Martin Luther Influence

Martin Luther was a late 15th to 16th century German priest who was a majorly influential individual in the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s work as a priest and Biblical Study professor in theology made him very familiar with the Bible and Christian beliefs. In 1517, after a lifelong devotion to the church, Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses that questioned many Christian beliefs, which prompted an unprecedented schism in the Roman Catholic Church. This religious movement was triggered by his list of 95 statements and questions and drew negative attention the Catholic Church and their deceptive ways. Letters Luther wrote out to other friars, elites, and experts in theology further stimulated this movement, and within a decade a religious …show more content…
Luther strongly apposed the belief that indulgences, or any form of monetary payment to the Church, could absolve one of their sins in the afterlife and elevate them from Hell or Purgatory into the glistening paradise in Heaven. Luther believed the best way to be forgiven for one’s sins is to be a Christian at heart, follow the main preaching’s of the Bible, and to truly believe in God and his power. He also believed the sale of indulgences to fund churches and the Pope’s empire was absurd, especially of the premise that these indulgences would provide a sense of security to Christian’s whose salvation was at risk. The sale of indulgences and the outrageous power of papal authorities caused Luther to write such things as his 95 Theses and the letters to his associates. In his letter to George Spalatin, a fellow German Protestant reformer, Luther offered his opinion on what is most essential as a Christian when he says, “For the thing the people need above all things is the Word of God.” Martin Luther’s unprecedented statements, questions, and attacks against the church ignited one of the largest schisms in Western Civilization and brought about the protestant

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