Martin Luther's Argumentative Essay

What if someone was told that everything they knew about life was wrong? This is essentially what Martin Luther did. Martin Luther was a German theologist and troubled individual whose controversial ideas were a vital part in shattering the way people thought about how they worshiped god. In a time where the church and religion ran the government he was a monk that challenged the accepted way of thinking. In doing so Luther triggered a series of political and social reforms that would forever change the way man viewed the world. He was a very influential figure in his time; as a result, many people looked up to him. Luther’s personal troubles, and his problems with the system that was in place caused him to question the god that he had been

In order to understand why he was troubled, it’s important to first look into who he was. Luther was a scholar that after an accident converted to being a monk. He was a very dedicated monk that quickly rose through the ranks and became a religious leader. Luther would pray, fast, read and perform many other good works in order to appease God. Even after all of his work Luther could never quite find peace with god. (“Martin Luther 1”) In the fall of 1515 Luther found his answer to why he couldn’t find god. While reading the letters and books of the new testament Luther found these lines: “"For it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith."(“Martin Luther 1”) Luther then understood why he never felt he could appease god. The system that was in place had the church act as a gateway between man and god. He believed that anyone should be able to find god. This belief caused Luther to attack the Jews; although, Luther had a deep love for the Jewish people and believed that they should worship the same god as the christians. This love for the Jews and hatred for their customs caused Luther’s views to form an anti-Jewish bias. His ideas and attacks on ursery are partly responsible for the anti-semitic views of the Nazis. He sparked a new way of thinking for medieval

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The nailing of the “95 theses” was a critical moment in Luther’s life. T. In the image Luther is shown nailing the “95 theses” to the door of a church. His expression is intense and determined at the same time. Luther knew that the church was abusing its power. Through indulgences and other methods, the church had been abusing its power for many years and his new system of worship removed the church from the equation allowing the common man to find god without the church. Luther did not stop at his “95 theses” for years he would write and develop his ideas further. In July 1519 “Luther got an opportunity to debate his theses. . .at the University of Leipzig.” (Martin Luther 1) Luther debated with Johann Eck, who was a leading theologian at the time. over the authority of the church and other authorities because they conflicted with his ideas and beliefs. Luther believed that scripture, or the bible was the final authority, this belief is the reason that Luther so passionately went against the church and played a large role in the transition to modern age