The Protestant Reformation began with which figure?

The Protestant Reformation began with which figure?

• A. Martin Luther.
• B. John Knox
• C. Erasmus
• D. Henry VIII

Answer: (A)

Martin Luther is the figure whose actions sparked the Protestant Reformation. His posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 challenged the sale of indulgences and the authority of the pope, arguing that salvation comes through faith and that the Bible should be the ultimate authority for Christians. These ideas, amplified by Luther’s writings and the spread of print, ignited a broad reform movement across Europe that led to the creation of new Protestant churches and a reshaping of Western Christianity. The other figures played important roles in later stages or in specific regions—Erasmus critiqued abuses from within the Catholic Church but didn’t break away; John Knox helped establish Scottish Reformed churches after Luther’s influence; Henry VIII’s break with Rome created the English Church for political reasons rather than launching a continental reform.

Martin Luther is the figure whose actions sparked the Protestant Reformation. His posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 challenged the sale of indulgences and the authority of the pope, arguing that salvation comes through faith and that the Bible should be the ultimate authority for Christians. These ideas, amplified by Luther’s writings and the spread of print, ignited a broad reform movement across Europe that led to the creation of new Protestant churches and a reshaping of Western Christianity. The other figures played important roles in later stages or in specific regions—Erasmus critiqued abuses from within the Catholic Church but didn’t break away; John Knox helped establish Scottish Reformed churches after Luther’s influence; Henry VIII’s break with Rome created the English Church for political reasons rather than launching a continental reform.