Reformation
The Reformation was a major schism in Western Christianity during the 16th century that aimed to reform the Roman Catholic Church and led to the creation of Protestant churches. It emerged from critiques of church practices and governance, calls for renewed biblical scholarship, and the broader social changes of the era. The movement gained momentum with the publication of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, which challenged indulgences and questioned papal authority. The advent of the printing press and rising literacy helped spread reformist ideas across Europe.
Key reformers beyond Luther included Huldrych Zwingli in Zurich, John Calvin in Geneva, and, in England, movements
The Reformation led to the formation of distinct Protestant churches and prompted a Catholic Counter-Reformation, including
Its legacy is a religious and cultural diversification that reshaped church-state relations, informed debates about religious