Martin Luther: The Reformer of Christianity 1517
By Lesallan Bostron (Revised May 19, 2023)
Ohio Christian University
HIS2010 Western Civilization I (ONLF21)
Professor Philip McMurry
Originally written on November 4, 2021
Martin Luther: The Reformer of Christianity 1517
Martin Luther’s argument for Reformation (change or alteration) and its challenges to the Roman Catholic Church grew out of the early efforts put forth by others before him. Notably, one man stood out to Luther, and his name was “Jan Hus,” whom many students of history and theologians consider as being the first to consider the Reformation of Churches and religion. While perusing a book stack found in the “library,” Luther came upon the writings of Jan Hus and a volume of sermons. The teachings and sermons read by Luther on how Hus preached against the unbridled “moral” and “political” corruption found in his day (How a century before Martin Luther, a reformer stood up to the Catholic Church with the cost of his life, 2019), gave rise to Luther’s own ninety-five theses. These theses were written in reaction to his day’s developing political and spiritual issues, notably issues seen in the interior of the Roman Catholic Church and the papacy’s authority. The three principal ideals of Martin Luther are that there is “salvation by faith alone,” “the Bible is the only authority,” and finally, “the priesthood of all believers.” Martin Luther vehemently contended that people can only attain salvation or redemption through God and cannot choose between good and evil through willpower (Luther, 2017).
Martin Luther questioned the power of the Catholic Church by saying that the Pope could not determine whether someone would go to heaven or not. He opposed the Pope’s authority, which led to the creation of a new religion throughout Western Europe. Martin Luther’s splintering western Christendom resulted in an overwhelming renovation of the religious, social, and political backdrop that lives in Europe and the new European colonies was affected by. Martin Luther, the son of a German peasant who had high aspirations for his son, dispatched him to the University of Erfurt to pursue a study of law. Martin Luther had aspirations of his own and became a monk of the Augustinian order. He was pursuing every one of the traditional means for accomplishing purity. However, his insights led to a different perception of God’s justice, thinking himself deeply sinful and fearing he would never achieve salvation. Luther thought it was unjust of God to issue instructions that could not be observed and then penalize them with everlasting damnation. Further examination of the Bible showed Luther that God’s justice lay not in power to punish but in mercy. Following Luther’s epiphany while lecturing at Wittenberg, he reached his central doctrine of “justification by faith” as the contemplation of Paul’s letter to the Romans was being undertaken: “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, KJV). Again, he determined that God’s justice does not demand boundless pious works and religious practices; humans can never achieve salvation through their own weak endeavors. Instead, God’s grace saves humans – through the unconditional love of the divine being, demonstrated on earth by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God extends this gift, the gift of grace, to those whom he has preordained (selected) for salvation. Humans are, therefore, justified – made worthwhile of salvation – by their faith in God’s grace. Works of piety and charity are signs of that faith, but they do not save the soul. They are merely signs of each believer’s invisible spiritual state, known to God alone. This was not a unique thought to Luther, as others also were of the same mind (Cole & Symes, 2020).
Others had come up with unique understandings of salvation through their scripture readings. While not disregarding the value of faith, these others highlighted the essential role that the Church and its sacraments played in the role of salvation. The Church characterized the process of salvation in measurable terms, teaching that penance owed for sins could be reduced by performing specific actions, making pilgrimages, or pious donations. These actions earned the “indulgence” of God to the degree merited by the piety of the action. Soon, these indulgences could be boughten for a price. The papacy had even begun to claim that the purchases of these indulgences could even aid the dead., meaning that faithful men and women could purchase these indulgences for departed members of one’s family or friends to diminish the sum of days or years spent in purgatory. There were many opponents of this practice long before Luther’s time. It had become known as simony, the sin of trading God’s grace for monies. Known as the scandal of indulgences is what drove Luther to focus his attention and write out his Ninety-Five Theses on the dismantlement of the doctrine of indulgences, which is dismantling the abuse of spiritual power and authority that the Church and papacy held—dismantling the selling of God—dismantling the notion that one could purchase their way into to heaven, purchase their way out of purgatory. As Luther’s Theses gained more notoriety, it was insisted that he withdraw his indictments against the Church; Luther only grew brasher. Luther went as far as to publicly maintain that all ecclesiastics, even the Pope, were imperfect men, and the highest authority was the certainty of scripture. Luther proposed an academic discussion on the indulgences of the Catholic Church hence his ninety-five theses (displayed on the door of the Church and intended for theological discussion among the Church faculty). Martin Luther was responding to what he saw as the corruption of papal power; in short, he was also responding to a trend that he saw as the sale of indulgences, the Church selling God. The Church was selling salvation through money, or what he defined as works. Going to mass, receiving sacraments – he argued what then was the sense of faith. He determined that man’s bond with God and man’s faith is really the one thing necessary for salvation. Man is justified to God, which is reconciled with God through his faith and through God’s own grace. Luther taught that the vocation of the Church, the papacy, and the Church’s administration were redundant for man’s salvation. This was possible as long as you cultivated a connection with God that was personal, as long as you had faith, as long as you were understanding the scriptures and learning them on your own, that these things were going to be sufficient for salvation (Cole & Symes, 2020).
After Pope Leo X released a papal edict claiming that Luther’s publication was a heretic piece of work and threatened him with ex-communication, Luther, the rebellious one, burned the edict instead of giving in to the Pope. This confirmed Luther’s heresy, and he was officially given over for penance to Frederick III, “the Wise” of Saxony. Unknown to the Pope, Frederick was also a critic of the papacy! Declaring that Luther having not received a fair hearing, Luther was taken to the city of Worms (VORMS) to be investigated by a special council known as the “diet.” A freshly elected Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, a well-established and connected ruler of many lands, presided over the diet. Given that Charles ruled such a vast geographical area with no contiguous borders, enormous challenges were posed. Because of these challenges, Charles had no other way to turn than to the prevailing religion of Rome; Catholicism. This left little doubt that Martin Luther would be condemned for heresy. However, Frederick “the Wise” again intervened and had Luther kidnapped and hidden away at Castle Wartburg. This prompted Charles to declare Luther now a criminal and outlaw from justice; however, this proclamation was never implemented. Luther returned triumphantly to Wittenberg and saw that his theses (ideals) were being put into practice, convincing several German princes to convert to Lutheranism. Once the conversion process succeeded, a new-found type of Christianity was founded in a little over a decade. During Luther’s time ensconced within Wittenberg, Luther vehemently began expressing his political and social views. He demanded that the godly (Protestant) potentates must be followed in all matters, and even “ungodly” ones should never be targets of dissent; tyranny “is not to be resisted but endured.” It is important to note that if it were not for the German princes embracing Lutheran religious practices, widespread assistance for Luther’s teachings would not have been enough for the success of the Reformation. Lutheranism was only prevalent in the territories where it was firmly established elsewhere. Followers were forced to abscond, face loss of life, or adapt to the Catholic way. Luther continuing his pamphlet publications gave German princes a new sense of justification for their independence. Luther pushed German princes to take possession of the wealth of the Church. Undoubtedly, personal convictions played a role in individual conversion cases; however, political and economic considerations were generally more decisive. Consolidation of power and authority could now be had by naming their own religious officials, cutting off fees to Rome, and curtailing the jurisdiction of the Church courts. No longer was a bishop or archbishop able to use his spiritual office to destabilize a temporal prince’s dominion. Many free cities considered adopting Lutheranism and acting independently established themselves as the supreme governing authorities within their jurisdictions, cutting local bishops or powerful monasteries. Given that the practical advantages of the new faith were overwhelming under Lutheranism, monasteries and convents could be shut down and their lands appropriated by the new sovereign, secular authorities. From the seeds sown by Luther, lasting roots were established wherein Lutheranism had become the state religion of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and elsewhere; other forms of Protestantism soon emerged from these seeds (Cole & Symes, 2020).
It commenced more of a party-political matter than a theological dispute. However, the truth of the political difference between Rome and England allowed the growing theological differences to come to the front. Until the split with Rome, the Pope and general councils of the Church settled doctrine. Church law was governed by canon law with final jurisdiction in Rome. Church levies were paid directly to Rome, and the Pope had a concluding say in the appointment of bishops. When theologian Martin Luther displayed his ninety-five theses at the entrance of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, he kick-started the Protestant Reformation. Then king Henry VIII did not need ninety-five reasons to split with the Catholic Church. Wanting a divorce from Queen Catherine as he was deeply infatuated with his queen’s lady in waiting, the Pope had none of it. Henry VIII separated from Queen Catherine of Aragon, married her lady in waiting (Anne Boleyn), and annulled his marriage to his former queen after naming a Protestant as the Bishop of Canterbury. Having been a faithful servant of the Catholic Church, on November 3, 1534, England divorced Rome, making the split official. This split from Rome has come to be called the “Act of Supremacy” Henry had made himself the new head of the Church of England. With this act, complete total control was gained over the land previously held by the Catholic Church; these were quickly sold off to help fund foreign wars in France. This spiritual battle continued even after Henry VIII’s death among his offspring. The act was repealed in 1554 by Henry’s only child with Catherine, Mary I, a Catholic, only to be undone a few years later by the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, the daughter of Anne Boleyn (Cole & Symes, 2020).
One of the ways the Catholic Church responded to Martin Luther’s actions and theses was by spending more money and building more Churches. The sale of indulgences was still raising substantial sums even after Luther’s Reformation had begun. As stated, Luther was labeled a heretic by the Church, was sent to worms, saved by Frederick the Wise, labeled an outlaw, then grew more assertive. Martin Luther declined to renounce or rescind any of his statements on the grounds of the Holy Scripture and his sense of right and wrong as led by God; he was resolved to stand strong in his beliefs. Having been excommunicated, Luther saw the movement he began widespread within a decade. In various regions of Europe, diverse Protestant faiths were taking hold of people. These varying forms of Protestantism transformed the political and religious backdrop of Europe and the fundamental forms of the family, including mindsets towards matrimony and sexuality. Some of these changes still shape our lives today. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic (“universal”) Church itself resurfaced in countless ways, unique from the medieval Church and more comparable to the Church of these days (Cole & Symes, 2020).
References:
Cole, J., & Symes, C. (2020). Western civilizations: Their history & their culture: Vol. Volume One (Brief Fifth Edition). W. W. Norton & Company.
How a century before Martin Luther, a reformer stood up to the Catholic Church with the cost of his life. (2019a, April 20). History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American History. http://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2019/4/7/how-a-century-before-martin-luther-a-reformer-stood-up-to-the-catholic-church-with-the-cost-of-his-life#.YYL4Z23MLrc=
Luther, M. (2017). Bondage of the will. Monergism Books. file:///C:/Users/lesbo/OneDrive/Desktop/Western%20Civilizations/The%20Bondage%20of%20the%20Will%20-%20Martin%20Luther2.pdf
“ROMANS 1:17 KJV ‘for Therein Is the Righteousness of God Revealed from Faith to Faith: As It Is Written, the Just Shall Live by Faith.'” Www.kingjamesbibleonline.org, www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Romans-1-17/.
