Martin Luther 's Transformation Of Christianity

Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career by James M. Kittelson is a biography of the famous German monk turned theologian and reformer, Martin Luther. This is one of the most influential men in history, and as a matter of fact, “In most big libraries, books by and about Martin Luther occupy more shelf room than those concerned with any other human being except Jesus of Nazareth” (Kittelson 9). This fame of Luther’s isn’t only postmortem, “This extraordinary interest in an extraordinary man reaches back almost half a millennium. Even in his own time Luther was a ‘media personality’ the first of such in three thousand years of human history” (Kittelson 9). Luther was a subject of great controversy in his own time, as well as in our, and it has only driven his name and message into the spotlight. No matter or what one aligns himself with, “People still find themselves taking sides on the question of Luther” (Kittelson 9). It is for this reason that James M. Kittelson wrote this survey. He tells us that “The primary purpose of this book is to tell the story of Martin Luther to readers who are not specialists in the field of Luther studies” (Kittelson 10). This book is a general overview of all aspects of Luther, not just a precise dissection of one aspect, which allows for “as faithful a picture as possible of the whole man” (Kittelson 11).

Martin Luther was the unwitting founder of the Protestant Reformation. He wrote many books, "95 Theses", "On Christian Liberty", "Large Catechism", "Table Talk", "Small Catechism", "On the Jews and Their Lies", "Luther Bible", "On the Bondage of the Will", "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation", "On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church", "A Simple Way to Pray", and "Commentary on Galatians". His writings fractionalized the Catholic Church and sparked the Protestant Reformation. He was the catalyst of the Protestant Reforamtion, his writings and actions precipatated a movement that reformulated certain principles of Christianity. Which resulted in resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new

Martin Luther was a large figure in the protestant reformation, a monk a priest, composer and also a German professor of theology that inspired Martin Sr. Martin Luther was a man of god who believed that the bible was the only source of religious authority and you can only gain salvation from believing in Jesus and God. As such he challenged the preaching and teachings of the Catholic church. Martin

Martin Luther grew up in a home with very strict parents. As a result, Luther’s childhood was plagued with anxiety at home and at school. Because his father planned for him to become a lawyer, shortly after receiving a Master of Arts degree from Erfurt University he returned to the university to study law. Consequently, after a life threatening experience in a storm, Luther left the university and joined a monastery. In 1505, Luther became an Augustinian monk and subsequently became a priest in 1507. According to John Dillenberger, “Luther was extremely sensitive to the problem of how to become worthy to receive the grace of God rather than the damning consequences of His righteousness”.

Martin Luther, born in 1483, grew up in a devout Roman Catholic household, where the church stood at the center of his world. However, he suffered at the hand of his parents’ harsh criticism. His father had emerged from the feudal system into the new middle class as a successful Coppersmith. His desire was for his son to also climb the social ladder. To assist with his son’s success, Luther’s father was a fierce judge of the character of his son, and often punished him severely for his failures. From these experiences, Luther developed a low self-esteem and fear of failure, which encroached on every aspect of his life, including his theology.

During the 1500’s a movement away from traditional Catholicism started to take hold. The most notable figure during this time was Martin Luther. He had ideals that, at the time, were extremely radical. As Gerald Strauss put it, “His doctrine of the two realms- the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the world, derived directly from Augustine – entailed the strictest segregation of things spiritual and things material” (22). He did not believe that the people of the church had any right to control the population at large. He believed that they were meant to be spiritual guides, not rulers, and that they wielded way too much control over the common people. One of the most radical things that he did, which was also the most influential

This paper will address the churches political and religious practices that Luther disagreed with, the theses he posted on the church board, what he did to show his disagreement and gather support from the community and how he was able to challenge the church at the

Using the Ninety-Five Theses, Martin Luther almost single handedly lead the reformation of the Protestants in 1520. Although his father was strict, Luther followed his own path by questioning the limits of the church. Because of this, the church shunned Luther and punished him accordingly. Luther spent most of his time studying writings by Augustine which he used these ideas to influence the way Christianity is practiced today. Creating Lutheranism as well as the basic concepts for many branches of religions today.

Martin Luther was arguably one of the most important figures in the entire history of Christianity. If the creation of the Lutheran Church was not enough of an accomplishment, he can also be credited with orchestrating the division of the Catholic and Protestant churches. Even as a young Augustinian Monk Martin Luther was convinced the Catholic Church had lost its way. He obsessed over his purity and relationship with God, and strongly believed the Catholic Church had lost its way over the selling of “Indulgences”. Essentially, how the Church misinterpreted and taught the concepts of sin relative to temporal and eternal punishment. He was destined to confront the Catholic Church which he did and ultimately led to the separation events that are still highly relevant to this day. This was the primary driver for the first phase of his rebellion. The second was his German translation of the New Testament, which he used to both teach anyone to read and learn the holy book.

In the early 16th century, Martin Luther was studying law at the University of Erfurt. Shortly into his studies Luther was struck by lightning and was met by many emotional changes. From this obscure event, Luther entered the Augustinian Monastery and became a monk. Since the beginning of Luther’s career as a priest and teacher of theology, his criticism with the church was prominent. This sparked the beginning of him becoming a reformer. In his personal torment of gaining God’s grace, he saw changes that needed to be met within the Roman Catholic Church. The

The change that Luther caused was, in the history of the Christian church, a rapid one. To change something during a person’s life time, was fast compared to 16 centuries of tradition. The complete change that took place was that man could talk to God directly, without an intermediary. Within the Christian church the believers traditionally went to the priest asking for forgiveness. The priest then in turn would talk to God and receive an answer. (World Channel)

Martin Luther was a Monk, Priest and Theologian born in late 1483 in the German town of Eisleben. His father owned a copper mine and had always wished for his son to go into civil service. When Luther was seventeen he arrived at the University of Erfurt. By 1502, Luther had already received his bachelor’s degree and by 1505 he had a Master’s degree. The same year, while returning to University, he was caught in a tremendous thunderstorm. A lightening bolt struck near him and terrified, he cried out, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk!”. Luther lived, and keeping to his promise, he dropped out of university and entered the monastery.

The first step of the Protestant Reformation was carried out by a monk called Martin Luther to adjust the unfairness of the Catholic Church. He believed that the Christian faith was a simple religion, misrepresented on account of inadequate papal authority. Like the Roman Empire the Church had broadened its territorial domain and bureaucratic function. The moral authority of the church was corrupted because of its tainted clerical practices. In his Ninety-Five Theses, Martin mainly targeted the doctrine of indulgences. Also, Luther argued that the relationship between man and God is nurtured by individual faith and subject to no greater authority than the Bible and the person should actively participate in his/her faith. Thus Luther

A German Augustinian friar, Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. Luther grew up the son of a miner, but he did not maintain that lifestyle for himself. He lived in a period that had a widespread desire for reformation of the Christian church and a yearning for salvation.

Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian theologian, Augustinian monk, professor, pastor, and church reformer whose teachings inspired the Lutheran Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian traditions. Luther began the Protestant Reformation with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. In this publication, he attacked the Church's sale of indulgences. He advocated a theology that rested on God's gracious activity in Jesus Christ, rather than in human works. Nearly all Protestants trace their history back to Luther in one way or another. Luther's relationship to philosophy is complex and should not be judged only by his famous