The Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation may be considered to have started with Martin Luther's writing of the 95 Theses in 1517. Luther was not the first to question certain doctrines of the Catholic Church, but he served as a focal point for those who would ultimately work to throw off the domination of Rome. The reformation was primarily a religious revival and a revival in the interest of Christ's life, which turned out to start many bloody wars between different religious sects. At the time when he first began to push the idea that salvation was by faith alone and not by works, Germany was politically falling apart. The Emp