- Martin Luther, oil painting by Lucas Cranach.
(1483–1546). The German priest and scholar Martin Luther is an important figure in the history of Christianity. Luther began the Protestant Reformation in Germany in 1517. This movement challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic church. It also led to permanent divisions in the church. Lutheranism, a religion named after Luther, grew out of the Reformation. Early lifeMartin Luther was born in Eisleben in the province of Saxony on November 10, 1483. The young Luther studied at Magdeburg and Eisenach, then he attended the University of Erfurt. He graduated in 1505, ranking second among 17 students, and began to study law. CareerWithin a year after beginning his law studies, Luther decided to leave the study of law and enter religious life by becoming a monk. Later in life, Luther revealed that he made this sudden decision after he had been caught in a thunderstorm and thrown to the ground by a bolt of lightning. In his fear, he had vowed to give up all worldly comforts. Luther entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt in July 1505. He became a monk in September 1506 and a priest in April 1507. He studied the Bible and soon became a teacher of the Bible. He eventually became a professor at the University of Wittenberg. First efforts at reformMeanwhile, Luther was experiencing religious doubts. He was bothered by some of the practices of the Roman Catholic church. One particular problem for Luther was that the leader of the church, the pope, frequently accepted money as part of the penance that had to be done in order for sins to be forgiven. This practice was known as the selling of indulgences. Luther eventually came to believe that sins are forgiven through faith alone, not by other actions. Luther compiled a list of 95 theses, or statements of his beliefs about the church and religion. In this list Luther criticized the pope's policy of receiving payment. He also criticized those who thought that forgiveness could be acquired by paying the pope. It is believed that Luther wrote to Roman Catholic bishops on October 31, 1517, and enclosed the 95 theses. (It is often reported instead that Luther nailed his theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg.) Receiving no reply, he began to show his theses to his friends and acquaintances. The theses were copied and circulated far and wide. Luther continued to write and teach on the subject of reforming the church, and his views began to gather support. ExcommunicationAt the time, the church was very rich and powerful, and Roman Catholicism was the only religion of Western Europe. Luther's actions therefore caused quite a stir. The church leaders asked Luther to apologize for the statements he had made. He refused to do this unless the Bible proved he was wrong. Early in 1521, the pope excommunicated, or barred, Luther from the church. Following this, Luther was outlawed. With the help of a friend, he hid in the castle of Wartburg, near Eisenach. There he remained in disguise and was known as Junker Georg, or Knight George. Return to WittenbergBy March 1522, the situation had become somewhat safer for Luther and he returned to Wittenberg, explaining the reason for his statements against the church in a letter to the prince. During the time that Luther was in hiding, however, the some of his followers had taken the reform movement further than he had wanted it to go. His religious ideas were having an influence on politics and society as well, and in some places, people were rebelling against their rulers. Luther now found that, in addition to opposing the church, he was opposed to some of his former followers. He delivered a series of powerful sermons criticizing the use of violence. He said that revolts would only lead to destruction and the killing of innocent people. His efforts, however, did not have much success. In 1525, Luther married a former nun, Katharina von Bora. This showed that he rejected the life of a monk and the requirement that the clergy remain unmarried. Luther spent the rest of his life writing, preaching, and organizing the reformed church in Saxony. Luther also wrote many hymns that are still in use. DeathEarly in 1546, Luther was asked to go to Eisleben to settle a quarrel between two princes. Although old and ill, he set off in the snowy winter. He accomplished the mission. The effort, however, left Luther exhausted. He died on February 18, 1546, in Eisleben. His body was buried in the Church of All Saints, Wittenberg. |