宗教改革运动

或称新教改革(Protestant Reformation)

16世纪与天主教脱离并建立新教教堂的运动。虽然胡斯威克利夫等改革者在中世纪晚期就已经抨击了罗马天主教教堂的滥用职权,但宗教改革运动通常被认为起源於1517年,以路德将他的「九十五条论纲」黏贴在威登堡教堂的大门上为标志。各种新教运动迅速由更加激进的改革者,如茨温利和再洗礼教教众建立起来。喀尔文在转向新教後在日内瓦建立了一个神权国。宗教改革运动很快席卷了其他欧洲国家并扩展到了北欧。西班牙和义大利坚持抵制新教,成了反宗教改革运动的中心。在英国,亨利八世在1534年建立了英格兰教堂,这次宗教改革运动的根源本是政治性而非宗教性的,主要因教宗拒绝同意亨利的离婚引起。在苏格兰,喀尔文派的诺克斯领导了长老会教堂的建立(参阅Presbyterian churches)。

Reformation

Break with Roman Catholicism and the establishment of Protestant churches in the 16th century. Though reformers such as Jan Hus and John Wycliffe attacked abuses in the Roman Catholic church in the late medieval period, the Reformation is usually dated from 1517, when Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg. Various Protestant denominations were soon founded by more radical reformers, such as Huldrych Zwingli and the Anabaptists. John Calvin established a theocracy in Geneva after his conversion to the Protestant cause. The Reformation spread to other European countries and soon dominated northern Europe. Spain and Italy remained resistant to Protestantism and became centers of the Counter-Reformation. In England, where Henry VIII founded the Church of England in 1534, the Reformation's roots were primarily political rather than religious, motivated by the pope's refusal to grant Henry a divorce. In Scotland, the Calvinist John Knox led in the establishment of the Presbyterian church (see Presbyterianism).