Prior to the 20th century, the three major branches of Christianity—Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism[1] (including leading Protestant reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin)—generally held a critical perspective of birth control (also known as contraception).[2] Among Christian denominations today, however, there is a large variety of views regarding birth control that range from the acceptance of birth control to only allowing natural family planning to teaching Quiverfull doctrine, which disallows contraception and holds that Christians should have large families.[3][4]
The Roman Catholic church and some Protestant denominations have approved only "natural family planning" methods—including the rhythm method and periodic abstinence.