World Council of Churches in 1948.
Protestantism is one of the few religions, violently propagating the world today. To date, 15-20% of the population of Brazil, 15-20% of the population of Chile, about 20% of the population of South Korea adopted Protestantism. According to the member of the Eurasian Islamic Council of Kazakhstan, Sabri Hizmetli, more than 500 thousand Muslims of Central Asia crossed in Protestantism over the past 15 years.
Relationships with other denominations, intracerer discussions and an atheistic look
From the Orthodox and Catholics
Disputes about Protestantism by other Christians were conducted from the very beginning of its existence.
The main points of disagreement or criticism of Protestantism on the part of Orthodox and Catholics. Arguments of Protestantism supporters are highlighted italic.
Creation
The most fundamental lack of Protestant doctrine Orthodox and Catholics consider the denial of the role of the sacred legend, which it has in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In their opinion, thanks to the sacred legend by the Holy Fathers and was selected (from many doubtful apocryphal books) List (canon) of the new Testament Books. In other words, Protestants use a set of canons, but deny the legends on which they were taken. The Protestants themselves deny the role of a sacred legend in the formation of the canon, believing that it was formed under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
The teachings of Protestantism that only the faith and grace of God Catholics and Orthodox are rather rejected for salvation.
Organization
According to many Orthodox and Catholics, Protestantism has no continuous apostolic succession. The absence of the apostolic succession is not recognized by the Protestants themselves, for example, the Apostolic Premium has the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Churches of all Scandinavian states, since the churches in these countries have formed by the full separation of local dioceses (along with bishops, priests and flocks) from the RCC. In the opinion of many Protestants, the apostolic succession in itself is optional or obligatory, but not the only condition of the Church of God, are cases when Orthodox bishops became a splitter and created their own churches (an example - the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate).
Protestants do not recognize the acts of the universal cathedrals. De facto everything Protestants recognize the decisions of the first two first universal councils: the first Nicene and First Constantinople ( Mormon and Jehovah's Witnessesnot recognizing them, Protestants do not consider Christians).
Most Protestants denier monasticism, icons and honors of the saints. The monasteries have Lutheran and Anglican, the holy and icons are also not denied by these confessions, but there is no iconation in the form of what is characteristic of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Deny the monasticism and icons Protestants of the reformat.
Lifestyle, ethics and moral questions
According to critics, the lack of rites and rituals discovers the Protestant religion of defective, sinful and shameful human-friendly, for example: Protestants of Western Europe crowned homosexuals, abortions, drugs, euthanasia (suicide) and others are allowed.
These phenomena are currently increasingly becoming the norm in developed countries of the West and an increasingly strong decomposing influence on church life in those countries (there is even a corresponding term for these manifestations - "Sampling of the Church"). Such "Protestant" churches in Western society becomes more and more every year. However, this is already marginal Protestantism, who has nothing to do with classical protestantism or Christianity as a whole. "By fruits will learn them." Currently, even some classic Protestant churches are marginalized, for example, the Lutheran Church of Sweden (having, as mentioned above, the apostolic succession) approves same-sex marriages. The Protestant churches of the CIS countries and the Baltic states in these matters are much more conservatively conservatively, modern Western trends touched them to a lesser extent.
Atheistic look
Also, often the Protestant churches are criticized by atheists and representatives of traditional denominations for obsessive self-task and transplantism. Although proselyticism and condemned by the World Council of Churches, in practice, missionaries of some Protestant churches are actively promoting their facilities among representatives of traditional denominations. For example, the already mentioned pastor of the church "New Generation" A. S. Iceyev, formally tolerantly treating the leadership of the Russian ROC, in his sermons and speeches regularly criticizes Orthodoxy, often dropped to banal attacks on the Orthodox Church; Also repeatedly, he called himself an apostle and called on to build a society, where each sphere would be given by people of a certain denomination; On the vote in the best figures of Latvia, I was visited by the inhabitants of other countries. Naturally, such a behavior of the famous Protestant pastor inevitably becomes the object of the countercriticity. Representative of another course of Protestantism - Baptist Tom Karl Willer in his book "Pseudo-Christianism" indicates that "the creeds of such major ecumenical groups as liberal Protestantism in the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox (Russian and Greek) churches contradict the basic fundamental doctrines of the sacred Scriptures, thereby actually equating called Christian churches (including the Protestant, part of the WCC) to pseudochrystian religious organizations.
The object of criticism often becomes mass "evangelization" or cruiseconducted by some famous Protestant ministers, in particular the American preacher Benni Jinn.
The consistent critics of the prosenectic methods of Protestants and Protestantism as a whole are A. I. Osipov (Russian Theologian) and A. L. Dvorkin (anticultist, sectoral, activist).
From human rights organizations
Criticia from human rights societies is currently being mainly undergoing conservative Protestant churches (including the Church "New Generation") prohibiting
Word itself "Protestantism" comes from the Latin "Protestans", which is translated as "Publicly proving." This Christian creed is famous for its liberality. According to his ideologues, a person should look the meaning of its existence not only in prayers, but also in serving peace around - And to do it in such a way as he considers it necessary.
The story of the split
The movement of Protestantism let the sprouts still in XVI century In the course reformation of the Catholic Church. The first ideologists of Protestantism considered that Catholicism pays too much attention to compliance with the dogm, at the same time forgetting lively original spirit of Christianity.In 1517, Martin Luther nailed to the doors of the Church of Paper with tezismi, in which condisted to trade indugenia And called reform church statute. This gave impetus to the formation of the Protestant movement in Europe.
To date, inside Protestantism exists many independent flows - Starting from Lutherancy, and ending with Calvinism. Some of these flows moved far enough from the classic biblical heritage. In view of the diversity of the existing branches today, Protestantism plays a large-scale role in movement of ecumenism. Currently, Protestantism received the main distribution in scandinavian countries, England, Germany, USA.
Do not make a cult of cult
To date, inside the Protestant organization there is no single central control authority. According to Protestants, a complex bureaucratic system is not religious purposes, and worldly. Therefore, as far as possible to try "cultivate your garden" and avoid building a complex intrasystem hierarchy.
As part of Protestantism worship is greatly simplified Compared with the same Catholicism: it characterizes puttering simplicity of services. In prayer houses of Protestants there is no decor, there no statues or decorations. This kind of home can be considered any structure in which the polls and the priest come to pray. Worship is built around sermons, prayers, and singing hymns. Prayers are usually read on local national languages.
Just to believe
Protestants as well as Catholics, believe in the trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. True, number sacred sacraments Protestantism is limited to only two - baptism and communion. It is important that the sacrament of baptism is committed against a protestant upon reaching conscious age "So that he can realize the step to which he goes." The main source of verbation is considered Holy Biblewhich every believer can to interpret as it seems necessary.
In Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, I. no pronounced worship icons and saints. At the same time, the saints are considered wise teachers, for example, which would not hurt to follow every respectable Protestant. The clergy and the laity are not so separatedfrom each other - it is probably due to this is connected with Protestants denial of monastics. Various rituals, whether marriage or confession, Protestants believe just ritual - After all, first of all, the meaning is important, which in them is investing every single believer.
Man does not need an intermediary between him and God - Such is the fundamental idea of \u200b\u200bProtestantism. Martin Luther wrote in his time: " God can not and does not want to allow to dominate the soul to anyone, unless myself ". Perhaps therefore Protestantism received such distribution - after all, each of us wants our Duma and prayers from our mouths flew right away to God in the ears.