Martin Luther: Protestant Reformation

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Martin Luther is a German religious reformer who is well known for his 95 Theses, outspoken opinions, and starting the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther played an influential role in reforming the Catholic Church and founded a form of Protestant Christianity, which is still being practiced today and is known as Lutheranism.
Luther’s early life paved the way for the religious restoration he would become a part of in the future. He was born into a relatively wealthy family on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, to Hans and Margaret Luther. His parents were peasants, but his father had worked hard to become a small-scale entrepreneur. Luther started his education at a young age, attending three different schools as a child. In 1501, he …show more content…

He was unimpressed and outraged at the deceitful actions of the Church. His views were that "the Bible was explained by the New Testament epistles of Paul, with their emphasis on Christ as victor over death and the grave" (Marius 460). Luther strongly disapproved of the sale of indulgences, or absolution from punishments of sin. Indulgences were being sold so Pope Leo X could build the basilica of Saint Peter. In 1517, indulgence salesman Johan Tetzel came to a town near Wittenberg. Luther wrote a letter of protest to Archbishop Albrecht von Brandenburg; he included 95 theses that criticized papal abuses and indulgence sales. His theses were printed and circulated in Germany. His opinions preceded what would later become the Protestant Reformation, which had a lasting impact on the Catholic Church.
Luther felt strongly about many aspects of the Church and made his opinions known during his lifetime. His reformation began with attacking the head of the church and its values and beliefs. Luther first went after the pope and …show more content…

His straightforward demeanor paved the way for countless teachings of his to disperse throughout Europe. Without Martin Luther and the reformation he initiated, the Catholic Church would be discrepant and inconsistent

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