Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Luther was a German theologian whose writings inspired the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben. His father was a copper miner.
Luther studied at the University of Erfurt and in 1505 decided to join a monastic order, becoming
an Augustinian friar. He was ordained in 1507, began teaching at the University of Wittenberg
and in 1512 was made a doctor of Theology. In 1510 he visited Rome on behalf of a number of
Augustinian monasteries, and was appalled by the corruption he found there.

Luther became increasingly angry about the clergy selling 'indulgences' - promised remission
from punishments for sin, either for someone still living or for one who had died and was
believed to be in purgatory. On 31 October 1517, he published his '95 Theses', attacking papal
abuses and the sale of indulgences.

Luther had come to believe that Christians are saved through faith and not through their own
efforts. This turned him against many of the major teachings of the Catholic Church. In 1519 -
1520, he wrote a series of pamphlets developing his ideas - 'On Christian Liberty', 'On the
Freedom of a Christian Man', 'To the Christian Nobility' and 'On the Babylonian Captivity of the
Church'. Thanks to the printing press, Luther's '95 Theses' and his other writings spread quickly
through Europe.

In January 1521, the Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther. He was then summoned to appear at
the Diet of Worms, an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire. He refused to recant and Emperor
Charles V declared him an outlaw and a heretic. Luther went into hiding at Wartburg Castle. In
1522, he returned to Wittenberg and in 1525 married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, with
whom he had six children.

Luther then became involved in the controversy surrounding the Peasants War (1524 - 1526), the
leaders of which had used Luther's arguments to justify their revolt. He rejected their demands
and upheld the right of the authorities to suppress the revolt, which lost him many supporters.

In 1534, Luther published a complete translation of the bible into German, underlining his belief
that people should be able to read it in their own language. The translation contributed
significantly to the spread and development of the German language.

Luther's influence spread across northern and eastern Europe and his fame made Wittenberg an
intellectual centre. In his final years he wrote polemics against the Jews, the papacy and the
Anabaptists, a radical wing of the reforming movement.

Luther died on 18 February 1546 in Eisleben.

Summary of Martin Luther’s Life

Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk who became the
father of the Protestant reformation. He is most widely known for criticising aspects of the
Roman Catholic Church. In particular he believed that it was the Bible and not the Roman
Catholic Church which was the source of legitimacy for interpreting the word of Christ. Martin
Luther also translated the bible into German, making it more accessible to the general public.

Short Biography of Martin Luther

Martin Luther became a student at the University of Efurt in 1501. He studied Aristotle and was
drawn to philosophy and theology. However, he was unsatisfied with just reason. Therefore, he
decided to become a monk and devote his life to God. As a monk, he felt a spiritual dryness. This
was because he became very critical of his own failings and felt his sin magnified rather than
weakened. His spiritual director therefore gave him more work so he wouldn’t become so
introspected.

In 1517, Martin Luther first protested to the Catholic church about the sale of indulgences. (the
full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven).
Martin Luther argued that is was faith alone that could provide the remission of sin and not
monetary payments.

The church was slow to respond to the criticism of Martin Luther, and in this period Martin
became a prolific writer and his writings were widely distributed throughout Europe.

95 Theses

On 31 October 1517, Luther posted ninety-five theses, criticising practises of the church, on the
door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg. He also posted a handwritten copy to the archbishop of
Magdeburg, Albert of Mainz. The 95 theses of Martin Luther were critical of many practises
relating to baptism and the sale of indulgences for the remittance of sin. He also indirectly
challenged the Pope’s legitimacy, #86 included:
Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build
the basilica of Saint Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?”
(95 Theses)

Within a few weeks, Martin Luther’s theses had spread throughout Germany becoming widely
known.

The significance of this written challenge caused the church to respond. On June 15, 1520, Pope
Leo X issued a formal rebuttal to Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, a papal encyclical titled Exsurge
Domine (“Arise, O Lord”)

However, by that time, the criticisms of Martin Luther were widely in circulation; and with the
help of the new printing presses, the Reformation movement gained in strength and popularity.
The Catholic Church would never maintain the same unchallenged authority in Europe again.

Excommunication of Martin Luther

Martin Luther was ex-communicated in 1520 for refusing to recant 41 sentences from his
writings. In April 1521, the enforcement of banning Luther’s writings fell to the secular
authorities. Luther acknowledged he was the author of the writings but again failed to recant
them. Saying he would stand by them. Luther was condemned as an outlaw and thereafter he
feared for his life. However, he managed to remain hidden for several months, before returning
to Wittenberg to preach more of his anti-clerical speeches and doctrines. In this period he also
translated the Bible from Greek to German

Martin Luther also married an ex-nun thereby giving the seal of approval for clerical marriages
in the Protestant tradition. With his wife, Katharina von Bora they were to have five children.

From 1531–1546, Martin Luther’s health deteriorated as he sought to struggle with growing
conflict in the reformation movement and the constant fear of arrest by the authorities. In this
period, Martin Luther spent more time writing anti-Semitic tracts. At first he wished to see the
Jewish people converted to Christianity. But, when they seemed uninterested in conversion, he
called for the force-able removal of Jews from Germany. This strong anti-Semitic stance has
coloured his reputation as a reformer. However, by setting the seeds of the Protestant
reformation, Martin Luther had a huge influence on the development of Western Society.