Proto-Protestantism

Proto-Protestantism, also known as pre-Protestantism, refers to the Christian movements in Western Christianity that preceded the Protestant Reformation. Although the Reformation is usually considered to have started with the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses by Martin Luther in 1517, there was no schism between the Catholic Church and the nascent Luther until the 1521 Edict of Worms. The term "Proto-Protestantism" therefore identifies the early movements that stood against the Catholic Church's doctrines and practices.

File:Jan Hus at the Council of Constance.jpg

Jan Hus at the Council of Constance

The notable proto-Protestants include Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, and Jan Hus. They all had a significant influence on the development of the Protestant Reformation, but their teachings had some differences from the doctrines of the Lutheran Reformation and the Reformed and Anabaptist traditions that emerged from it.

Peter Waldo

Peter Waldo was a wealthy merchant from Lyon, France, who gave up his business to preach against the perceived corruption in the Catholic Church. He founded the Waldensians, a Christian movement which is considered a forerunner of the Reformation.

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe was an English theologian and early dissident of the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers, known as Lollards, played a large part in the influence of the church in England.

Jan Hus

Jan Hus was a key contributor to Protestantism whose teachings had a strong influence on the states of Europe and on Martin Luther himself. He was burned at the stake for heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church.

Influence on the Reformation

The proto-Protestants were not a unified movement, but their teachings and the responses they provoked did much to set the stage for the Reformation. They were often persecuted, but their ideas survived and influenced religious thought, leading to a growing dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church and setting the stage for the break with Rome initiated by Martin Luther.

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