Tasha Fisher
White County Central
World Civilizations
3 February 2015
Martin Luther: Ninety-Five Theses
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a monk who changed Christianity forever by beginning the Reformation in Europe. In 1517 Martin Luther posted the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of a church in Saxon city. This was how he made a debate about the sale of indulgences. When Luther posted the Ninety-Five Theses on the door he was a theologian and a professor at the University of Wittenberg (Harvey 1). A theologian is an expert in theology, which is “The science of God or of religion; the science which treats of the existence, character, and attributes of God, his laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice.
…show more content…
Martin Luther had no idea how important the document would be when he nailed it to the door of the church in Wittenberg. The Ninety-Five Theses do not just lay out a Protestant belief, but they do have little snippets and tidbits of his beliefs. Luther’s critique of the Church was created from his very own struggles; the struggle of doubt and the struggle guilt, along with the concern with his pupils. He was very angry about the way that the Catholic Church was using Christ to essentially scam people, and prevent them from becoming one with God. The way that Luther taught Scripture was incredible important. This was the way that the Reformation was formed. Luther didn’t really believe in the idea of purgatory. He said the selling of indulgences, and penances would never be able to lead to true salvation. He made many heretical statements. The reason he wrote Ninety-Five Theses was his absolute commitment to Christ and Scripture. Luther’s bravery and courage against the Roman Catholic Church led to the inspiration of many other leaders of the Protestant Reformation. The Ninety-Five Theses is the most known document from the Reformation; the strength of Luther and his eagerness to confront what he said was an error in the Catholic Church is as important today as it was so many years ago. Luther was one of the greatest men in the history of the Reformation Era, he say the abuse that the Church was committing and he was unafraid to challenge it. This led to Martin Luther being exiled from the Roman Catholic
Martin Luther couldn 't help contradicting parts of Roman Catholic religious practices, particularly the offer of indulgences, religious disgrace, and the prominence on salvation through benevolent acts. He made a move by posting and dispersing his 95 theses and left a big mark on religious development, which created a branch of human faith, and later encouraging change in the Roman Catholic Church. Martin Luther was in charge of the separation of the Catholic Church. He was a mediator in the sixteenth century of a craving across the board of the reestablishment and change of the Catholic Church. He started the Protestant change, which was a continuation of the medieval religious study. Martin Luther’s 95 theses opened the door to a religious reform. He made it possible for other rulers to believe that two religions could coexist.
He was the man that formed the base of the Protestant Reformation. Luther knew he had to take action on this convictions immediately. So on behalf of the rebellion against indulgences and other Catholic doctrine, Luther created a “ Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” or more commonly known as “The 95 Theses.” The 95 Theses were a list of topics to discuss and propose the idea of indulgences. Or as some people would say to protest the sale of the indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church. The main seller of these indulgences was a man named John Tetzel who had promised the Christians that by paying they were “instantly” saved from sin. Legend says that on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses were nailed onto the doors of the Wittenberg Castle Church. Luther knew that this revolt was not violent, but was only intended to educate
During the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation transformed Europe from a nation previously united by a singular Christian faith into one divided by conflicting religious beliefs and practices. Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, played a significant role in the onset of this reform movement. In 1517, Luther wrote the Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, more commonly referred to as the Ninety-Five Theses, which called for a scholarly debate on various church practices, particularly the sale of indulgences to absolve human sin. Contrary to the church’s teaching, Luther asserted that people obtained salvation by faith, not through works or deeds, such as purchasing indulgences. Although Luther did not intend his work to be a program for reform, its widespread publication created public upheaval about the corruption within the church and thus threatened the power of the Pope. Therefore, the Ninety-Five Theses served as the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation because it sparked a theological conflict between Martin Luther and the papal authority, which eventually resulted in Luther breaking away from the Roman Catholic church and forming a new sect of Christianity.
In 1517, Martin Luther wrote what would lead to the Protestant Reformation, the 95 theses (Pavao). Luther's theses is composed of ninety- five statements about the Roman Catholic Church that he didn't agree with, by posting his theses on the doors of the cathedral at Wittenberg he was looking to engage in debate with fellow theologians (Pavao). In a matter of weeks Germans that agreed with him about Church practices were printing and spreading his theses. The following will be a discussion of the 95 theses and some of the ideas presented that give an idea of the problems in the Church of his time.
Martin Luther was not fond of the practices the Roman Catholic church of indulgences. Indulgences are a practice where worshippers would pay their priest which granted remission for their sins (“Indulgences."). This practice became increasingly corrupt. In the 95 Theses, Luther, became prominent in the Protestant Reformation due to its humble and academic tone (A&E Television Networks, LLC.). For example, in the second theses he states, “The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.” This means that only god can give salvation, not a priest. He is questioning why we must pay to re...
Martin Luther is the creator of the 95 Theses which was a major document in the Reformation. The 95 Theses “protest against the sale of indulgences and clerical abuses.” Indulgences state that one can pay for the sins they committed, and also for the sins that will be committed in the future. Even though the 95 Theses rejects indulgence it states that you may be renewed through Christ and you can be baptized to do so. Luther argued that the Christians were being wronged and being tricked into thes...
While numerous theological issues had been brewing for some time, the Reformation was officially began in 1517 by a man named Martin Luther. Martin Luther was a professor of biblical theology who had several issues with the Catholic Church. His complaints or disputes with the Catholic Church are known as his 95 Theses. In his 95 Theses, Martin Luther argued that God offers salvation through faith alone and that religious authority comes from the Bible alone which posed a challenge to the authority of the Catholic Church. After sparking the Reformation, Martin Luther made it his goal to incorporate the church congregation in the praise and worship part of church service. A detrimental and vital aspect of Christianity, Martin Luther believed this needed to be done. Along with his followers, Martin Luther made continuous...
During Luther’s early life he faced a severe inner crisis. When he sinned he looked for comfort in confession and followed the penance, the fasting, prayer and observances that the church directed him. But, he found no peace of mind and worried about his salvation. But reading St. Paul’s letters he came to believe that salvation came though faith in Christ. Faith is a free gift, he discovered, it cannot be earned. His studies led him to a conclusion that, “Christ was the only mediator between God and a man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are given by god’s grace alone” (Martin Luther, 01). Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”.
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’s 95 theses were written the early 16th century and were developed from his study of the the writings of Augustin and the Holy Bible. The theses were based on two concepts, repentance of sin and faith in God. These became the basis for the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century and directly conflicted with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Kittelson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
In 1517, Martin Luther nailed a scroll known as the Ninety-five Theses onto the Catholic church. This list criticized many concepts of the Catholic church. For example, Martin Luther attacked the sale of indulgences, amount of power held by the Pope, and wealth of the church. Ultimately, the church was outraged and excommunicated Luther. This started a rebellion and a revolution. Luther’s goal was not to tear the church apart, but to try and reform the corrupt areas. “Luther did not intend to form a new religion; his struggle had been with Rome. Before he could build, he had to tear down- his religion was one of protest.” After being excommunicated, Luther created his own religion called Lutheranism. Lutheranism relates closely to the Catholic
Its hard for most people to imagine it possible that one man, like Martin Luther, could affect the world so profoundly in such a short period of time. However, that is infact exactly what he did and in a period of only sixty-three years. Some of the most spectacular events in religious reform took place during Martin Luther's life. He forced the scholarly to stop and take a good, hard look at the practices of the church and he allowed the layman to do the same. At a time when indulgences and pardons were at there height, and the Catholic church reigned supreme, Martin Luther chose to preach against them and the church's doctrine. With one document, his Ninety-Five Theses, he raddled the halls of the Vatican, broke the strong hold of the Catholic church, and brought Christian reform to all parts of Europe and the world.
Martin Luther a German theologian and religious reformer was the founding figure of the protestant reformation, the break from the Catholic Church, which in many ways marks the beginning of modern Europe. A well-expressed preacher and huge writer, Luther attacked many abuses of the Catholic Church, especially the papacy. The source of his spiritual revelation was not political or institutional but came from his inner fight of conscience. Like other people of his day, Luther was horrified that god would in the end reject him for his sins. He found a word in the bible called “Law” which increased his terror, but he also discovered a word god called “Gospel,” the good news and promise of mercy in Christ, which shed all of his worries. By his words and actions, Luther caused an action that reformulated certain rudimentary Christian belief and the division of Western Church between Roman Catholics and the Protestant traditions. He is one of the most influential person in the history of Christianity.
Martin’s 95 theses was a document of complaints and dislikes about the church. When he visited Rome and saw the corruption he was appalled because of the way things were in the church. Increasingly growing more and more angry about it he wrote his 95 theses. He wanted a change so badly that he grew bold and he got his theses printed and attached the document to the doors of the church. The pope at the time only brushed Luther’s theses off little did he know that in the near future Luther would get so much attention for his theses and gain followers as well.