The first major group of “reformations” that we shall consider are often gathered together under the term “Protestantism.” This term is widely used, both to refer to the debates of the sixteenth century and certain forms of Christianity which resulted from this. We shall consider each specific form of Protestantism in later sections. At this stage, we shall try to get a sense of the overall concerns, agendas, and ideas of the movement.
It is important to appreciate that early Protestantism was not a homogeneous move- ment. Reforming movements throughout Europe often had local agendas, and did not necessarily see themselves as part of a bigger movement. An idea that was of fundamental importance to Martin Luther – for example, the doctrine of justification by faith – was not always seen as equally important by others, particularly within the radical wing of the movement. Nevertheless, there are a number of shared features of the Protestant movement that allow us to offer a general overview of its ideas and concerns in this way.