Martin Luther’s Concerning Christian Liberty and Desiderius Erasmus’ The Praise of Folly are about the different lines of attack on the Catholic Church. Martin Luther was a North German Augustinian friar, a Catholic priest, and a professor of theology who protested the abuses in the Church and called for reform. Erasmus was German by birth, interested in acts of good, wanted to find common factors between reason and Christianity, focused on the bible in its original papal form, believed in human correct ability, and did not believe in original sin. He highly criticized the Catholic Church at this time and called for reform, as well. They both attacked the Roman Catholic Church in their works; however, Martin Luther wanted reformation in practice and doctrine, while Erasmus wanted a moral reformation in the Church. Concerning Christian Liberty and The Praise of Folly were written in the early 1500’s and they both focused on the subject area of religion.
Martin Luther poked at the Church practice of the sale of indulgences, which was the full or partial grant of the forgiveness and pardoning of the penalties of sin. He did this with the 95 Theses. The 95 Theses were ideas that Luther posted on the Church doors in Wittenburg, Germany stating that he wanted the Catholic Church to change their current corrupted ways. “To Luther, the sale of indulgences made a mockery of God’s gifts, so he took a stance against the abuses of the Church with his work.” The situation surrounding the theses were the activities of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was highly criticized by Luther in his work because it became too powerful and there was corruption in the system. The Church became less religious and became more of a political entry, making the Church ruthless. Luther believed that the Church should become concerned about the general well-being of the Catholic people and that salvation should be for everybody, not for the people who buy their way in using indulgences. In Concerning Christian Liberty, he discussed the wrongs, like corruption, of the Catholic Church to Pope Leo X. “You see, however, which is called the Court of Rome, and which neither you nor any man can deny to be more corrupt than Babylon or
The 95 theses are a list of things that is wrong with the Catholic Church. The Ninety-Five theses questioned the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences. Luther argued that Christian were being falsely told that they could obtain absolution for souls by buying indulgences. The 95 Theses, which would later become the foundation of the Protestant Reformation, were written in a remarkably humble and academic tone. Luther criticized the pope, extreme wealth of the church, and indulgences in the 95 theses. Luther realized that only faith, not
Martin Luther changes his attitude between 1517 to 1535 is because now he has more popularity that he has grown more confidence to debate the Catholic Church ideals. Martin was a German monk who believed in God and didn’t argue with the Catholic Church ideas. The main idea Martin disagreed with the Catholic Church for was when they started to sell indulgences to people, to raise money, and to buy art. Martins Luther voiced his concerns that were his 95 Theses. For example, he states that he “has so much boldness that [he has] dared to think of [writing] a letter to someone of [the Pope’s] sublimity…. [he] [grieves] over the wholly false impressions which people have conceived from [Indulgences]” (Document A). This demonstrates that Martin
The first of these two reformations was Martin Luther in 1517. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral. Although, initially he intended it to be a means to invite theological discussion, this simple act would generate one of the greatest religious movements in history “The Reformation.” Luther, like many people at this time, was frustrated by the Catholic religious practices, especially the sale of indulgence, corruption, and the emphasis on salvation through works and not atonement. Luther’s compassion succeeded in starting a religious revolution and later bringing change to the Protestant and Catholic Church.
Martin Luther was already questioning his catholic fate and this became worse when the pope allowed John Tetzel to sell indulgences. Luther strongly believed that the Catholic Church was conning the people of Wittenberg into believing they could pay off their sins. Indulgences are a remission of the purgatorial punishment due for sins according to the Roman Church. In acknowledgement to Tetzel’s actions, Luther wrote the “95 Theses”. The 95 Theses was a criticism of indulgences and it had ninety five points attacking the churches practices selling indulgences.
He would sell items from churches and often the churches themselves; this would later provide funding to go to war. Although Henry’s involvement in the reformation appeared to derive entirely from self-interest, it later proved to be useful and resulted in many of the same changes in England as Luther had brought about in the Holy Roman Empire. But Luther mainly disagreed with the selling of indulgences in the church and then later on added ideas of "salvation by faith alone" and how to live as our savior Christ did. The purpose of the 95 Thesis was to invite local scholars to a disputation on indulgences. He addressed a lot of hierarchy issues within the church. According to the 95 Theses, Martin Luther mainly focuses on no longer God but was men, some of which shouldn't have been in the positions they were in. The other main focus was that people were thinking they didn't have a direct link with God but that there were middlemen whom they had to approach to reach God. Finally, the Popes at church were not paying enough attention to those outside who were suffering and poor.
The Protestant Reformation began during the Renaissance time period, it was the attempt to reform the Roman Catholic church. It led to the creation of Protestant churches. This reformation began after multiple church leaders started demanding individuals to supply them with such large quantities of goods, food, and money that individuals did not have much left to provide to their own family. Several believed if they did not contribute and present the church with what they asked, they would be denied entrance to heaven once they passed away. People saw how the church thrived while those who contributed were ravenous and penniless. Martin Luther, a monk, noticed several inaccuracies between what the Roman Catholic Church practiced and the Bible as he studied the Bible. He decided to speak out by creating the 95 Theses, and nailing it on the entrance of a catholic church. Protestants who had similar view as Luther’s began Luther-ism. John Calvin, had very similar views as Luther and was even inspired by him to reform the Catholic Church as well. I most admire Martin Luther because of how he spoke up and protested against the Roman Catholic church when he knew it could put him in danger, but I am most similar to John Calvin because of how he believes in predestination and how faith is revealed by living a righteous life.
In document seven, Martin Luther criticizes the pope and the Church for their use of indulgences. Luther claims that people are falsely being forgiven for their sins with the use of money. He thinks this is teaching the false doctrine of money being more important than ethics. People should be forgiven by God, not by money, and should do so through helping the needy instead of buying the indulgences.
Martin Luther was a German professor of theology at Wittensberg. He later left his studies to peruse monkhood. In doing this, Luther had a lot of time to think about his relationship with God and realize the flaws in the church. Luther disagreed with many teachings/ ideas of the Roman Church, which he than acted upon. He strongly disputed the idea that one can obtain freedom from God 's punishment for committing sin by purchasing an expensive piece of paper from the church called an Indulgence. He wrote all about the usefulness of indulgences in community in a very sarcastic tone in Theses Ninety-Five in 1517. Although demanded, Luther refused to rid of his writings at the request of Pope Charles V.
Martin Luther was a German priest and professor of theology at Wittenberg University. He was also the author of the 95 Theses. The 95 Theses was written shortly after visiting Rome in 1510. While on his visit he became disgusted by the behavior of the Church and officials in regards to the sale of indulgences.
Over the next few years, Martin Luther began to believe that the Catholic Church was being dishonest. This lead Martin Luther to post his ‘95 theses’ against the practice of selling indulgence (Lutheranism). He hoped for a reformation of the church, however once it became obvious to him that a reformation would not occur; he began to share his own views. He continued to inform people on his perspective, regardless of being excommunicated from the church.
This fundamental difference from the Catholic dogma that one could buy salvation to Luther’s new ideas as way to Heaven began to transform many people’s beliefs. Supporters of Luther adopted the concept of faith and knowledge of God as a way to repent their sins, and eventually, it reshaped the Christian culture. As Luther personally struggled to be a “perfect” monk, he discovered that faith in the gospel was the only way to be “made righteous by God”(roper 78). In response to his distress for his laity’s desire to buy indulgences, Luther wrote the “95 Theses on the Power of Indulgences.” He knew he was attacking the pope and the values of the church, but records show that he felt “...not fully in control of his actions, but handed over responsibility to a higher power”(84 roper). Cleary, Luther felt a spiritual connection with God and indulgences were in direct opposition to faith. His revolutionary claims in the “95 Theses on the Power of Indulgences” caused a conflict that would eventually be known as the Protestant Reformation.
95 Theses Essay: The 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences are the things that Martin Luther, a priest and professor of theology, wrote in 1517 to express what he thought was wrong with the Catholic Church. The 95 Theses were held in one of Europe’s largest collections of holy relics, the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Saxony, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Many view Martin Luther as "a man destined to confront the Catholic Church." At the age of 21, he leaves his family to become an Augustinian monk. Eventually, the church began to sell indulgences, or "a declaration by church authorities that those who say certain prayers or do good deeds will have some or all of their punishment in purgatory remitted." Martin Luther knew that something had gone wrong in the church, so he created the 95 Theses, which were a list of propositions for debate. His theses "challenged the teachings of the Catholic Church on the nature of penance, the authority of the Pope and the usefulness of indulgences." Many historians today say that on October 31, 1517 Luther disobiediently nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to
Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, focusing on the justification of the sinner. The two significant contributions that Luther stresses in his theology include: the terrible nature of sin as an offense against God, and the suffering of Jesus on behalf of the sinners (5.2 study notes).
Martin Luther’s pamphlet entitles The Freedom of a Christian first published in 1520 was a reaction to the Pope’s criticism’s of his religious teachings. Luther was believed by the Pope and many other s to be opposed to the Catholic religion, however this was not the case. Rather he felt that the Catholic Church was misguided when it came to what he viewed as being crucial aspects of the religion. Luther felt that they should admit their errors and thus in The Freedom of a Christian Luther seeks to explain to the Pope why he believes he is correct and the Catholic Church is mistook.