The Reformation was a church renewal movement in the 16th century. The aim was to bring the Christian church back to the authority of the Bible, as God's inspired word.
The Roman Catholic Church resisted the influence of the new Protestantism (among others with the Counter Reformation), but could not prevent that large parts of Europe came under the influence of Lutheranism or Calvinism.
The main leaders of the Reformation were Martin Luther and John Calvin. The movement is understood to have started on 31 October 1517 with the well-known 95 Theses at the church's door in Wittenberg.
Other big names of the Reformation are: William Farel, John Knox (mainly in Scotland), Theodore Beza, Martin Bucer and Guido de Bres.
