The age of reformation was a religious revolution in Europe in the 16th century. Beginning as a reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformation ultimately lea to other places. The preparations of the movement were long and there had been earlier calls for reform, for example, by John Wyclif and John Huss. Desire for change within the church was increased with the study of ancient texts by humanists. Other factors that aided the movement were the inventions of printing, and political conflicts. The Reformation didn't start in one day it took long strenuous years to make its way to where it was.
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The Reformation began when Martin Luther, a monk, posted his 95 theses on the church at Wittinberg on October 31, 1517. His doctrine was of justification by faith alone instead of sacraments, good works, meditation, indulgences, and it placed a person in direct communication with God. Luther also insisted for people to read the Bible to get salvation. Luther was not a rebel who came to overthrow the Catholic religion; he was just a man who came to change it. However the Catholic Church thought that he was undermining their authority. So in 1521 Luther was brought to the Diet of Worms in which he got excommunicated. His teachings spread like wildfire throughout Europe a new religious idea was born, and put into people's minds.
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The second generation of reformists were scholars like Huldreich Zwingli from Zurich, and John Calvin from Geneva. Zwingli was a preaching reformist who believed in the teachings of Luther; he stressed the equality of the believers, and the most important justification by faith alone just like Luther. He also said that the gospel is the authority for church practices. The principals of Zwingli spread to other parts of Europe, and to the hands of John Calvin referred to as the "greatest reformer." As said before Luther was not trying to form a new religion, but he ended up with one known today as Protestants.
