Аннотация:This article deals with the social problem of transformation of traditional religiousdoctrines into quasi-religious movements, which is most clearly reflectedin the process of differentiation and diversification of Protestantism in the formof post – Protestant, or rather pseudo-Protestant movements and cults. The authoranalyzes primarily social causes of the Church reformation, the history ofthe emergence and strengthening of the first Protestant movements – Lutheranism,Calvinism, Anglicanism and Anabaptism, highlights the social roots and key principlesof the Protestant faith. Such an analysis allows us to conclude that, strictlyspeaking, Protestantism is a historically limited phenomenon, dating back to thereformation of the XVI century, at the same time, it provided an opportunity forany of its apologists to interpret the Bible in their own way. This led to the fact thatProtestantism could not remain within the framework of a single doctrine and cult.It quickly began to appear as a large number of similar in spirit, but quite differentdirections and trends, since the most important criterion for understanding thevarious provisions of the Bible was considered the point of view of their founders.This circumstance contributed to the degeneration of the very spirit of Protestantism,the traditional Protestant ethics based on asceticism, hard work, modesty,honesty, etc. At the same time, the key motivation of the leaders of post-Protestantneoplasms of various kinds, the number of which is rapidly growing, is exclusivelyfinancial success. This circumstance generates a specific reaction from traditionalProtestantism in the form of Protestant fundamentalism.