Late medieval crisis
Real abuses and political conflicts preceded the Reformation.
Sectae et motus
Protestantism
The major Western rupture in the rule of faith, authority, priesthood, sacraments and visible unity.
Dossier overview
Protestantism stands before later movements because later restorationisms usually presuppose the earlier break with Catholic authority.
History and Origins
Luther and 1517
Martin Luther’s protest became a rupture involving authority, justification and sacraments.
Confessional fragmentation
Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and Anabaptist streams developed divergent doctrines.
Modern denominationalism
Private interpretation produced continuing fragmentation.
Founder
Principal Reformers include Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin and Thomas Cranmer. Protestantism is not one body but a family of separated systems.
Doctrine
Core issues include sola Scriptura, sola fide, rejection or reduction of sacraments, denial of papal primacy, altered priesthood and alternative ecclesiology.
Writings
Non-Catholic writings are listed as sources. Where legally possible, full texts or excerpts can later become individual library pages.
Catholic Refutation
Sola Scriptura
The decisive question is whether Scripture teaches Scripture alone as the formal rule of faith.
Visible Church
Christ founded a visible Church with apostolic succession, sacraments and authority.
Sacraments
Baptism, Eucharist, confession, priesthood and sacrifice must be read with apostolic Tradition.
Justification
Catholic doctrine distinguishes faith, grace, charity, works, merit and sanctification without Pelagianism.
Historical continuity
The first centuries do not look like Protestant denominationalism.
Forum
Objections and replies for this dossier can be collected here by topic.
Main open question: where is sola Scriptura taught as the formal rule of faith?
Please add a patristic section on apostolic succession.
The refutation tab links the issue to Fathers and Magisterium.