If Protestantism owes its very existence to Luther’s conviction that the papacy was the antichrist, it might be instructive to inquire how he came to this conclusion. He did, in fact, come to this view slowly and reluctantly, driven by historical circumstances and theological reflection. It is important to focus primarily on Luther because it was his views on the subject that triggered the Protestant Reformation. It should be noted, however, that he was far from the first person to hold this view. He himself credited John Huss with being the first to call the Pope an antichrist.1Huss did indeed...