Answer:
The Protestant Reformation describes in a narrower sense a church renewal movement from 1517 to 1648, which led to the division of Western Christianity into different denominations.
Initially, the movement was an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Many Catholics in Western and Central Europe were troubled by what they viewed as false doctrines and abuse within the Church, especially regarding the letters of indulgence. Another point of criticism was the buyability of church offices, which made the entire clergy suspect of corruption.