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Article: Protestant Reformation
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society
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Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation began in Germany in 1517, following Martin Luther's attempt to provoke discussion about reforming the Catholic Church. It rapidly blossomed into an international struggle, resulting in the permanent destruction of Catholic unity in Europe and the creation of many new Christian denominations and sects. By the early 1520s, once it was clear that the break with the Catholic Church was permanent, the reformers faced the challenge of creating stable new churches that could endure the religious conflict of the sixteenth century.
Children were a critical component in the response to this challenge. The reformers were anxious to ensure that the ...