IJOT032022 protestants (original) (raw)

The Protestant movement, which changed Europe definitively from Mediaeval Europe to Modern Europe, has been accepted after a very violent struggle of more than one hundred years, starting in 1517, when Martin Luther, professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg and town preacher, wrote the ninety-five theses against the contemporary practices of the church with respect to indulgences, etc. The Roman Catholic church, practically the only Christian church in Western Europe, reacted very violently with an inquisition and a long war over Dutch independence that lasted from 1568 until 1648 and the 30 years’ war 1618–1648. Protestantism as a European religion was accepted at the end with peace in Westphalia in 1648 when the new European order of states were formed and Protestantism was legalized. As such, the Westphalia Peace Treaty was the first legal document that accepted Protestantism. There is another neglected international document, however, composed thirty-six years earlier than the Westphalia agreement (1612) that for the first time recognized Protestantism (under the name of Lutheranism). The members of the new religion were put under the protection of Turkish Sultan Ahmed. This document recognizes Protestantism (under the name of Lutheranism), and is the subject of this article.