Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
A brief history of Martin Luther as a reformer
Martin Luther in the history of the church
The contributions of John Calvin to Christianity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Reformation provoked changes in religion from the Christian church in the early 18th century. Martin Brecht defines the Reformation as the world-historical event which was “triggered and substantially shaped by the monk and professor Martin Luther. His religious struggle over a gracious God, his existence between God and the Devil, led to a schism within Western Christendom and to the emergence of Protestant churches” (Brecht). Martin Luther and Jean Calvin were the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. How were Martin Luther and Jean Calvin different and how were they similar in their quest to reform the church? Martin Luther, also known as the “Reformator,” was a superior asset in the Protestant Reformation. He was born on November 10, 1483 in the town of Eisleben, which was located in East Germany. Luther’s parents were Hans Luder and Margaretha nee Lindemann. His father was a farmer and later became a copper miner in Mansfeld. Martin Luther’s parents brought him up in the strict environment of the Roman Catholic Church. With his new job in Mansfeld, Hans made the decision to move his family there in 1484. Hans expected Martin to become a lawyer, so Luther went to Erfurt in 1501 to study law. Luther received his master’s degree in 1505. Shortly after this, he felt like law was not the right place for him. This act upset his father, not only because he dropped out of the university, but he decided that he wanted to become an Augustinian monk in Erfurt. Luther believed that if he was serious about his religion, he could please and do good works for God. However, once again, he was still unhappy. Luther decided to make another life-changing decision by studying theology. He went to Wittenberg to study this subject. Martin... ... middle of paper ... ...the church. In conclusion, because of the Reformation, churches have greatly changed, and are continuing to change to this day. Works Cited Brecht, Martin, and Wolfgang Katenz. "Luther, Martin." The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation. Oxford University Press, 1996. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. . Burkholder, Peter J., Donald Jay Grout, Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 2010. Print. Dunning, Albert R. "Calvin, Jean." Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. . Leaver, Robin A. "Luther, Martin." Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2007. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. .
In these Thesis’ Luther basically criticized the church’s wrongful practices and exposed the church’s corruption in order to bring about change in the church. Luther is quoted in Document 3 from his 95 thesis’ “Christian’s should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better if he bought pardons.” Luther believed that actions, such as helping others did way more toward saving a person’s soul than buying a pardon did. He saw through the idea that one could by their way into heaven. He brought about new ideas such as God’s grace is the only way into heaven, not buying indulgences, or simply participating in church activities. His ideas eventually spread out all over Europe and his followers formed a group calling themselves Lutherans. This eventually became a protestant denomination, where Luther preached ideas, and his version of christianity. Also other reformist such as John Calvin had their own ideas, like predestination, and that everyone was full of sin until they were saved by christ. “We must resist the lust of the flesh, which, unless kept in order, overflows without measure.” (Document 6) Calvin believed that everyone was filled with this sinful “lust” that could not be kept in order without the power of christ. Calvin also started a sect of christianity nicknamed Calvinist after their leader. Both Luther and Calvin inspired others such as George Fox, who created quakerism, and Ulrich Zwingli who started anabaptism. Overall a huge force that drove the Protestant Reformation was reformers such as Martin Luther and John
Martin Luther is known to be a key initiator to the Protestant Reformation, although he had no intention of doing so. He was going to become a monk, so he read deeply into scriptures, but this only led him to discover inconsistencies between traditions and the Bible. These inconsistencies lead him to demand changes in the Catholic Church; however that did not include
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 20 vols. (London: Macmillan, 1980)9: 708-709
During the Reformation, both Martin Luther and King Henry VIII desired to reform the Church, but in substantially different ways, and for very different reasons. While Martin Luther wanted reform in order to achieve freedom from the Roman Catholic Church, Henry VIII solely wanted reform for personal reasons and to gain power. Luther acted towards the good of all and Henry VIII acted towards the good of himself.
Howard, John Tasker, and George Kent Bellows. A Short History of Music in America. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1957. 342-3. Print.
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. He was a German monk, priest, professor, theologian and church reformer. His teaching helped to inspire the Reformation, and influenced the doctrines of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, as well as the course of western civilization. Luther's works and writing helped bring the Middle Ages to a close, and brought about the Modern Era of western civilization. His translation of the Bible furthered the development of a standardized German language. Due to the development of the printing press, his teachings were widely read and influenced many reformers and thinkers. (Peterson 1)
Stanley, Sadie Ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 1980. Volume 8. Print.
Hanning, Barbara Russano, and Donald Jay Grout. Concise History Of Western Music. 4th. New York: W W Norton & Co Inc, 2010. print.
Although the practices of Calvinism was influenced by the ideas of Lutheranism, Calvin teachings were basically on how a few people are selected to be Christian by the act of God while others are not. Likewise, Calvin and Luther both thought that the role of the Catholic church were not right which created them to have a purpose of finding a solution. As portrayed in the text it states "To Calvin, the church was a divine institution responsible for preaching the word of God and administering the sacraments." This made Calvin believe in justification through trust which is similar to Luther since he had a strong view on faith alone. However, Calvin had no doubt that the three attempts could complete salvation and they were, having a certainty
Grove, George. The Musical Times Volume 47. United Kingdom: Musical Times Publications Ltd. 1906, Print.
Seaton, Douglass. Ideas and Styles in the Western Musical Tradition. Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1991. 153.
Martin Luther was a representative during the 16th century of a desire widespread of the renewal and reform of the Catholic Church. He launched the Protestant reform a continuation of the medieval religious search.
Bonds, Mark Evan. A Brief History of Music in Western Culture. 1st. New Jersey: Pearson
The. Burkholder, J. P., Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. Eight ed. of the book. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010.
Kamien, Roger. "Part VI: The Romantic Period." Music: An Appreciation. 10th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. 257-350. Print.