Editing Reformed Christianity (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Reformed Christianity}}

[[File:Geneva Cathedral.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Calvin preached at [[St. Pierre Cathedral]] in [[Geneva]].]]
The first wave of Reformed theologians included Zwingli, [[Martin Bucer]], [[Wolfgang Capito]], [[John Oecolampadius]], and [[Guillaume Farel]]. While from diverse academic backgrounds, their work already contained key themes within Reformed theology, especially the priority of [[Bible|scripture]] as a source of authority. Scripture was also viewed as a unified whole, which led to a [[Covenant theology|covenantal theology]] of the [[sacraments]] of [[baptism]] and the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]] as visible signs of the covenant of grace. Another shared perspective was their denial of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Each understood salvation to be by [[Sola gratia|grace alone]] and affirmed a doctrine of [[unconditional election]], the teaching that some people are chosen by God to be [[Salvation in Christianity|saved]]. Luther and his successor [[Philipp Melanchthon]] were significant influences on these theologians and, to a larger extent, those who followed. The doctrine of justification by faith alone, also known as ''[[sola fide]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-06-16 |title=Sola Fide |url=https://lutheranreformation.org/theology/sola-fide/ |access-date=2020-10-06 |website=Lutheran Reformation |language=en-US |archive-date=24 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024230239/https://lutheranreformation.org/theology/sola-fide/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> was a direct inheritance from Luther.{{sfn|Muller|2004|pp=131–132}}

The second generation featured [[John Calvin]], [[Heinrich Bullinger]], [[Thomas Cranmer]], [[Wolfgang Musculus]], [[Peter Martyr Vermigli]], [[Andreas Hyperius]] and [[Jan Łaski|John à Lasco]]. Written between 1536 and 1539, Calvin's ''[[Institutes of the Christian Religion]]'' was one of the most influential works of the era.{{sfn|Muller|2004|p=132}} Toward the middle of the 16th century, these beliefs were formed into one consistent [[creed]] which would shape the future definition of the Reformed faith. The 1549 ''[[Consensus Tigurinus]]'' unified Zwingli and Bullinger's [[Memorialism|memorialist]] theology of the Eucharist, which taught that it was simply a reminder of Christ's death, with Calvin's view of it as a [[means of grace]] with Christ actually present, though spiritually rather than bodily as in Catholic doctrine. The document demonstrates the diversity as well as unity in early Reformed theology, giving it a stability that enabled it to spread rapidly throughout Europe. This stands in marked contrast to the bitter controversy experienced by Lutherans prior to the 1579 [[Formula of Concord]].{{sfn|Muller|2004|p=135}}

Through Calvin's missionary work in France, his program of reform eventually reached the French-speaking provinces of the Netherlands. Calvinism was adopted in the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]] under [[Frederick III, Elector Palatine|Frederick III]], which led to the formulation of the [[Heidelberg Catechism]] in 1563. This and the [[Belgic Confession]] were adopted as confessional standards in the [[Synod of Emden|first synod]] of the [[Dutch Reformed Church]] in 1571.

In 1573, [[William the Silent]] joined the Calvinist Church. Calvinism was declared the official religion of the [[Kingdom of Navarre]] by the queen regnant [[Jeanne d'Albret]] after her conversion in 1560. Leading divines, either Calvinist or those sympathetic to Calvinism, settled in England, including Bucer, Martyr, and [[Jan Łaski|John Łaski]], as did [[John Knox]] in Scotland. During the [[First English Civil War]], English and Scots [[Presbyterians]] produced the [[Westminster Confession]], which became the confessional standard for Presbyterians in the English-speaking world. Having established itself in Europe, the movement continued to spread to areas including North America, South Africa and Korea.<ref>{{harvnb|Holder|2004|pp=246–256}}; {{harvnb|McGrath|1990|pp=198–199}}.</ref> While Calvin did not live to see the foundation of his work grow into an international movement, his death allowed his ideas to spread far beyond their city of origin and their borders and to establish their own distinct character.{{sfn|Pettegree|2004|p=222}}

=== Spread ===
[[File:Interior of the Oude kerk in Amsterdam (south nave), by Emanuel de Witte.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Early Calvinism was known for simple, unadorned churches as depicted in this 1661 portrait of the interior of the [[Oude Kerk, Amsterdam]].]]
Although much of Calvin's work was in [[Geneva]], his publications spread his ideas of a correctly Reformed church to many parts of Europe. In Switzerland, some cantons are still Reformed, and some are Catholic. Calvinism became the dominant doctrine within the [[Church of Scotland]], the [[Dutch Republic]], some communities in [[Flanders]], and parts of Germany, especially those adjacent to the Netherlands in the [[Palatinate (region)|Palatinate]], [[Kassel]], and [[Lippe]], spread by [[Caspar Olevian]] and [[Zacharias Ursinus]] among others. Protected by the local nobility, Calvinism became a significant religion in eastern Hungary and Hungarian-speaking areas of [[Transylvania]]. {{as of|2007}}, there are about 3.5 million Hungarian Reformed people worldwide.<ref name="The Reformed Church">{{cite web |title=The Reformed Church |url=http://www.bocskaihall.org.au/reformed-church.htm |publisher=Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia |access-date=8 February 2014  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222135525/http://www.bocskaihall.org.au/reformed-church.htm |archive-date=22 February 2014}}</ref>

Calvinism was influential in France, Lithuania, and Poland before being mostly erased during the [[Counter-Reformation]]. One of the most important Polish reformed theologists was Łaski, who was also involved into organising churches in [[East Frisia]] and [[Stranger churches|Stranger's Church]] in London.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Eaves |first1=Richard Glen |last2=Carter |first2=William A. |date=1979 |title=John à Lasco: A Polish Religious Reformer in England, 1550–1553 |journal=Journal of Thought |volume=Journal of Thought |issue=14 |pages=311–323|jstor=42588808 }}</ref> Later, a faction called the [[Polish Brethren]] broke away from Calvinism on January 22, 1556, when [[Piotr of Goniądz]], a Polish student, spoke out against the doctrine of the [[Trinity]] during the general synod of the Reformed churches of Poland held in the village of [[Secemin]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hewett |first=Phillip |title=Racovia: An Early Liberal Religious Community |publisher=Blackstone Editions |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-9725017-5-0 |pages=21–22}}</ref> Calvinism gained some popularity in [[Scandinavia]], especially Sweden, but was rejected in favor of Lutheranism after the [[Synod of Uppsala]] in 1593.<ref name="Vlib.iue.it">{{cite web |url=http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/12.html |title=The Reformation in Germany And Scandinavia |publisher=Vlib.iue.it |access-date=5 December 2013 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219195346/http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/12.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Many 17th century European settlers in the [[Thirteen Colonies]] in [[British America]] were Calvinists, who emigrated because of arguments over church structure, including the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrim Fathers]]. Others were forced into exile, including the French [[Huguenots]]. Dutch and French Calvinist settlers were also among the first European colonizers of South Africa, beginning in the 17th century, who became known as [[Boers]] or [[Afrikaner Calvinism|Afrikaners]].

Sierra Leone was largely colonized by Calvinist settlers from Nova Scotia, many of whom were [[Black Loyalist]]s who fought for the [[British Empire]] during the [[American Revolutionary War|American War of Independence]]. [[John Marrant]] had organized a congregation there under the auspices of the [[Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion|Huntingdon Connection]]. Some of the largest Calvinist communions were started by 19th- and 20th-century [[missionary|missionaries]]. Especially large are those in Indonesia, Korea and Nigeria. In South Korea there are 20,000 [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] congregations with about 9–10 million church members, scattered in more than 100 Presbyterian denominations. In South Korea, Presbyterianism is the largest Christian denomination.<ref name="Chris Meehan">{{cite web |author=Meehan |first=Chris |date=4 October 2010 |title=Touched by Devotion in South Korea |url=http://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/touched-devotion-south-korea |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709093000/https://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/touched-devotion-south-korea |archive-date=9 July 2017 |access-date=5 December 2013 |publisher=Christian Reformed Church}}</ref>