<u>Christianity spread throughout the early Roman Empire despite persecutions due to conflicts with the pagan state religion. When the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, the Catholic Church competed with Arian Christians for the conversion of the barbarian tribes and quickly became the dominant form of Christianity.</u>
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<u> Protestants</u>
<u>The Reformation was a huge movement leading to the popularization of Protestant Christianity. ... The Protestant Reformation was a rebellion against Catholic beliefs by Christians in the 16th century. At the time, the Catholic Church held a heavy authority over its laypeople.</u>
