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What Is Protestantism?

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
What defines Protestantism? What are the core tenets that would define a Church as being Protestant?
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
What defines Protestantism? What are the core tenets that would define a Church as being Protestant?

Most anything outside Roman/Othorodox/Etc Catholic doctrine.

Those who protest-ed against the church and broke off to do their own thing. Many are sola scriptura, but then you have purely evangelists, charismatic, non-denominational, etc. You have dogmatic ones like Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and so forth. But all from what I understand is their rejection of catholic tenants and Church practices not in scripture and/or taught in the OT but by tradition. The Reformation
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
But there are so many Protestant Churches, who can say what is and isn't truly Protestant?
 

MatthewA

Active Member
But there are so many Protestant Churches, who can say what is and isn't truly Protestant?

Hello Rival:

Maybe a study of the originator and his thoughts and ideas of the way he believed when it came to running a church when ever Protestantism came about.

Then from there you would see different variations from the original founder?
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
Most anything outside Roman/Othorodox/Etc Catholic doctrine.

Those who protest-ed against the church and broke off to do their own thing. Many are sola scriptura, but then you have purely evangelists, charismatic, non-denominational, etc. You have dogmatic ones like Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and so forth. But all from what I understand is their rejection of catholic tenants and Church practices not in scripture and/or taught in the OT but by tradition.

Pretty much this. Though, I do feel this covers more of the American style protestantism. American protestantism can be different from Protestantism from other parts of the world.

When some of our church members went on a mission trip to China, a lot of the people there who were secret Christians had also been mixing their local spiritual practices with Baptist ideologies. I hear their church sermons involved animal noises and such... Wish I could have seen that. :)

The people who went on that mission trip were horrified. :D
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
But there are so many Protestant Churches, who can say what is and isn't truly Protestant?

The key denominator is rejection of Catholic Tradition and, like Christine said, pope papacy. Everything else is varied in how much they kept Catholic tradition. Lutheran has most of it but he changed the view of transubstantiation of the Eucharist. Presbyterian has some remnants of catholicism. Surprisingly baptist (with the sit downs, stand ups, and high idolism of the bible) as well as its history.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
So between all the different denominations, which is 'right'? Because there are so many with theologies and doctrines so varied, which is 'the' one?
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Pretty much this. Though, I do feel this covers more of the American style protestantism. American protestantism can be different from Protestantism from other parts of the world.

When some of our church members went on a mission trip to China, a lot of the people there who were secret Christians had also been mixing their local spiritual practices with Baptist ideologies. I hear their church sermons involved animal noises and such... Wish I could have seen that. :)

The people who went on that mission trip were horrified. :D


Time 37.33

Yes. Mostly american. My co-worker went overseas in missionary to try to "win people to christ." Above, I went to this a couple of times when I was younger when we went to funerals. She's dancing with the holy spirit (as so they believe).
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
But there are so many Protestant Churches, who can say what is and isn't truly Protestant?
You can't really. The only core common feature is that it encompasses all the branches of Western
(non-Orthodox) Christianity that reject the authority of the pope and the Real Presence in the Eucharist (I think). For that reason one almost always has to qualify the term further in order to define any grouping of them.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
You can't really. The only core common feature is that it encompasses all the branches of Western
(non-Orthodox) Christianity that reject the authority of the pope and the Real Presence in the Eucharist (I think). For that reason one almost always has to qualify the term further in order to define any grouping of them.
Right, so I'm starting to wonder if 'Protestant' is even a meaningful term.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
You can't really. The only core common feature is that it encompasses all the branches of Western
(non-Orthodox) Christianity that reject the authority of the pope and the Real Presence in the Eucharist (I think). For that reason one almost always has to qualify the term further in order to define any grouping of them.

That's right. The Eucharist is a key one too. Luther kinda drifted away from that.. probably just in language.
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
So between all the different denominations, which is 'right'? Because there are so many with theologies and doctrines so varied, which is 'the' one?
There isn't one. You can choose, on a long spectrum from Anglicanism (Episcopalianism) that resembles Catholicism in many ways and has sacraments, priests and bishops, through to Calvinists and Baptists, passing through Methodists and Presbyterians en route - and then on past the Quakers to the wacky end with the 7th Day Adventists and sundry weird self-invented millenarians.
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
There isn't one. You can choose, on a long spectrum from Anglicanism (Episcopalianism) that resembles Catholicism in many ways and has sacraments, priests and bishops, through to Calvinists and Baptists, passing through Methodists and Presbyterians en route - and then on past the Quakers to the wacky end with the 7th Day Adventists and sundry weird self-invented millenarians.
When I was a Christian I attended Anglican churches and later a Catholic one; little difference as both have Masses, but I'd be lost in another Protestant Church.
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
Time 37.33

Yes. Mostly american. My co-worker went overseas in missionary to try to "win people to christ." Above, I went to this a couple of times when I was younger when we went to funerals. She's dancing with the holy spirit (as so they believe).

Yah, I've been to some churches like this! You know, at least people have fun while they are in church. :D So different from the milk toast church I actually did attend at that time. When I eventually did leave my old Baptist church, I was so done with just sitting quietly while the pastor talked in a monotone voice about analogies involving people's characters included in their names: Like Faithful Frank, Liar Larry, and Questioning Quincy. :rolleyes:
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
So between all the different denominations, which is 'right'? Because there are so many with theologies and doctrines so varied, which is 'the' one?

You know, from what I remember most Protestants looked at other Protestant denominations as more of a "preference." Most thought that as long as people were saved, that's all that really mattered. Only the really hard core Southern Baptists or Fundamentalists really thought that other denominations were wrong/mislead in any meaningful way.
 
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