...An Essay on Martin Luther’s 95 Theses Martin Luther’s Issues with the Catholic Church By: Andre Swift HIST 101 In the 16th-century of Europe, some scholars and theologians started questioning the teachings and behaviors of the Catholic Church. During this time, translations of the Bible and the early writings of church philosopher Augustine had became available and it seemed that these writings did not coincide with what the church was currently doing. Augustine’s writings “had emphasized the primacy of the Bible rather than Church officials as the ultimate religious authority” (A & E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). He also believed that people could not reach salvation by their own deeds or acts, but that only God could grant salvation by his holy grace. The Catholic Church had taught during the Middle Ages that salvation was only possible through good works, works of righteousness, or good deeds that was pleasing to God. Martin Luther studied Augustine’s writings and came to the conclusion and shared in “Augustine’s two central beliefs, which would later form the basis of Protestantism” (A & E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). During this time, “the Catholic Church's practice of granting "indulgences" to provide absolution to sinners became increasingly corrupt” (A & E Television Networks, LLC, 2013). The selling of Indulgences had been banned in Germany, but the church kept doing it with no consequences. Thus, enter Martin Luther. He saw this practice as...
Words: 936 - Pages: 4
...Martin Luther and the Ninety Five Theses Outline I. Introduction II. Who was Martin Luther? III. Martin Luther Calls for Reformation IV. A Short synopsis of the Ninety Five Theses V. Result of the Theses VI. Sources Consulted Introduction Martin Luther was the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly-spoken dialect of the German people. Luther's hymns sparked the development of congregational singing in Christianity. His marriage, on June 13, 1525, to Katharina von Bora, a former nun, began the tradition of clerical marriage within several Christian traditions. Martin Luther was one of the most influential and compelling figures of Church history. Some of the most fundamental tenets of the Catholic Church were called into question by Luther, and lead to the greatest religious revolt in Church history, now known as the Protestant Reformation. Who Was Martin Luther? Martin Luther was born to Hans and Margaretta Luther on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. He was baptized on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, for whom he was named. Martin’s childhood was one of abuse and uncompromising cruelty, “His father once beat him so mercilessly that he ran away from home …His mother, "on account of an insignificant nut, beat me till the blood flowed, and it was this harshness and severity of the life I led with them that forced me subsequently to run away to a monastery and become a monk." His...
Words: 2900 - Pages: 12
...Notes on Martin Luther (from the PBS docudrama) Driven to Defiance “I would never have thought that such a storm would rise from Rome over one simple scrap of paper...” - Martin Luther Few if any men have changed the course of history like Martin Luther. In less than ten years, this fevered German monk plunged a knife into the heart of an empire that had ruled for a thousand years, and set in motion a train of revolution, war and conflict that would reshape Western civilization, and lift it out of the Dark Ages. Luther's is a drama that still resonates half a millennium on. It's an epic tale that stretches from the gilded corridors of the Vatican to the weathered church door of a small South German town; from the barbarous pyres of heretics to the technological triumph of printing. It is the story of the birth of the modern age, of the collapse of medieval feudalism, and the first shaping of ideals of freedom and liberty that lie at the heart of the 21st century. But this is also an intensely human tale, a story that hurtles from the depths of despair to the heights of triumph and back again. This is the story of a man who ultimately found himself a lightning conductor of history, crackling with forces he could not quite comprehend or control. For Luther, in a life full of irony, would find himself overwhelmed by his own achievements. As his followers sought to build a new and just Europe around him, he could only turn on them in frustration, declaring that his...
Words: 1439 - Pages: 6
...Many agree that Martin Luther’s protests against indulgences were the catalysts of the German Reformation in 1525. However, why was Luther so adamantly opposed to Indulgences? And even so, how did his grievances against the pope spark the German Reformation? Luther’s belief in “justification by faith alone” and his production the ninety-five theses sparked the German Reformation. Luther opposed Indulgences because of his belief of “justification by faith alone”. After a few years of insight into this topic, Luther concluded that “the righteousness that God demands did not result from charitable acts and religious ceremonies but was given full measure to any and all who believe in and trust Jesus Christ as their perfect righteousness satisfying to God.” (KOT 320) He argued that it was unbiblical to think of work as contributions to salvation, something only a deity such as God himself could bestow upon a person. Luther taught good works were expected, even if they did not contribute to eternal salvation. Those who believed in Christ possessed God’s perfect righteousness and would therefore perform good deeds throughout their lives. Luther’s teachings showed that one needed only to believe in Christ instead of paying Indulgences in order to reach eternal salvation. (KOT 330-322) Luther’s belief against Indulgences sparked the Reformation through the writing of the ninety-five theses. The ninety-five theses were an attack on the practice of Indulgences. Theses twenty-one states...
Words: 418 - Pages: 2
...Martin Luther , who was born in Eisleben , Germany , in 1483 wrote the 95 Theses which pronounced two central beliefs; that the Bible is an religious authority , and that humans may reach salvation only by their faith and not their deeds. Which led into the Protestant Reformation. His writings changed the cultural history in the West. The 95 Theses was a list of questions and statements for the Church and for the things that Martin Luther didn’t believe in , or for things that he saw in the Church that wasn’t right , and needed to be stopped. He nailed a copy of the Theses to Wittenberg Castle Church. He hung the paper on the church door to announce the academic discussion around it that he was organizing. The 95 Theses became the foundation...
Words: 341 - Pages: 2
...Social and Political Consequences of the Protestant Reformation The Catholic Church had become increasingly corrupt due to the selling of indulgences, clerical ignorance, pluralism and absenteeism. In desperate need of improvement and restructuring, a man named Martin Luther began a religious reformation. Luther was opposed to the selling of indulgences, believed the key to salvation was by faith alone and that the scriptures of the bible held all authority. The ideals of Martin Luther, radically different from those of the Roman Catholic Church, created a religious reform disturbing politics throughout Europe and changing society. Numerous political effects occurred because of the Protestant Reformation, which consequently happened because of Luther’s reforms. The area that was affected most by the Reformation was Germany. Luther was favored there and he gained support by appealing to German patriotism and evoking a national pride and feeling that influenced many princes. Luther stated that the only way Reformation could come about was by the princes to abolish papal power. This happened when Charles V excommunicated Luther and the German princes did not enforce the banning of Luther’s teachings. Charles V was also to blame for the disintegration of imperial authority because during his reign, he never took an interest in the constitutional problems of Germany that were left over from the Middle Ages. Germans princes used the religious issues as a way to extend political...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...How could the printing press help with exploration? The printing press was invented in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. The printing press changed the way and speed with which we share ideas with one another. Was exploration or reformation the most important consequence of the printing press. I think that the most important consequence of the printing press is exploration because of maps. Reformation was the second most important consequence because of theses. Reformation was the second most important consequence of the printing press because of Martin Luther’s theses. Martin Luther was able to argue against the church thanks to the printing press, with 95 theses. These theses talked about how he thought Indulgence or being able to pay money to...
Words: 391 - Pages: 2
...Reformation In Eisleben of Saxony, just a little over 3,000 in population, a young couple named Hans and Margaret Luder would have their first child. Being named after the Feast of St. Martin, on the tenth day of November 1483, their boy would be named Martin Luther. Being born between eleven and midnight, he was to be baptized the next day at the church of St. Peter. At six months old, his parents, in need of mining business, would move to Mansfeld, approximately six miles away. Eisleben was too crowded, and Mansfeld was developed around mining and his father was a coal miner. After a few years of coal mining in Mansfeld, Hans became a new owner of two smelting furnaces. He was later elected to take part in being a member of the town council. At the age of five, the Luthers had enough money to send Martin to the village schoolmaster in Mansfeld, attending till he was thirteen years of age. Martin, being the eldest of three and first to go to school, he would learn to read, write and Latin. He would be punished for being the slowest in the morning. Luther would never forget being beat, and having to wear a dunce cap, and being called an ass for the rest of the day. “The schoolmasters in my day, were tyrants and executioners; the schools were jails and hell! And, in spite of fear and misery, floggings and trembling, nothing was learned,” Luther remarked. At the age of fourteen, he was sent to the neighboring town of Madgeberg, for another year of Latin teachings. ...
Words: 1993 - Pages: 8
...Martin Luther born in 1483 in germany was a christian theologian and monk. his contributions to the christian religion were revolutionary and the impacts have shaped doctrines and structures present today in the religion. His interpretation of the bible resulted in controversial insights which challenged roman catholic traditions and the papal power which influenced europe in the middle ages. he initiated the protestant reformation which was hugely significant in the history of christianity. deep study of the scriptures gave way to many revelations for Luther. He believed and preached that salvation and subsequently eternity in heaven could not be simply earned through the doing of good deeds, but can only be received as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as a redeemer from sin and subsequently eternity in Hell. At the time, the roman catholic church was selling 'indulgences' which were then believed to ensure acceptance to heaven and release from purgatory for those who bought them, regardless of sin, thus allowing people to think they could buy their way into heaven. The money was then used to construct cathedrals and monuments. Luther challenged the church on the corrupt nature of these promises they made to the public and endeavoured to expose the truths of the bible. As many germans were unable to read and understand the bible, they relied heavily on the word of the pope and the church, however Luther preached that ones faith and belief in Jesus...
Words: 975 - Pages: 4
...PAPER 1 – MARTIN LUTHER PRESENTED TO PROFESSOR MARK NICKENS FOR CHHI 302 – DO1 BY REV. JOSEPH T. WHITAKER, III LU23755920 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY LYNCHBURG VIRGINIA NOVEMBER 6, 2014 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2 BIOGRAPHY------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAIN THEOLOGICAL POINTS------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAJOR EVENTS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGNIFICANT WRITINGS-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONCLUSION----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BIBLIOGRAPHY-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Introduction It has often been stated and thought that Martin Luther was the founder and originator of the Protestant Reformation. Was Martin Luther the founder of the Protestant Reformation? The historical record reveals...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...Reformation was the 16th century religious and political revolution that disintegrated the Catholic Church. This reformation would define Europe in the modern era. Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII contested the Church’s power and its faculty to divide Christian religion. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther published his “95 Theses” which led to start the Protestant Reformation, in which it stated Luther’s terms of his protest against the Catholic Church. Martin Luther argued that Jesus died on the cross for our salvation; therefore, there was no need for lavish cathedrals and offerings that the Catholic Church was accustomed to. Also, he was opposed to the practice of the church collecting indulgences in order to shorten ones stay in purgatory. These indulgences were said to pave the way to heaven for any sinner. In Martin Luther’s 95 Theses the mentions the following: “Those who believe that, through letters of pardon, they are made sure of their own salvation will be eternally dammed along with their teacher”. After the Church’s unsuccessful rebuttal, they ended up excommunicating Luther in 1521. Luther went on to translating the bible into vernacular German, which up to this point was only in Latin and only available to priests who were they only ones who read and interpreted the bible to the masses. Luther’s translation was not word for word but rather sense for sense, which would help ordinary people, read the bible. Thanks to the printing press, the bible was published...
Words: 725 - Pages: 3
...How did Indulgences grow from prayers,“In the Roman Catholic Church, a declaration by church authorities that those who say certain prayers or do good deeds will have some or all of their punishment in purgatory remitted.” into money, “If anyone put money into the coffer for a soul in purgatory, the soul would leave purgatory for heaven in the moment one could hear the penny hit the bottom.” during the Middle Ages? From the 5th century to the 15th century, Indulgences grew and changed and right along side of it, Purgatory. From Dante’s time in the late 1200s, through Pope Boniface VIII’s papacy to Pope Leo X’s in Luther’s time in the 1500s. The desire to avoid any temporal pain or discomfort, for sins after death, was one of the only things that remained unchanged over the Middle Ages....
Words: 740 - Pages: 3
...The initial spread of Martin Luther’s new theological ideas naturally produced chaos, dissent and rebellion. He launched Protestant Reformation with his 95 theses. He argued that all vocations are equal, including that of women. The religious unity that once held the society together, began to fall apart which lead to individual thought and opinion regarding religion, which further lead into politics, economics and social structures. The breaks in the church made people question if they should be so devout to their Catholic religion. For example, clerical immorality, ignorance, absenteeism, selling of indulgences and priests living in luxury created turmoil between the clergy and common people. Martin Luther believed that authority rested in the word of God. The Church should not be a hierarchy of clergy but a community of believers. Religious truth and authority can only be found in the Bible. He translated the Bible from the traditional Latin into German to help the people read the Bible and begin to think for themselves. He also wrote the Catechism, which simplified the Bible and explained the church doctrine so that the...
Words: 584 - Pages: 3
...What was going on in the church before the reformation era took place: Many things were happening behind peoples back one being abuses of indulgence. Some priest and bishops were giving indulgences to people for a price of money. Some brothers and sister claimed that they were authorised by the pope to forgive all sins. They took the money from people who believed in them and respected them, they promised them they would go the heaven and have happiness in their lives. An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God's justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the saints, and for some just and reasonable motive. The practice ended up becoming a concoction of evil and corruption; it was almost like they were buying their way into heaven. The years leading up to the reformation were indulgences very popular Martin Luther’s ideas of the church and what he taught: When martin Luther found out that pope Leo x and the archbishop of Mainz were selling indulgences for the construction of St Peters basilica in Rome he objected. He was against fooling people that they could buy their way out of sins without any faith what so ever. These people would believe that they were going to Heaven when in fact they would go to Hell. How could they be repentant when self-loathing and self-disgust was needed...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...Martin Luther became a monk in the Catholic Church and earned his way up in rank through devotion, prayer, and hard work. Martin soon became a priest within the Catholic Church. Martin was a firm believer in God's word and soon began teaching others in the classroom. As Martin continued to read and study his Bible, he started questioning some of his Church's beliefs and practices. As he continued to read the Bible he started to see certain discrepancies between God's written Word and the Catholic Church's practices. He started to see the truth that was written in God's Word. Martin decided that he needed show the Catholic Church where they were wrong in their teaching of God's word. In 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg. Luther welcomed challenges and debates of the Catholic doctrine. Luther argued that the Bible, not the pope, was the central means to discern God’s word — a view that was certain to raise eyebrows in Rome. Further, Luther maintained that salvation was granted by faith alone; good works and the sacraments were not necessary in order to be saved. Luther was especially appalled by the church practice of selling indulgences. These documents of the pope were sold as penitents of sin. To Luther, this was like buying salvation, and he knew that this was not right. The 95 Theses were quickly distributed throughout Germany and then made their way to Rome. In 1518, Luther was summoned to Augsburg, a city in southern Germany, to defend...
Words: 497 - Pages: 2
