According to common belief, the Protestant Reformation began five hundred years ago when, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a list of ninety-five theses to the cathedral church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This is a somewhat artificial date, as the Protestant Reformation was a long process begun a century earlier by Bohemian priest John Hus and, at least according to many Protestants, is ever ongoing. “Reformed and always reforming” was the motto of many of the Reformation’s leaders and remains a crucial ideal and challenge today.
What many contemporary Christians do not realize is that the Catholic Church of Rome also underwent a reformation in the sixteenth century and also affirms that the church of Jesus Christ on earth must always be open to reformation. Vatican II (1962–1965) is often considered by both Catholics and Protestants a reforming church council.
However, the church of Jesus Christ on earth remains divided. It has three main branches: Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism. Squeezed in between those three branches are several hybrid denominations. Read More
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