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Luther And John Calvin Comparison

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The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was a major turning point in the history of Western Christianity. It saw the rejection of the religious authority of the Catholic Church and the rise of new forms of Christianity. Among the many figures who played a significant role in this movement, Martin Luther and John Calvin are considered two of the most important. While both of these men were instrumental in challenging the authority of the Catholic Church, their theology differed in important ways.

First, Luther emphasized the doctrine of justification by faith alone, or "sola fide." He believed that people were justified before God through faith in Jesus Christ and that good works were merely a result of that justification. In contrast, Calvin emphasized the importance of good works as a demonstration of true faith. He taught that faith without works was dead and that good works were necessary evidence of true saving faith. This difference in their approach to salvation highlights a fundamental disagreement about the relationship between faith and works in the Christian life.

Second, Luther and Calvin had different views on the role of the church in society. Luther saw the role of the church as primarily one of preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments, while Calvin saw the church …show more content…

Luther did not emphasize predestination as much and instead focused on the idea of the priesthood of all believers, the belief that all Christians have direct access to God through faith in Jesus Christ and do not need intermediaries such as priests to mediate their relationship with God. This disagreement on the nature of God's sovereignty and the relationship between God and humanity highlights one of the most significant differences between Luther and Calvin's

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