Martin Luther and the Beginning of the

Reformation1517-1525

Importance and Big Questions

• Influence of ideas on history

• Reformation would create a newly divided Europe, and would lead to radically new ideas about politics and society

• Did Luther represent a major break in history, or was he a continuation from earlier movements in Catholicism?

• Why did this movement to reform the Church make such an impact? Why did Luther’s ideas speak to so many?

• Without Luther, would there have been a Reformation?

Late Medieval European Religion

• Recent research has challenged idea that medieval Church was hopelessly corrupt and out of touch

• In 1400s, Church was filled with creative new movements and seemed to be flourishing

• New devotions to saints and focus on humanity of Jesus and Mary

• Opportunities for laypeople in leadership

• Printing press—spread religious literature to middle classes

• New translations of the Bible

Problems

• Nevertheless, significant problems existed

• The Great Schism (1378-1417) led the popes to lose much of their credibility• A series of Church Councils were held in the 1400s to reform the Church,

but didn’t accomplish much

• Why did the church need reform?• Wealth and political power of bishops and pope

• Poorly-educated priests (in rural areas)

• Superstition of the people

• Radical reform movements like the Lollards (in England) and moderate reformers like the humanists, tried to improve Church

Council of Constance, 1414-1417

Young Man Luther

• Family of peasant background, but his father had worked his way up to a mine manager and had some money

• Received a good education (father wanted him to become a lawyer)

• Entered university—influenced by interest in ancient Christianity of his time• Focused on ideas of St. Augustine

• Decided to become a monk (against father’s wishes)

• Terrified of Hell—searching for certainty he would be saved

Young Luther Not-so-young Luther

Dr. Luther

• Earned his Master of Arts and Doctorate in Theology

• Became professor at the University of Wittenberg—remained there for the rest of his life

• Lectured about the Bible and early Church fathers to his students

• Luther became convinced that humans couldn’t attain salvation on their own, through good works—could only rely on mercy of God through faith (sola fide)

• Other big idea—Bible was highest authority, not Church leadership (sola scriptura)

Wittenberg

Luther’s Theology

• Luther believed God was mysterious and distrusted ability of human reason to understand mystery• Went against ideas of Aristotle

and Aquinas

• Believed God revealed self only through paradoxes

• Showed himself in weakness and suffering of world

• Humans should give up worrying and simply accept the mercy of God

Believed good works would follow naturally from the gratefulness of people who had faith

95 Theses

• Luther was disgusted by the sale of indulgences meant to reduce time in Purgatory• Why?

• In reaction to a new indulgence-selling campaign, Luther wrote and (maybe) posted his 95 Theses on door of cathedral in Wittenberg

• Theses—highly critical of indulgences

The Reformation Begins

• The Theses spread quickly to all the towns of the Empire

• Luther won support from many fellow priests and monks—but his local archbishop and the pope ignored the troublesome German monk

• Meeting with representative of the pope, who told him to renounce his writings

• Luther refused—came to believe that the leadership of the Church was disobeying the Bible

• He would follow the Bible (as he interpreted it)—rebellion

Outlaw

• Luther was protected by his local lord, Friedrich of Saxony

• Pope Leo X (a Medici!) excommunicated Luther in 1520

• Writings (in both Latin and German) continued to pour out

• The new emperor, Charles V, wanted to reach a good decision—called Luther to defend his beliefs in the town of Worms

• Diet of Worms—Luther refused to recant his writings

• Luther went into hiding—later resurfaced and spent the rest of his life in Wittenberg (protected by local lord)

The Lutheran Church

• Gradually, a Lutheran Church separated from Rome took form—based on Luther’s writings

• No priests—just pastors

• Only Baptism and Eucharist; Mass in German

• Attracted many people in the towns, as well as some nobles

• Northern German states, Scandinavia, Baltic countries

Later Life

• Married a former nun, Katharine von Bora

• Involved father—letters to his 6 children survive

• Other scholars came over to his house every night to drink beer and debate—Table Talk

• Could be short-tempered and stubborn, but also enjoyed humor

• Averaged a book every two weeks

• His ideas soon began to encourage changes which he had not intended….started a cascade effect which he couldn’t stop