A religious denomination refers to a particular religion subgroup that shares certain features, such as names, traditions, and identities. Christianity is a religion that is prominent worldwide. The doctrine is, however, divided into several denominations, which include the Catholic, Protestants, orthodox, among other faiths. They all hold on to the belief that there is a supernatural being that is responsible for their existence. However, there are individual differences that are notable from the denominations.
Background
Protestantism is a popular denomination within the Christianity religion. It is the second-largest denomination with an estimated population of 800 million to one billion followers. The faith first came to existence in the 16th century. It arose on the beliefs and perceptions among some catholic followers who felt that the catholic denomination had specific errors in its system. During its origin, the Protestants knew that the catholic denominations were making errors in the papal order and the sacrament administration. The Papal system is whereby the Catholics observe the pope as the universal head of the church. At the same time, the Catholics saw seven different types of sacraments (McGrath, 2016). The Catholics were more concerned with the justification of everything by just the mere observance of faith rather than having the good deeds that justify their Christianity.
The denomination broke in Germany in the year 1957 when Martin Luther released a publication of Ninety-five Theses in which he held a firm resistance to the sales of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church. The deal was done in the efforts to signify that individuals were pardoned for their wrongs in society. The Protestants held on the belief that this was wrong since, rather than just the material compensations, there was the need for the forgiveness from God that could only be achieved through repentance rather than substantial sacrifices as the catholic believers did.
Reformations
The moment the Protestants broke from the catholic denomination in the 16th century, they were specific reforms in the catholic beliefs. They developed three main guidelines used in determining the Protestantism faith.
First, Protestants were required to observe the scripture as the sole source of power and authority as Christians. According to the catholic denomination, there is a need for frequent rituals and good deeds in ensuring that an individual is close to God. It contradicts the Protestants that believed that a real Christian should be in the position to follow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and ensuring that they are close to God. Being Godly, according to the Catholic denomination, involves various rituals. For instance, at some moments, an individual should seek reconciliation or request for a particular favor from God (Anderson, 2019). The denomination holds on the belief that the sacrifices are enough for the agreement. In this regard, the catholic believers are termed as church Christians as the Holy Spirit does not guide them as a requirement by the sacred scriptures. The protestants may be regarded as biblical; Christians, as the holy spirit, governs them in their undertakings instead of just following certain worldly, believes, and rituals.
Second, the Protestants vary from the catholic denomination in the faith they hold unto. For instance, Catholic denomination believes that with hope, they are pardoned their sins. They forget that religion can never work alone (Toon, 2018). Good works need to be accompanied with confidence in ensuring that one is forgiven of their sins, as believed by the Protestants. As most Christians believe, faith without action is dead. Protestants also believe that faith alone can not guarantee forgiveness. Still, the individual seeking forgiveness will require changing their efforts for better to achieve remission.
Protestants believe in the universal priesthood of believers in that every Christian can make personal judgments of the scriptures. There is the need that every Christian needs to read the scripture from a personal level, ensuring that they can make their understandings evading the confusions that may be made by the Christian leaders. Catholics held on a system where they observed the pope as the overall head of the church. He is the over sole priest in the denomination, and this denies the Christians the right to universal priesthood. Universal priesthood implies that every individual can make personal judgments and understanding of the scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Theology has a crucial role in fostering Christianity in society. The study of the nature of God and the various religious believes in one term, theology, ensures that people understand the will of God. Additionally, it assists individuals in making informed decisions on the right way of life that are likely to draw them closer to God. In theology, for instance, one understands that the bible needs to be used as the sole guidance and source of authority for the Christians. This understanding is crucial for Christians and ensuring they live a better Godly life.
