Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Who was Martin Luther, and what is his importance to today?

After posting his "Ninety-Five Theses" on the castle church door--a type of blackboard for discussion at the university--Jon Tetzel, a Dominican monk who was a successful indulgence preacher saw Luther as attacking the entire penitential system of the Church, striking at the root of papal authority.  Luther was disciplined and promised to be silent.

However, when Roman law was imposed on Germany, it reduced the lower nobility to serfdom.  Along with the humanist movement, a change was desired and Luther and his writings became the voice of nationalistic aspirations.  At the Diet of Worms Assembly in 1521, Luther presented his points, points that became the foundation of Protestanism:

  • The Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority
  • Man is deprived of free will
  • Hierarchy and priesthood are not Divinely instituted; priesthood is universal
  • Only the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist are necessary; faith supplies the others
  • There is no visible Church or specially established one by God whereby men may work out their salvation.

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