As Protestants prepare to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, new Pew Research Center surveys show that in both Western Europe and the United States, the theological differences that split Western Christianity in the 1500s have diminished to a degree that might have shocked Christians in past centuries. Across Europe and the U.S., the prevailing view is that Protestants and Catholics today are more similar religiously than they are different. And while the Reformation led to more than a century of devastating wars and persecution in Europe, both Protestants and Catholics across the continent now overwhelmingly express willingness to accept each other as neighbors and even as family members.
Although Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers in the 16th century held that eternal salvation is attained solely through faith (a belief known in Latin as sola fide), the surveys show that many Protestants today say instead that eternal salvation is attained through a combination of faith and good works – which is the traditional Catholic position. Indeed, in most of the Western European countries surveyed, Protestants who believe that salvation depends on both faith and works outnumber those who say salvation comes through faith alone.
These are among the key findings of two separate Pew Research Center surveys – one in Western Europe and one in the United States – conducted in recent months. In Western Europe, the Center conducted telephone surveys from April 11 to Aug. 2, 2017, among 24,599 people across 15 countries. In the U.S., the survey was conducted online from May 30 to Aug. 9, 2017, among 5,198 panelists on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (although all of the questions analyzed in the survey were asked of only half the sample).
Among the key findings in “U.S. Protestants Are Not Defined by Reformation-Era Controversies 500 Years Later” are:
- About half of U.S. Protestants (52%) say both good deeds and faith in God are needed to get into heaven, a historically Catholic position. The other half (46%) say that faith alone is needed to attain salvation.
- U.S. Protestants also are split on another issue that played a key role in the Reformation: 46% say the Bible provides all the religious guidance Christians need, a traditionally Protestant belief known as sola scriptura. But 52% say Christians should look for guidance from church teachings and traditions as well as from the Bible, the position held by the Catholic Church.
- Just 30% of all U.S. Protestants affirm both sola fide and sola scriptura.
- However, belief in sola fide and sola scriptura is much more prevalent among white evangelical Protestants than among white mainline Protestants or black Protestants in the United States. Among self-identified white evangelicals, 44% express both convictions, and this figure rises to 59% among white evangelicals who say they attend church at least once a week.
- In a series of multiple-choice questions, most U.S. adults (65%) correctly identify the Reformation as the term commonly used to refer to the historical period in which Protestants broke away from the Catholic Church. And a similar share (67%) correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Reformation. Far fewer (23%) know that only Protestants traditionally teach that salvation comes through faith alone; 45% erroneously say both Protestantism and Catholicism traditionally hold that position, while 19% say neither religious tradition espouses sola fide, and one-in-ten U.S. adults (11%) say only Catholicism traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith alone.
- Views on sola fide are tied to levels of knowledge about it. Among U.S. Protestants, knowing that only Protestantism traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith alone is closely linked with believing that salvation comes through faith alone. Among Protestants who know that only Protestantism traditionally teaches that salvation comes through faith alone, about three-quarters (77%) embrace the concept of sola fide. But among the much larger share of Protestants who are not aware that sola fide is solely a Protestant teaching, far fewer (35%) believe that faith is all that is needed to get into heaven.
Full story at Pew Research Center.
Sounds like an excellent reason for celebrating Mass in the Extraordinary Form. If Protestants and Catholics don’t divide as badly as previously over theology, we will do everyone the most favor by presenting the Catholic faith in its most fully observable form.
Oh for the good old days of the 1950s. Pity the poor Protestants who lacked the true faith. Woe unto the perfidious Jews, who permitted Christ’s passion and death.
Fast forward several decades. American Catholics lived among Protestants, Jews and those of other faiths. We generally found they were fine people, sometimes sinners like us, but fine people. For Protestants, who also gather in Jesus’ name, most believe Jesus keeps His promise ‘whenever two or more of you gather in my name, there too shall I be.’
We do reject sects or faiths who claim their God calls for death to all infidels.
Mikem, Some of those prayers came from the fact that Jewish Christians at the beginning of Christianity were turned over to Roman authorities by Jewish authorities to be tortured to death for heresy. That does not happen now. During the Protestant Rebellion/Reformation, many Protestant groups destroyed Catholic statues and churches. Protestants also persecuted each other. There was enough fault to go around on all sides. Pope Benedict XVI took those prayers out of the newer Traditional Latin Missal.
I should have said that the prayers for the conversion of others were included but changed. Harsh words were taken out.
90% of the unchurched believe that ‘salvation’ is a Greenpeace project referring to whale rescue.
I have actually heard Prayers of Petition at Sunday ‘mass’ offered to “save the whales”. [NB. It wasn’t a TLM.]
The potency of the divisions depends on where you live. Try Northern Ireland and tell me the divisions have lost their potency.
When considering the state of the USA and the world today, it is critical for Protestants and Catholics to work together as much as possible. Satan loves division! There are some strong Protestants who are dedicated pro-lifers and who are also involved in works of charity and mercy. God Bless Us All. The day is coming when we will need each other to support each other!
In the Reformation era, many people were deeply religious— and matters of theology were very important to read about, discuss, and ponder! It has amazed me that since the violent, filthy upheavals of the 1960s, and brave attempts at ecumenism, by many — the main thing that many so-called “Christians” seem to be interested in– is NOT theology at all! Instead, many people, both Catholic and Protestant– are really not true followers of Christ, at all– and are heavily secularized– worshippers of Christ, in name only!! Many are simply interested in secular-type social service projects, much of it politically-based, not religious— and even worse, many have totally lost all concept of Christian Morality!!
I think that the truth is, that Christians of all denominations, have lost Christianity, have lost belief in and practice of Christian Morality, and have lost all concept of how to live as a true follower of Christ!! Many, including top Catholic and Protestant church leaders– have sold their souls to the Devil’s “Culture of Death!” And don’t care—- they no longer believe in sin and Salvation!! Nobody cares about theology– most only care about “freedom” to “live as you please,” acceptance of immoral lifestyles, and political activism, instead of solid religious and moral teaching and practice, to deal with serious problems in the world.
Sad to think that many believe that the protestant denominations have become more like the catholic churches, and that is precisely what makes it easier for a protestant to convert to the V2 Church, because the step is merely a small change. In reality, it is the V2 Church that has converted itself to align itself more with the protestant denominations that orthodox Roman Catholicism. We can thank the warmly accepted in the spirit of ecumenism 6 protestant ministers and rabbis who helped shape the novus ordo services for that.