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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain the division between Catholicism and Protestantism using examples of difference in belief and organisation.

      Key learning points

      1. Catholicism is a distinct denomination of Christianity led by the Pope.
      2. Protestantism began from a rejection of the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation.
      3. The Protestant Reformation was initiated by Martin Luther.
      4. Many Protestant denominations emerged as a result of the Protestant Reformation.
      5. Protestant Christianity rejects the authority of the Pope and sees the Bible as the sole source of authority

      Keywords

      • Authority - the power to give orders, enforce laws and make decisions

      • Church - a community of Christians

      • Infallible - incapable of being wrong

      • Protestant(ism) - a branch of Christianity that began from a rejection of the Catholic Church

      • Pope - the leader of the Catholic Church

      Common misconception

      Martin Luther King initiated the Protestant Reformation.

      Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, initiated the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Martin Luther King was a minister and social rights activist in America in the 1900s. They are two different people.

      Teacher tip

      You may wish to assess pupils' prior knowledge of the Protestant Reformation from the history curriculum and use this to contextualise learning throughout this lesson.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      The word 'orthodox' means 'right '.

      Correct Answer: belief

      Q2.
      Which keyword refers to a branch of Christianity?

      Correct Answer: denomination, denominations

      Q3.
      Jehovah is ...

      a Biblical name for David.
      a Biblical name for Moses.
      a Biblical name for Abraham.
      Correct answer: a Biblical name for God.

      Q4.
      What is the belief in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit known as?

      Correct answer: the Trinity
      the Trimurti
      the Triad

      Q5.
      Which keyword means 'to announce for others to hear'?

      polytheism
      Correct answer: proclaim
      Protestant
      papacy

      Q6.
      __________ were early Christian leaders responsible for spreading the message of Jesus.

      Activists
      Correct answer: Apostles
      Anglicans

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      The leader of the Catholic Church is the .

      Correct Answer: Pope

      Q2.
      Who was the first leader of the Church?

      St Paul
      Correct answer: St Peter
      St Patrick
      St Philip

      Q3.
      Who wrote the '95 Theses'?

      Emmanuel Kant
      Thomas Aquinas
      Correct answer: Martin Luther
      John Calvin

      Q4.
      Which movement led to the emergence of new Christian Churches that rejected the Catholic Church?

      The Protestant Rejuvination
      The Protestant Reenactment
      Correct answer: The Protestant Reformation
      The Protestant Rejection

      Q5.
      The is the sole source of authority used in Protestant Christianity.

      Correct Answer: Bible

      Q6.
      What does the Latin term 'sola scriptura' mean?

      Correct answer: by the Bible alone
      by the Pope alone
      by the Torah alone
      by tradition alone

      To help you plan your 7 religious education lesson on: The Pope and Protestantism, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...