Martin Luther
martin Luther was a German monk, priest, professor of theology and important figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money.
Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin
Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin
events leading up to the 95 theses
Martin Luther was concerned about certain practices in the Catholic Church such as the selling of indulgences to free the soul from purgatory.from 1516 on, as a consequence of his new convictions, Luther felt compelled to protest the dispensation of indulgences . The arrival of Johann Tetzel in Saxony in 1517 to proclaim the indulgence granted by Leo X prompted Luther to post his historic 95 theses on the door of the castle church. The abuse of indulgences had been condemned by many Catholic theologians, but it had had great financial success, and ecclesiastical authorities had not halted it. Luther's theses were widely distributed and read, finding sympathy among the exploited peasantry and among the civil authorities, who deplored the drainage of funds to Rome. The propositions were brought to the attention of the pope, who ordered the head of the Augustinians to keep peace in his order. Meanwhile Tetzel was committed to the struggle against Luther.
95 theses
On this day in 1517, the priest and scholar Martin Luther approaches the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, and nails a piece of paper to it containing the 95 revolutionary opinions that would begin the Protestant Reformation. In his theses, Luther condemned the excesses and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church, especially the papal practice of asking payment—called "indulgences"—for the forgiveness of sins. At the time, a Dominican priest named Johann Tetzel, commissioned by the Archbishop of Mainz and Pope Leo X, was in the midst of a major fundraising campaign in Germany to finance the renovation of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Though Prince Frederick III the Wise had banned the sale of indulgences in Wittenberg, many church members traveled to purchase them. When they returned, they showed the pardons they had bought to Luther, claiming they no longer had to repent for their sins.
result of the 95 theses
The Catholic Church suffered much as a result of the Reformation. In some countries, Catholics were not allowed to worship openly. Property was often confiscated by greedy kings and nobles who lusted after power and cared nothing for the spiritual things that Luther taught and the Reformation embodied. Works of art were destroyed, centuries old traditions abolished, and even Luther at one point said that reforms went beyond what he had intended. In essence, THE Church wasn't reformed. A new church was created, one which departed radically from the unified Church of history. Eventually the Catholic Church rallied with the Counter-Reformation. Church teachings and customs were solidified and unified, and great music and architecture were created which reflected this renewal. Martin Luther was excommunicated