Today there is a return to spirituality. More and more people are thinking about the intangible component of our lives. In the article we will talk about who are the Protestants. This is a separate direction of Christianity, or sect, as some believe.
We will also touch on the issue of different trends in Protestantism. Information on the situation of supporters of this trend in modern Russia will be interesting.
Read on and you'll find the answers to these and many other questions.
Who are the Protestants
In the sixteenth century in Western Europe, a significant part of the faithful was separated from the Roman Catholic Church. This event in historiography is called "reformation". Thus, Protestants are part of Christians who disagree with the Catholic principles of worship and some issues of theology.
Next, we will examine the difference between Protestantism and such directions as Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In the meantime, it’s worth a little deeper into the history of this trend.
The Middle Ages in Western Europe turned out to be such a period when society fell into total dependence not so much on secular rulers as on the church.
Almost no issue was resolved without the participation of a priest, be it a wedding or domestic problems.
Weaving more and more into social life, the Catholic holy fathers accumulated untold wealth. The flashy luxury and double standards practiced by the monks turned society away from them. Dissatisfaction grew due to the fact that many issues were prohibited or resolved with the forced intervention of priests.
It was in this situation that Martin Luther had the opportunity to become heard. This is a German theologian and priest. As a member of the Order of the Augustinians, he constantly observed the depravity of the Catholic clergy. Once, according to him, an insight came about the true path of a true Christian.
The result was the “Ninety-Five Theses,” which Luther nailed to the door of the church in Wittenberg in 1517, as well as his opposition to the sale of indulgences.
The basis of Protestantism is the principle of “sola fide” (only by faith). He says that no one in the world can help a person be saved, except himself. Thus, the institution of priests is noted, the sale of indulgences, the desire for enrichment and power on the part of the ministers of the church.
Let us dwell further on the theological differences between the three directions of Christianity.
Unlike Catholics and Orthodox
Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants belong to a single religion - Christianity. However, several schisms occurred in the process of historical and social development. The first was in 1054, when the Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Later, in the sixteenth century, a completely separate movement appeared in the process of the Reformation - Protestantism.
Let's look at how different the principles in these churches are. And also why former Protestants more often convert to Orthodoxy.
So, as two fairly ancient movements, Catholics and Orthodox consider their church to be true. Protestants have diverse views. Some areas even deny the need to belong to any denomination.
Among Orthodox priests it is allowed to marry once, monks are forbidden to marry. Catholics of the Latin tradition all give a vow of celibacy. Protestants are allowed to marry, they generally do not recognize celibacy.
Also, the latter have absolutely no institution of monasticism, in contrast to the first two directions.
Among Catholics, the Pope is the highest authority, among the Orthodox - the works of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Scriptures, among the Protestants - only the Bible.
In addition, Protestants do not address the issue of filioque, which is the cornerstone of the dispute between Catholics and Orthodox. They also lack purgatory, and the Virgin Mary is perceived as the standard of a perfect woman.
Of the seven common ordinances, Protestants recognize only baptism and communion. There is no confession and no worship of icons.
Protestantism in Russia
Although the Russian Federation and the Orthodox country, other faiths are common here. In particular, there are Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Buddhists, supporters of various spiritual movements and philosophical worldviews.
According to statistics in Russia, there are about three million Protestants who visit more than ten thousand parishes. Of these communities, less than half are officially registered with the Ministry of Justice.
The largest current in Russian Protestantism are Pentecostals. They and their reformed branch (Pentecostals) unite more than one and a half million followers.
However, over time, some become traditional in the Russian faith. Friends and acquaintances tell Protestants about Orthodoxy, sometimes they read special literature. Judging by the reviews of those who "returned to the fold" of their native church, they feel relieved to stop being mistaken.
Other currents spread throughout the Russian Federation include Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Minnonites, Lutherans, Evangelical Christians, Methodists, and many others.
Next, we will talk in more detail about the most common areas of Protestantism in Russia. We will also touch on some faiths, which by definition are on the verge between a sect and a Protestant church.
Calvinists
The most rational Protestants are Calvinists. This direction was formed in the middle of the sixteenth century in Switzerland. A young French preacher and theologian, Jean Calvin, decided to continue and deepen Martin Luther's reformist ideas.
He proclaimed that it should be removed from the churches not only that which contradicts the Holy Scriptures, but also those things that are not even mentioned in the Bible. That is, according to Calvinism in the house of prayer should be only what is prescribed in the holy book.
Thus, there are some differences in the teachings held by Protestants and Orthodox. The former consider the church any meeting of people in the name of the Lord, deny the majority of saints, Christian symbolism and the Virgin.
In addition, they believe that a person accepts faith personally and by sober judgment. Therefore, the rite of baptism occurs only in adulthood.
Orthodox are the exact opposite of Protestants in the above points. In addition, they hold the belief that only a specially trained person can interpret the Bible. Protestants believe that everyone does this to the best of their abilities and spiritual development.
Lutherans
In fact, Lutherans are followers of Martin Luther's true aspirations. It was after their speech in Speyer that the movement began to be called the "Church of the Protestants."
The term "Lutheran" appeared in the sixteenth century during a polemic between Catholic theologians and priests with Luther. So in a derogatory manner they called the followers of the father of the Reformation. Lutherans themselves call themselves “evangelical Christians”.
Thus, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox seek to find soul salvation, but each has different methods. Differences, in principle, are based only on the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
With his “Ninety-Five Theses,” Martin Luther proved the failure of the whole institution of priests and the many traditions that Catholics adhere to. According to him, these innovations relate more to the material and secular sphere of life than the spiritual. Hence, they should be abandoned.
In addition, Lutheranism is based on the belief that Jesus Christ atoned for all the sins of mankind, including the original, with his death at Calvary. All that is needed for a happy life is to believe in this good news.
Lutherans are also of the opinion that any priest is the same layman, but more professional in terms of sermons. Therefore, for the communion of all people, a chalice is used.
Today, Lutherans include more than eighty-five million people. But they do not represent unity. There are separate associations and denominations according to historical and geographical principles.
In the Russian Federation, the Lutheran Hour Service society is the most popular in this environment.
Baptists
It is often jokingly said that Baptists are English Protestants. But there is also a grain of truth in this statement. After all, this trend stood out precisely from among the Puritans of Great Britain.
In fact, Baptism is the next stage of development (as some say) or just an offshoot of Calvinism. The term itself comes from the ancient Greek word "baptism." It is in the title that the main idea of this direction is expressed.
Baptists believe that only a person who has come to the idea of abandoning sinful acts and sincerely accepting faith in his heart can be considered a true believer.
Many Protestants in Russia agree with such thoughts. Despite the fact that the majority refers to Pentecostals, which we will discuss later, some of their views coincide completely.
To summarize the basics of the practice of church life, Protestant Baptists are confident in the infallibility of the authority of the Bible in all situations. They adhere to the ideas of the universal priesthood and congregation, that is, each community is independent and independent.
The presbyter does not have any real power; he simply reads sermons and teachings. All issues are resolved at general meetings and church councils. The service includes preaching, singing hymns to the accompaniment of instrumental music, and impromptu prayers.
Today in Russia, Baptists, like Adventists, call themselves evangelical Christians, and their churches - houses of prayers.
Pentecostals
The most numerous Protestants in Russia are Pentecostals. In our country, this movement penetrated from Western Europe through Finland at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The first Pentecostal, or, as he was then called, the “sole”, was Thomas Barratt. He arrived in 1911 from Norway to St. Petersburg. Here the preacher declared himself a follower of the gospel Christians in the spirit of the apostolic, and began to baptize all comers.
The basis of faith and the rite of Pentecost is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They recognize the rite of passage with the help of water. But the experiences that a person experiences during the descent of the Spirit upon him are considered by this Protestant current to be the most correct. They say that the condition that the baptized person experiences at the same time is tantamount to the sensations of the apostles who took initiation from Jesus Christ himself on the fiftieth day after his resurrection.
Therefore, they call their church in honor of the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, or Trinity (Pentecost). Followers believe that the initiate in this way receives one of the divine gifts. He gains the word of wisdom, healing, miracles, prophecy, the ability to speak foreign languages or distinguish between spirits.
In the Russian Federation today, three of the Pentecostals are considered the most influential Protestant associations. They are members of the Assembly of God.
Mennonites
Mennonism is one of the most interesting branches of Protestantism. These Protestant Christians were the first to proclaim pacifism as part of a creed.
A denomination arose in the thirties of the sixteenth century in the Netherlands.
The founder is Menno Simons. Initially, he departed from Catholicism and adopted the principles of Anabaptism. But after some time he significantly deepened certain features of this creed.
So, Mennonites believe that the kingdom of God on earth will come only with the assistance of all people, when they establish a common true church. The Bible is an indisputable authority, and the Trinity is the only one that possesses holiness. Only adults can be baptized after they have made a firm and sincere decision.
But the most important distinguishing feature of the Mennonites is the refusal of military service, army oath and litigation. In this way, the proponents of this movement bring to humanity the desire for peace and non-violence.
The Protestant denomination came to the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great. Then she invited part of the community to move from the Baltic to New Russia, the Volga region and the Caucasus. This turn of events was just a gift for the Mennonites, as they were persecuted in Western Europe. Therefore, there were two waves of forced migration to the east.
Today, in the Russian Federation, this movement has virtually merged with the Baptists.
Adventists
Like any true Christian, the Protestant believes in the second coming of the Messiah. It was at this event that the Adventist philosophy was originally built (from the Latin word "coming").
In 1831, former United States Army captain Miller became a Baptist, and later published a book about the indispensable coming of Jesus Christ on March 21, 1843. But it turned out that no one had come. Then an adjustment was made for the inaccuracy of the translation, and the Messiah was expected in the spring of 1844. When he didn’t justify himself a second time, the period of depression among believers began, which in historiography is called “Great disappointment”.
After this, the Millerite current breaks up into a series of separate denominations. Seventh-day Adventists are considered the most organized and popular. They have centralized management and are strategically developed in several countries.
In the Russian Empire, this current appeared through the Mennonites. The first communities were formed on the Crimean peninsula and the Volga region.
Due to the refusal to take up arms and take the oath, they were persecuted in the Soviet Union. But in the late seventies of the twentieth century there was a restoration of movement. And in 1990, at the first Adventist congress, the Russian Union was adopted.
Protestants or sectarians
Today there is no doubt that Protestants are one of the equal branches of Christianity, with their creed, principles, principles of conduct and worship.
However, there are some churches that are very similar in organization to Protestant ones, but in fact they are not. The latter, for example, include Jehovah's Witnesses.
But in view of the complexity and uncertainty of their teachings, as well as the contradictions of earlier statements by later ones, this movement cannot be unambiguously attributed to any direction.
Jehovah's do not perceive Christ, the Trinity, the cross, the icons. They consider the main and only God whom they call Jehovah, as well as medieval mystics. Some of their provisions echo Protestant ones. But such a coincidence does not make them a supporter of this Christian movement.
Thus, in this article, we sorted out who the Protestants are, and also talked about the situation of different branches in Russia.
Good luck to you, dear readers!