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Of course, with over 30,000 denominations, it is difficult to summarise the beliefs of all Protestants. However, most Protestants like Catholics accept the Nicene Creed as the core of their beliefs (Table 1). the only exceptions are non-traditional Christians and perhaps other smaller groups who reject the traditional creeds. In addition, many beliefs of Protestants are similar to those of Roman Catholics, from whom they split off as described earlier. Therefore, one way to summarise Protestant beliefs is to simply describe how these vary from Catholic beliefs. This approach is consistent with the cheeky claim by some that the only distinguishing feature of Protestants is that they are not Catholic. Indeed, the differences between Protestants and Catholics are truly minor, at least when compared to what non-Christian religions in the world belief. In fact, there has even been a growing movement to bring Catholics and Protestants back together, at least in terms of acknowledging their similarities and joining efforts to promote their common values (Ankerberg, & Weldon, 2012). Having acknowledged this ecumenical effort, however, here are differences in belief that separate tha two groups that I will now describe.
Since there is no authoritative text for all Protestants, such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Catholics, and most sources favour either one group or the other, it is difficult to find credible sources that describe these differences with some sense of balance. Thus, the differences described here are summarised from several relatively recent sources that are more or less credible (Rasario, 2014; Lindberg et al., 2016; Nelson et al., 2016; Diffen, 2017), along with some additions and editorialising by the author (with his own biases). Generalising anything about Protestant beliefs is fraught with danger, though, given the 30,000+ Protestant denominations, each of which believes something slightly different.
Ecclesiastical Authority
The Catholic faithful are guided and directed by the “magisterium,” i.e., the house of cardinals and the Pope (considered infallible) who interpret Holy Scripture and church doctrine and make official pronouncements regarding doctrine and practice for contemporary application. Protestants as a group, and most individual denominations with some exceptions, have nothing similar to the Catholic hierarchical structure and leadership body. Instead, most Protestants believe in the “priesthood of all believers” such that every individual can develop an individual personal relationship with Jesus Christ and worship God, with or without intervening clergy. Protestants do not believe that there is anyone besides Jesus that is infallible (including the Pope). Furthermore, Protestants maintain that people can confess their sins to each other, rather than needing to confess them to a priest (based on James 5:16). However, some Protestant denominations (such as Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.) have retained a degree of hierarchical structure with priests, bishops and archbishops. For example, the Episcopal Church has an Executive Council that convenes a General Convention every three years and has bishops that oversee dioceses, similar to what Catholics have.
Table 1. The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Tradition
Protestants view tradition differently than do Catholics. While Catholics give equal value to Catholic Church history/tradition and Holy Scripture, Protestants use Scripture as the primary and for some, only source of authority. Tradition is viewed as a secondary source of authority, since God reveals himself through prayer and Scripture to individuals. In contrasts, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit. And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching. As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, “doe not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence”” (Catholic Catechism, Part 1, Section 1, Chapter 2: 81-82). Thus, Catholics believe in sacred tradition that involves teachings from Jesus, the Apostles, early “Church fathers,” and councils of Church leaders who help to interpret and clarify the Scriptures for their application in the world today. Protestants reject this notion. Most Protestants believe that Scripture is sufficient in itself (Sola Scriptura).
The Bible and Interpretation of Scripture
The Protestant Bible contains 39 books of the Hebrew Bible and 27 books of the New Testament, but not the seven additional books of the Hebrew Bible that the Catholic tradition includes (i.e. the Apocrypha) or the ten additional books that the Orthodox tradition includes. All traditions, however, agree on the 27 books of the New Testament. Protestants rely on the Bible as the authoritative source for all teachings and doctrines. With regard to interpretation of Scripture, there is great variation among Protestants, depending on where they fall on the conservative end believe that what is contained in the Bible is exactly what happened – the actual word of God without error (as Muslims believe about the Qur’an). At a minimum, Protestants rely on the interpret Scripture more literally than Catholics, who at least historically have depended more on Catholic leaders (local priests, etc.) to interpret the Scripture for them.
Salvation and Sanctification
Salvation is another area where Protestants and Catholics differ. Based on the teachings of Martin Luther, many Protestants believe that salvation is by faith alone (per solam fidem), though grace alone (sola gratia), in Christ alone (solus Christus) (Ephesians 2:8-9). In many Protestant traditions, salvation occurs at a specific point when a person decides to surrender their life to Jesus Christ. This is particularly true for those on the conservative end of the spectrum, who believe that this is essential for salvation based on Romans 10:9-10. There is debate, however, about whether this act results in permanent, lifelong salvation (eternal security or “once saved, always saved” argument), or whether one can lose their salvation due to their sinful actions. Catholics, in contrast, see salvation as a process through which participating in the Catholic Church over time provides saving grace. In other words, Catholics believe that human activity (“works”) plays an important role in the salvation process, whereas Protestants believe that people cannot earn their way to heaven but depend on faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rather than being a way to earn one’s salvation, good works are the result of it. For Protestants, sanctification is the process after salvation that involves a person slowly conforming life to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. Protestants vary in their beliefs about the role that free will plays in salvation, ranging from salvation being predetermined by God to salvation being determined by the free will of the individual.
The Eucharist or Communion
Protestants emphasise the holiness and sacredness of participating in communion. However, unlike Catholic and Orthodox believers, they do not believe that during the blessing of the elements that a miracle occurs where the wafer or host actually becomes the body of Christ and the wine (or grape juice) becomes that actual blood of Christ (transubstantiation). There is a belief among some Protestants, particularly Lutherans, that rather than literally becoming the body and blood of Christ, the elements remain what they are but that Jesus is present spiritually in and around them (consubstantiation). Other Protestants on the conservative end of the spectrum view communion more symbolically, performed in memory of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross (without the communion elements being affected during the ritual).
Sin
Protestants and Catholics also differ in their view of sin. While Protestants believe that all sin is generally bad, Catholics place different grades on the severity of sin. Catholics believe there are venial sins (lesser sins that do not eternally separate a person from God) and mortal sins (greater sins that do). Catholics believe that mortal sins, when committed by a responsible person who knowingly does so through freedom of choice, separate a person eternally from God unless confessed and forgiven before death (the choice of words here is very important). This belief applies to those who commit suicide and cannot repent of this mortal sin, although Catholic teachings today emphasise that in order to commit a mortal sin, one must act without mental illness. Protestants, in contrast, believe that all sin involves disobeying God and has the potential to separate a person from God, and therefore should be avoided or repented of.
The Saints and Mary
Catholics venerate a number of designated Saints and Mary the mother of Jesus (they do not pray to them but rather pray through them). Catholics believe these individuals deserve veneration because of the holy lives they lived, and therefore may have special influence with God. Protestants (particularly those on the conservative end of the spectrum) believe that all persons who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal saviour are Saints. They do not venerate Mary or pray through her or through the Saints. Protestants believe that they can go directly to God through Jesus Christ to request mercy, forgiveness, or favours. No intermediaries are needed, whether that involves Mary, Saints, angels, or a priest. In addition, Catholics believe that Mary like Jesus was also sinless, i.e., that Mary was “preserved from all stain of original sin” during her life (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 1, Section 2, Chapter 1:411). Protestants (and Orthodox Christians) believe that only Jesus was sinless.
The Rapture and Purgatory
Some evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants believe that prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time, there will be seven years of difficult times and great suffering here on earth called the Great Tribulation (based on Daniel 9:27). They believe that Christians who are saved and alive at that time will be taken up into heaven before the Great Tribulation takes place. This is called the Rapture. Individuals who are raptured will be spared the suffering and physical death that all others will be subject to. Catholics, while they believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when all the faithful will be taken up into heaven and reunited with Jesus/God (based on 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17), do not believe in a rapture.
With regard to purgatory, Catholics believe that everyone must go here prior to entering heaven in order to be purified of their sins and be prepared to spend eternity with God. Protestants, in contrast, do not believe in such a state. After death, Protestants believe that people go either directly to heaven or, if they reject God, go directly to hell.
Infant Baptism
Many Protestant denominations (particularly those on the conservative, fundamentalist, and evangelical end of the spectrum) do not believe in infant baptism, but rather baptise members into the Christian faith only after they have reached an age of accountability. This is when an informed commitment is made on whether or not to accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord (called “believer’s baptism”). However, other Protestants – including Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Moravians, Anglicans and Episcopalians – practice infant baptism like Catholic although typically require “confirmation” once the individual has reached an age of accountability when the person makes a conscious commitment to the Christian faith (as Catholics do). Regardless, almost all Protestant denominations believe in at least a “blessing” ceremony during infancy that takes place in front of the congregation, where parents and other church members pledge to raise and guide the infant as they grow up in the Christian life.
Clergy and Worship Style
The clergy in Protestant denominations are typically called pastors, elders and deacons. Unlike Catholic priests who are appointed, required to be male and celibate, Protestant denominations may or may not officially “appoint” clergy (more likely among Mainline Protestants), typically allow clergy to marry and have families, and often allow women to be pastors and congregational leaders. Although there are celibate women clergy in the Catholic Church (called sisters or nuns), they cannot lead church services or celebrate the Mass. Some Protestant denominations such as Lutherans also have “deaconesses” who serve a similar role as Catholic sisters.
In contrast to Catholics, whose worship follows a relatively strict pattern and sequence of rituals that comprise the Mass, Protestants have a wide range of worship styles that may be formal (as in Episcopalian and Anglican traditions) or informal (as in Pentecostal and some Evangelical or Fundamentalist traditions). Days for worship also differ. While Catholics have many “holy days,” most Protestants typically designate only Christmas and Easter as holy days (see Protestant Practices in the next chapter). Both Catholics and Protestants typically worship on Sundays (except for Seventh Day Adventists who worship on Saturday). While Catholics emphasise participation in the life of the Church through the sacraments,, Protestants emphasise the Bible, prayer, communal worship, and fellowship. In contrast to Catholics, Protestants (especially conservative Protestants) typically do not have statues in their churches or homes, since this is believed to be a form of idolatry. Protestants believe such practices contradict the 2nd Commandment that says: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath …” (Exodus 20:4-6).
Beliefs in Common with Catholics
While differences between the beliefs and practices of Protestants and Catholics (and to some extent Orthodox Christians) are many, these are dwarfed in comparison to the many similarities that unite these faith traditions. The Nicene Creed as noted earlier summarises the beliefs that are common to most Christian traditions. Similarly, belief in Heaven and Hell is common, although notions about these places/states may differ among Protestants. An example of the many similarities (and differences) in belief between Protestants and Catholics is illustrated by a table of comparisons (see Diffen 2017). Both Protestants and Catholics distinguish themselves from other religions (Oriental religions and Dharmic religions). However, although Catholics and Protestants on the more liberal/progressive end of the spectrum have been increasingly ecumenical and accepting of other non-Christian religions.