I am more interested in the political situation. While the Reformation certainly strengthened personal faith for a time, it showed the limits of the Church's power. Had Papal forces been able to reestablish control over the entirety of Europe again, the "inevitable" decline of Christianity as a controlling influence in the politics and actions of European nations may have been delayed for centuries or never happened. (Take note of the current situation in the Muslim world.) Even those nations and leaders that remained loyal to the Church were able to realize a far greater level of independence than they had before. The Protestant denominations never were able to assert such influence, either by their own choice or their reliance on friendly princes and kings for protection.