Martin Luther and the Reformation - 2927 Words

Martin Luther and the Reformation A German Augustinian friar, Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Luther grew up the son of a miner, but he did not maintain that lifestyle for himself. He lived in a period that had a widespread desire for reformation of the Christian church and a yearning for salvation. Martin Luther was born at Eisleben in Saxony. Since his father was a miner, it was a great distress on him to send Martin to school and then to the University of Erfurt. There is where he earned his masters degree at the young age of twenty-one. (Erikson, 39) Although his father wished him to study law, Martin, after being terribly frightened in a thunderstorm, vowed to become a friar. In†¦show more content†¦Archbishop Albert needed someone to sell indulgences for him, so he hired Dominican friar John Tetzel. Tetzel made this into a business and even began to heavily advertise the sale of indulgences. He came up with catchy slo gans to lure people into buying them. He even came up with a chart price to persuade people to buy the best or most expensive indulgences. Luther did not agree with this because people no longer saw the need for repentance and felt they could buy away their sins. He was greatly troubled that people were buying into these advertising gimmicks. Since, at the time, the church did not have an official doctrine on indulgences, Luther decided this entitled him to discuss the subject critically. In doing so Luther wrote Archbishop Albert a letter on the subject and enclosed in Latin Ninety-five Theses on the Power of Indulgences. He argued indulgences made people believe repentance was not important, it downplayed the importance of charity in Christian life, and it competed with the preaching of the Gospel. (Boehmer, 198) Once Luther died, his disciple Philipp Melanchthon reported that the theses were also posted on the door of the church at Wittenberg Castle on October 31, 1517, al though not all modern scholars are completely convinced this ever took place. (Erikson, 142) By December of 1517, the theses had all been translated to German and were read throughout the empire.Show MoreRelatedMartin Luther And The Reformation1803 Words   |  8 PagesThesis Statement The purpose of my paper will reflect the life of Martin Luther during the Reformation period and the changes brought forth as a result of his teachings and writings. Luther’s findings not only transformed his own actions, but change the thought process of millions. The study of Martin Luther is the key that unlocks the background of the Protestant Reformation and it’s origins. Introduction Research on Martin Luther was chosen to demonstrate the importance of his works, and decisionsRead MoreThe Doctrines Of Martin Luther, Reformation And The Reformation740 Words   |  3 PagesLuther was ordained in 1508. In 1512, he became a lecturer at the university of Wittenberg. Significantly, Luther’s devotion to theology would lead him to explore the problems plaguing the Catholic Church. During his inquisitive years, Luther began to question the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Luther’s view of salvation, penance and righteousness began to change from the view he was instructed to believe in. Additionally, Luther’s extensive study led him to form his own ideas and formulate aRead MoreMartin Luther And The Reformation Of The Protestant Reformation Essay1699 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther became one of the most influential figures in Christian history. He began the protestant reformation in the 16th century. He also called into question some of the b asic tenets of Roman Catholicism and eventually his followers soon split from the Roman Catholic Church to become protestant. He was known to be a very controversial man not just for his writing of the ninety five thesis but for others and in his later years his feeling about the Jews. His teaching of the bible is what leadRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation1349 Words   |  6 Pagesto fix by amendment is Martin Luther. In the early 15th century, the Catholic Church was under siege from criticism based off of corruptions and Catholic wrongdoings; this time in history was known as the Protestant Reformation. The main catalyst in this revolution was none other than Martin Luther. Although Martin Luther sparked rebellion and a revolution, he , himself, was a reactionary reformer in how he wanted to restore the church into what it once was. Martin Luther, according to his ideasRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation1608 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst step o f the Protestant Reformation was carried out by a monk called Martin Luther to adjust the unfairness of the Catholic Church. He believed that the Christian faith was a simple religion, misrepresented on account of inadequate papal authority. Like the Roman Empire the Church had broadened its territorial domain and bureaucratic function. The moral authority of the church was corrupted because of its tainted clerical practices. In his Ninety-Five Theses, Martin mainly targeted the doctrineRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation1326 Words   |  6 PagesThus the Religious Reformation period was the most important time because new religions were formed and the RCC had all the power. Indeed supporters of the Reformation Religions believe that this time had the biggest impact because during this time new religions were created and millions changed faith. In his text â€Å"Martin Luther† the author argues that â€Å"Martin Luther as a Christian theologist and Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation†. Martin Luther was the spark forRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation1879 Words   |  8 PagesMartin Luther was not only one of the most significant figures in the Protestant Reformation, but he also developed his own denomination of followers. While many say that Luther was breaking away from the Catholic Church to establish a rival church, yet Luther challenged the authority of the church quietly. His arguments did not focus the attention on himself, but wholly on God. Martin Luther is considered the initiator of the Protestant Reformation as he realized the corruption in the Catholic ChurchRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation Essay2089 Words   |  9 Pages1517, as the initial rise of early reform movements. It was the day Martin Luther had encrypted his floating thoughts of early reformation onto paper, with the help of the printing press. Many others before Martin had speculation of somewhat of a reform, but didn’t have the courage to go up against the authoritative Church. Martin and his actions had officially sparked the revolution, and the start of European Reformation. But Martins actions would end up transforming the world indefinitely. SuccessorsRead MoreThe Art Of Reformation By Martin Luther985 Words   |  4 PagesAnalytical Paper: The Art of Reformation The year 1517 is claimed by Christianity to be the original spark of a reformation that changed the face of the most prevalent religion in the western world, beginning in Germany and soon enveloping the known world in an upheaval of beliefs and values. However, due to the fact that Protestant faiths became their own religious, social and political powers, the correct term for this movement would not be ‘reformation’ but in fact ‘revolution’. The so-calledRead MoreMartin Luther And The Protestant Reformation1541 Words   |  7 PagesSochor Professor Eric Breault Religion 374 21 April 2017 Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther was a German professor of Theology during the 13th and 14th century who was a key figure of the Protestant Reformation. In this paper, I will discuss the impact of Martin Luther’s actions from a standpoint of the Catholic Church and its reaction to Martin Luther’s work. To discuss this, I will use some of the works of Martin Luther himself along with sources from authors Paul A. Bishop