Protestant Reformation: United Protestant Church, Holy Protestant Union

1517

Friar Martin Luther, disgusted with the practices of the Church in Rome, writes his 95 Theses wanting to reform church practices.

In Switzerland, Huldrych Zwingli uses Luther's model and creates a more liberal Protestant movement, Zwinglianism, which becomes a part of Anabaptism.

French theologian Jean Cauvin creates Calvinism, influential in the Netherlands.

1524 (to 26)

Swiss theologian Conrad Grebel breaks from Zwingli and forms Anabaptism.

1529 (to 1536)

Henry VIII breaks away from the Catholic Church, and forms the Church of England. Thomas Cranmer creates the Anglican branch. (Episcopalian in the United States.)

1536

Dutch theologian Menno Simons joins the Anabaptists, and forms the Mennonite branch (and later the Amish in the United States).

1555

Wars between Lutherans and Catholics in Germany end with the Peace of Augsberg, signed by the Holy Roman Emperor. German princes, with inspiration from Philipp Melanchthon, discuss the creation of a "United Protestant Union" to defeat the Catholics.

1560

Scottish theologian John Knox reforms the Church of Scotland and forms the Presbyterian movement.

1618

Prior to the outbreak of the 30 Years War, a coalition of Lutherans, Anabaptists, and Calvinists meet in Wittenberg and create the United Protestant Union (UPU) with a Holy Protestant Church (HPC) to counter the Catholic Church. A single, united body is formed where all the sects meet, but each has its own church. Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, and Mennonites join the movement.

The UPU is stationed in Wittenberg, represented by the various Protestant sects. Each sect must apply for admission, and each has its own church. The Lutherans are led by German princes, the Calvinists by Dutch ministers, the Anabaptists by the Swiss, the Presbyterians by the Scots, and the Mennonites by the Danish.

Start of the Thirty Years War.

1640s

Puritan branch formed in England along Calvinist lines.

1641

English Civil War begins. Church of England (COE) discusses joining the UPU.

1648

Thirty Years War ends with Protestant victory.

1650

COE (Anglicans) joins the UPU.

1651

Civil War ends in England with Cavalier victory.

1770s

Episcopalians with the secret society Masons join the UPU in the United States.

1820s (to 1840s)

Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young of Utah form the Latter-Day Saints movement, becoming Mormonism, in the United States.

1840s

Mormons join the UPU.

***

That is what I have so far. My plan is to create a body that is somewhat like the United Nations, where all of the Protestant sects join together as one Protestant religion, but each has its own church. More will come later.
 
Prior to the outbreak of the 30 Years War, a coalition of Lutherans, Anabaptists, and Calvinists meet in Wittenberg and create the United Protestant Union (UPU) with a Holy Protestant Church (HPC) to counter the Catholic Church. A single, united body is formed where all the sects meet, but each has its own church. Lutherans, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, and Mennonites join the movement.

Hmm...interesting.

I have to say though, that in terms of feasibility it might be easier to persuade the Sunnis and the Shi'ites to merge their sects...
 
A united Protestant Church like you propose would be... tricky, though. Essentially calling a ceasefire between all the Protestant sects would imply that they may be right in their interpretation. That would mean that the Dutch Calvinists would have to stop picking on Lutherans and Mennonites, Lutherans on Calvinists, Anglicans on Presbyterians, and everybody on Anabaptists. It would also mean that London, the Hague, etc. would lose control over one of their biggest tools in politics, and that wouldn't sit well with politicians anywhere.
 
Jean Cauvin (John Calvin) was born in 1509, and was only 8 years old in 1517. He didn't become known until after 1535. He worked in Geneva, Switzerland, and Calvinism was the strongest Protestant branch in Switzerland.

Anabaptists and Mennonites were scattered around Europe, and were not the leading church in Switzerland or any country.
 
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No way, no how are you going to get the Anabaptists in this group. The Lutherans were far closer to the RCs than they were to Anabaptists in many ways. By denying the efficacity of others baptism, they basically claimed that anyone not an Anabaptist was going straight to hell, do not pass go.

If you look at the nasty political infighting that happened WITHIN denominations (e.g. the way Calvinists threw the term Arminian around at the saner members of their group), trying to unite different denominations would take one heck of a PoD. IMO.
 
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