As the son of a mine manager in eastern Germany, Martin Luther was an unexpected leader of one of the most profound revolts against traditional Church authority. As a youth, Luther's education was largely influenced by humanism. He studied law before undergoing a kind of conversion experience during a thunderstorm. From that point on, Luther vowed to remain devoted to God if only God would spare his life. Subsequently, became an ordained priest in 1507. He went on to obtain his doctorate in theology from the University of Wittenberg and became a faculty member in 1512.
Not surprisingly, the Lutheran theology that largely characterized the Reformation mirrored Luther's own personal convictions. Luther believed in a view that was prevalent in sixteenth-century Europe and is now referred to as millenarianism--the idea that the end times were near and that God would very bring his final judgement upon the world. It was this view that stimulated Luther's quest for the answer to the question, "How could any human being be good enough to deserve salvation?" Through thorough study of the Word, Luther arrived at three interrelated conclusions:
salvation by faith alone--salvation comes only to those who have true faith and cannot not be earned by doing works (sole fide)
Scripture alone--Scripture is the final (but not necessarily the only) authority on God's will (sola scriptura)
the priesthood of all believers--all true believers are endowed with God's grace and are, thus, priests in God's eyes
Other tenets of Lutheran theology include: Christian liberty (the Gospel sets the believer free; associated with justification by faith alone), opposition of gospel and law, the dignity of all vocations (God can work through all callings), and consubstantiation (God's presence is not in, but above, below, and around the Eucharist).
The first of these assertions opposed the Church's traditional teaching that salvation is granted because of one's faith as well as one's pious and charitable deeds. The second assertion opposed the teaching that the church, not Scripture, had final say in theological matters. Finally, the third assertion opposed the teaching that only ordained priests could read and correctly interpret the Bible.
In autumn 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg castle church. Despite popular misconception, Luther was unaware of the significance of his action and did not explicate his beliefs with the intent of inciting such a fervent revolt, or any revolt for that matter. Once he did realize the magnitude of his actions, he embraced it. Despite another popular misconception, Luther's Theses did not question papal authority, but rather, the abuse of indulgences.
Luther's students translated his Theses from Latin into the German vernacular. A feature of Luther's efforts in reform that distinguishes his experiences from those of his predecessors, such as Hus, was the printing press. This invention allowed ideas to spread faster than ever before.
The spread of the Luther's Protestant Reformation cannot be attributed merely to the printing press. The political situation of the time also facilitated this effort. Luther secured protection in the form of the ruler of his district, Frederick of Saxony. In addition the Holy Roman Emperor remained far too preoccupied with a two-front war to deal with Luther and his movement until 1520. By that time, Luther and his followers had already spread Protestant worship throughout German congregations.
Diet of Worms in 1521
At the Diet of Worms in 1521, Charles V's court was summoned and Luther is promised safe conduct. He, of course, was not granted this and he was asked to recant. Initially, Luther attempted to defend himself, then he though twice about recanting. He was given a night to think the matter over, during which he questions his beliefs and choices. The next day he reappeared in Court and made his famous assertion: "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."
The Holy Roman Emperor actually allowed Luther to be free, but on his journey home, he was kidnapped by Frederick's men. He was taken to Warburg Castle, where he was protected from arrest. During the year he spent at Warburg, Luther translated the Bible into the vernacular. His translation was highly influential in two primary ways: it completely changed the focus of Protestant life from being on practice to being on the Word and it established the dialect of the German language.
Luther's works throughout his lifetime include: Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Babylonian Captivity, Freedom of the Christian Man, and On the Papacy of Rome.
Martin Luther
Not surprisingly, the Lutheran theology that largely characterized the Reformation mirrored Luther's own personal convictions. Luther believed in a view that was prevalent in sixteenth-century Europe and is now referred to as millenarianism--the idea that the end times were near and that God would very bring his final judgement upon the world. It was this view that stimulated Luther's quest for the answer to the question, "How could any human being be good enough to deserve salvation?" Through thorough study of the Word, Luther arrived at three interrelated conclusions:
Other tenets of Lutheran theology include: Christian liberty (the Gospel sets the believer free; associated with justification by faith alone), opposition of gospel and law, the dignity of all vocations (God can work through all callings), and consubstantiation (God's presence is not in, but above, below, and around the Eucharist).
The first of these assertions opposed the Church's traditional teaching that salvation is granted because of one's faith as well as one's pious and charitable deeds. The second assertion opposed the teaching that the church, not Scripture, had final say in theological matters. Finally, the third assertion opposed the teaching that only ordained priests could read and correctly interpret the Bible.
In autumn 1517, Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg castle church. Despite popular misconception, Luther was unaware of the significance of his action and did not explicate his beliefs with the intent of inciting such a fervent revolt, or any revolt for that matter. Once he did realize the magnitude of his actions, he embraced it. Despite another popular misconception, Luther's Theses did not question papal authority, but rather, the abuse of indulgences.
Luther's students translated his Theses from Latin into the German vernacular. A feature of Luther's efforts in reform that distinguishes his experiences from those of his predecessors, such as Hus, was the printing press. This invention allowed ideas to spread faster than ever before.
The spread of the Luther's Protestant Reformation cannot be attributed merely to the printing press. The political situation of the time also facilitated this effort. Luther secured protection in the form of the ruler of his district, Frederick of Saxony. In addition the Holy Roman Emperor remained far too preoccupied with a two-front war to deal with Luther and his movement until 1520. By that time, Luther and his followers had already spread Protestant worship throughout German congregations.
The Holy Roman Emperor actually allowed Luther to be free, but on his journey home, he was kidnapped by Frederick's men. He was taken to Warburg Castle, where he was protected from arrest. During the year he spent at Warburg, Luther translated the Bible into the vernacular. His translation was highly influential in two primary ways: it completely changed the focus of Protestant life from being on practice to being on the Word and it established the dialect of the German language.
Luther's works throughout his lifetime include: Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Babylonian Captivity, Freedom of the Christian Man, and On the Papacy of Rome.