What is the origin of the word Protestant....historians preferred

[josephback]

Hi all. Over the years I’ve heard two basic stories about the origin of the word Protestant. One is that originated at the Diet of Speyer, when the ‘protestantes’ or protesting estates held out for Lutheran freedom of worship. Another is that it comes from the Latin verb protestar, which means ‘to evangelize, proclaim.’ (Google translate told me it means protest). Blessed John Cardinal Newman said that what is imperative in the word Protestant but the exhortation to evangelize.

Anyway, in the first possibility Protestant becomes what it’s often derided as - a declaration of protest. In the second, Luther and his fellow Protestants are shown as having a predominantly ‘evangelical’ philosophy. Which is the correct origin of the word?

 

[MattofTexas]

In high school my history teacher said it came from the German princes [protesting](http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/reformation/p/prorig(name removed by moderator)rot.htm).

 

[JonNC]

Hi all. Over the years I’ve heard two basic stories about the origin of the word Protestant. One is that originated at the Diet of Speyer, when the ‘protestantes’ or protesting estates held out for Lutheran freedom of worship. Another is that it comes from the Latin verb protestar, which means ‘to evangelize, proclaim.’ (Google translate told me it means protest). Blessed John Cardinal Newman said that what is imperative in the word Protestant but the exhortation to evangelize.

Anyway, in the first possibility Protestant becomes what it’s often derided as - a declaration of protest. In the second, Luther and his fellow Protestants are shown as having a predominantly ‘evangelical’ philosophy. Which is the correct origin of the word?

Second Diet of Speyer, 1529.

reformationhappens.com/events/speyer/

Jon

 

[benjohnson]

Second Diet of Speyer, 1529.

reformationhappens.com/events/speyer/

Jon

There goes my theory of protest-ants:

http://www.creamglobal.com/media/1482685/baygon_ant_protest_brazil_03.jpg

 

[JonNC]

There goes my theory of protest-ants:

http://www.creamglobal.com/media/1482685/baygon_ant_protest_brazil_03.jpg

Looks like Martin L and Martin C to me. lol

Jon

 

[hn160]

There goes my theory of protest-ants:

http://www.creamglobal.com/media/1482685/baygon_ant_protest_brazil_03.jpg

I thought that it was Luther and Zwingli at Marburg in their argument over the Lord’s Supper.

 

[KathleenGee]

Very feisty those Protesting Ants…

Well, from what I know, the original word was Evangelicals.

 

[Peter_J]

Hi all. Over the years I’ve heard two basic stories about the origin of the word Protestant. One is that originated at the Diet of Speyer, when the ‘protestantes’ or protesting estates held out for Lutheran freedom of worship. Another is that it comes from the Latin verb protestar, which means ‘to evangelize, proclaim.’

I’ve heard that explanation just once before (that I can recall): Pro and Con testantism