Believed that salvation is achieved through faith alone
The belief that salvation is achieved through faith alone is known as the doctrine of justification by faith. This belief is primarily associated with Protestant Christianity, particularly with the teachings of Martin Luther and John Calvin during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
According to this doctrine, an individual's faith in Jesus Christ as their savior is sufficient to receive salvation and eternal life. It emphasizes that salvation cannot be earned through good works or any human effort. Instead, it is a gift of grace from God that is received through faith.
This belief emerged as a response to what many reformers saw as corruption and abuses within the Catholic Church during that time, including the sale of indulgences and a focus on performing good deeds and following religious rituals as a means of obtaining salvation.
The doctrine of justification by faith is a central tenet of many Protestant denominations, including Lutheranism, Reformed theology, and various evangelical and charismatic movements. It continues to be a point of theological debate and disagreement among different Christian traditions, as some interpret the Bible differently and argue for the importance of both faith and good works in attaining salvation.