Alternatives to Protestantism that fill the same social role?

In most "WI: No Reformation" threads, it's pretty well established that there were a lot of non-theological factors that made a break from the Catholic Church likely in the 1500s: a corrupt church, the printing press, lots of small German states trying to assert their power. But could other religious movements without distinctive Protestant qualities (like sola fide and sola scriptura) have arisen from the same factors?

Such as: could a version of Conciliarism return, with more of an emphasis on checking the power of the Pope? Orthodoxy, or some version of it, resurface in the West? Nontrinitarian or other old heresies resurface?
 
In most "WI: No Reformation" threads, it's pretty well established that there were a lot of non-theological factors that made a break from the Catholic Church likely in the 1500s: a corrupt church, the printing press, lots of small German states trying to assert their power. But could other religious movements without distinctive Protestant qualities (like sola fide and sola scriptura) have arisen from the same factors?

Such as: could a version of Conciliarism return, with more of an emphasis on checking the power of the Pope? Orthodoxy, or some version of it, resurface in the West? Nontrinitarian or other old heresies resurface?

You mean like the Hussites or Ultraquists in Bohemia? Or actual Nontrinitarian 2.0?
 
Sola scriptura had arisen specifically because the Bible was suddenly being translated into the vernacular. Suddenly, it went from being a mystical inscrutable tome locked away in the local abbey to a widely-available book that any literate person could understand. Once people begin interpreting the Bible for themselves without 1400 years of ecumenical councils and traditions, Reformation theology is inevitable. Note, however, that the Reformation was far from an unified movement. Lutherans, Calvinists, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc...these days, such distinctions are considered trivial, but back then many were willing to be burned at the stake for their specific dogmas. It's by no means inevitable that Lutheranism becomes dominant in Central/Northern Europe. It could have been fostered by someone else entirely, but the fundamentals of the movement based on a strong reliance on scripture is much more likely than the sorts of heresies that had sprung up in the Middle Ages.
 

oberdada

Gone Fishin'
If you manage to weaken the papacy in the late 15th century, maybe have followers of Saint Francis take over for a while, the catholic church itself could get more regional authonomy .

The radical way of breaking ties with Rome that Luther did wasn't a given, but once it happened, there was no going back and no need for compromise.
And Luther could be very pragmatic if it helped his cause.
 
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