The Protestant Reformation is widely known for Martin Luther’s publication of his “95 Theses” or “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” and marks the second schism of sorts for the Catholic church. In reality, the reformation of western Christianity was long in the making, and Martin Luther was not its only leader…

While many view the start of the Protestant Reformation as having been in 1517 following the publication of Martin Luther’s theses, the actual date of its beginning is somewhat unclear. There were essentially three main reformation movements; one in Germany, one in England, and one in Switzerland - with all of them occurring around the same time in the 16th century.