Martin Luther 95 Theses
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses The Ninty-Five Theses was written by Martin Luther in 1517 and is broadly regarded as the major catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was an ambiguous German monk and radiant theologian. Martin Luther started a rebellion against the church’s authority which caused the collapse of religious unity of Christendom. The Roman Catholic Church, centered in Rome, extended its influence into every aspect of European society and culture. Due to the increasing power, wealth, and selfishness, a squall of criticism against the church broke out during the Late Middle Ages. Martin Luther and his Lutherans followers led a revolt against the Roman Catholic Church which helped with the creation of The Ninety-Five Theses. The beginning of the European religious problems came in the fourteenth century, when the King, Pope, and Clergy began to gain massive amounts of power and wealth. The idea of medieval Christendom was a newer concept which is basically a Christian commonwealth led by the papacy. As the church tried to create this Christendom, theorists argued that the church was only a spiritual body and therefore its power did not extend to the political realm. The theorists along with the people said that the state needed no guidance from the papacy and that the clergy was not above secular law. The church was becoming more corrupt by the day, which included: nepotism (appointing ones relative to office), pursuit of personal wealth by the bishops, and sexual indulgence of the clergy. Theologians attacked the churches authority by arguing that the church did not control an individual’s destiny, instead by accepting God’s gift of faith. I think this is a very important move by the theologians, because they are sharing similar beliefs to me. I think my church and preacher are very important but not more important the God. With the advent of Lutheranism, personal faith, rather than adherence to the practices of the church, became
Cited: Perry, Marvin. Western Civilization: A Brief History with Readings. 7th. Wadsworth, 2008. 196-200. "Martin Luther The Ninety-five Theses." Fordham.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr 2012. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/luther95.txt>.