Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

1. What is the Protestant Reformation?

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th century religious, political, intellectual, and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place thew structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era.

Why were the 95 Theses significant

Martin Luther

Martin Luther's Life after the 95 Theses

Martin Luther's writings were responsible for fictionalizing the Catholic Church and sparking the Protestant Reformation. His teachings changed Europe completely because it made the Church change its ways. His central teachings, that the Bible is the central source of religious authority and that salvation is reached through faith and not deeds, shaped the core of Protestantism. He translated the Bible and made available to everyone, this truly was a revolutionary act in his day. The 95 Theses strengthened the growth of modern nation states.

Differences in thought and Turning Point

Comparing Luther's Standpoint and the Catholic Church's Standpoint

This was a turning point because the Catholic Church lost control over the people. They had indoctrinated them for as long as they could and Luther changed their way of thinking by installing the 95 Theses and going against the church. They couldnt threaten a protestant ruler with excommunication to keep them in line.

• Martin Luther believed that the Bible was the absolute living true authority of God, not the Pope.
• Justification is a gift received by faith alone, not by being a "good" person or having great accomplishments.
• All people are created equal through the eyes of God.
• People should interpret the Bible for themselves instead of the Church's interpretation.
• There is not buying your way into heaven

• Time- 16th Century
• Place- Wittenberg, Germany
• Cause- Questioned the Catholic teachings and practices.
• Born-(1483-1546)-Died

Martin Luther was a Christian theologian and Augustinian Monk who challenged the church in the 95 Theses. He nailed the 95 Theses to the Church door on Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. He questioned Church practices and wanted them to clean up their act. His teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian Traditions.

• Luther got married which allowed him clerical marriage.
• Luther was the first person to paraphrase the Bible in the common dialect of the people ( The Luther Bible is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther. The New Testament was first published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, in 1534)
• Luther recieved a lot of support from the people
• Luther was excommunicated from the church for not renouncing the Theses in 1520 and burning the Papal Bull.

Church Standpoint

Luther's standpoint

• The Church thought that the use of sacred relics to be traditional and holy.
• Many Church leaders observed this practice and were disgusted at Luther's position
• They threatened him with excommunication and even threats of death
• At the time, the Church thought of Luther as a heretic but in the long run, they started following many of his teachings.

• When Luther ventured out to Rome, he was in disbelief of the worship of relics to save people in purgatory.
• Knowing this was a strong practice, he studied the Scripture and stapled his 95 Thesis on the Church doors while it caught on almost immediately
• Luther's basic message was that love, grace and humility was a path to enlightenment , not the amount of wealth you had. He stated a religious sect called Lutheranism.