Summary Of Martin Luther's Freedom Of A Christian

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).

member of the society and obey the laws of the government. Luther reminds us to “Behave in such a way that you bear everything so that you may not need the governing authority to help you and serve you, but that you in turn may help and serve it, being beneficial to it” (Luther 436). Being a part of the Kingdom of the World requires us to know what our duties, rights, and obligations are so that we can have the correct relationship with the state. As a Christian it is our responsibility to advance the prosperity of our country and oppose the views that try to limit our salvation and our beliefs. Luther allows individuals to serve the governing authority so that they may protect it from becoming worse and for the interest of others.

Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. It contained a series of 95 complaints that the once monk had with the church. He was steadfast in his efforts to get the church to change. Even refusing to repeal his complaints when threatened with excommunication.

The letter written by Martin Luther to the Archbishop of Mainz stated simply, clarifies why indulgences should not be sold. Martin Luther implores with the Archbishop to have pity on him for being so opinionated to a person so holy and significant, as ordinarily he would not dare, but he must tell the Archbishop his thoughts. To be specific, his long-time disagreement with the selling of indulgences, but he can stand it no longer. The Archbishop is warned that St Peter’s is selling the indulgences under his name. The letter then explains that the obtaining of these indulgences causes the people to believe that they and their loved ones are saved from Purgatory. No matter how appalling the crime a person has committed, if they purchase these

Martin Luther's "The Freedom of a Christian" discusses an in-depth look into the Christian faith, God's work in each individual. Refusing to believe in the established doctrine, Luther wrote this reforming treatise in response to Pope Leo's criticisms and to further explain the theological and ideological core of his thinking. Nevertheless, Luther centered his ideas around the concept that the joys and freedoms of a Christian were that in faith; humans, as sinners, should not look at ourselves, but instead at God's goodness. He goes on to elaborate that through the justification by faith, humans grasp the meaning of a whole Christian life. Throughout "The Freedom of a Christian", Luther expands on the threefold power of faith: faith frees

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 wrote the 95 thesis after his experience with lightening. One day he was out in a field and lightening hit a tree nearby right then he decided that he wanted to be a monk since God let him live. Then the 95 Theses was written in 1517 by a professor named Martin Luther. He wrote the 95 theses to express his concern of the corruption of the church. So basically 95 things he did not like about the church.

The theses were written in 1517. They were written by martin luther. He was a german priest at a catholic church. He later broke apart from the church because he believed differently. Later he wrote the ninety-five theses and posted or hung the on the doors of the churches. Then the church kicked him out of the church. His theses were also called the reform of the catholic church. People started to turn to agree with Luther.People started to believe in his ninety-five theses and the church hated him for that. There is now lutheranism, which is his beliefs.

Martin Luther’s three major treaties were “attempts to persuade Pope Leo X and Roman Catholics that the theology of the Reformation was not a novelty in the faith, but a pure confession of the Word of God and consistent with the truth of the Holy Scriptures” Each one focused on various practices and beliefs of the Catholic Church that Martin Luther deemed were wrong. One of Martin Luther 's three major treatises, On A Freedom of a Christian, reprimands the widely held Christian belief that good works justified our salvation. Martin Luther had hoped that his writings would educate and remind the people and religious officials that salvation stems from our faith. Faith should not be categorized as a virtue but rather a trust in God in which one builds when they encounter the trials and temptations in life. Therefore, it is the Gospel, the word of God, that sets the Christian believer free. However, this new insight had led people to believe that both faith and good works is necessary for justification. Martin Luther wanted to separate the truth from the false teachings. Therefore, Martin Luther explains that although the Christian is freed good works are still compulsory because it’s function is to help Christians discipline themselves in order to better serve the needs of their neighbor as long as they have the faith first in order for their works to be considered good and pleasing to God.

During the course there were very interesting people and events, but Martin Luther was who I consider the most interesting. There are several reasons why this character caught my eye. In the first instance, Martin Luther begins a reform and separation of the Catholic religion with his "Ninety-five Theses", in which he does not agree with the position of the church and the Pope due to indulgencies. These indulgences were bought by the parishioners, and by this action their sins were forgiven for which they did not need confession. According to Luther, after analyzing the Bible, the only source of salvation was to have faith in the promises of God made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. To this point I find the reform of Martin

Snap! A snapshot of the 21st Century would show someone major advances in technology and society. The 21st Century is not the only time when these major advances were made, though. In fact, the Renaissance was the time when the biggest changes were made and the newest technologies were discovered, laying a solid foundation for the next generations to be able to build off of. The Renaissance literally means “rebirth” (Esko, Sturdivant, Maddy), and this time period was when people explored and wandered upon new continents (Renaissance). It was majorly focused on the doing of man (Esko, Sturdivant, Maddy), and it helped people to break away from the ways of the church

My personal idea of freedom is different from Luther’s. I don’t consider myself to be very spiritual, so I can’t speak to my own concept of religious freedom, but to me, freedom is represented by events in my life where I am completely independent. Luther preaches to the Christians about the idea of freedom, and how they are free from the works, because their faith in God is most important. “A Christian

While many may view a Christian bound to their faith and dutiful piety, Luther shines a different light on Christianity. “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” (Luther, 53) Martin Luther claimed God was an exclusive presence in the conscience of his followers and implying that a dutiful and faithful Christian is responsible follower of God. The result of Luther’s teaching inadvertently demonstrated that salvation did not hinge on the followers obedience to the authority of the priesthood or the church. Nor did salvation fall to the secular authority, to which affected the regulation of bodies and righteous behavior, to discipline and punish the souls of their subjects. Therefore, whether intentionally or not, Luther started the idea of public veneration of freethinking and eventually an individual’s freedom to worship. “It is evident no external thing has any evidence in producing Christian righteousness or freedom…” (Luther. 59) This quote further demonstrates Luther’s point concerning the unimportance of sacraments, fasting, relics, and the like. The inner person has nothing to spiritually gain from external acts such as fasting, going on pilgrimages, or performing “sacred”

Martin Luther’s On Christian Liberty was written as a way to explain his theology of justification by faith. His work was written for many different people. His followers, people who disbelieved him and people who were also confused by his theology. In order to make the way smoother for the unlearned, Luther sets down two propositions. The first is “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none,” and the second proposition is “A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all” (Luther, 2). While these two theses may seem to contradict one another they both make perfect sense in the way individuals should lead their life. The first proposition explains that humans are free since there is nobody controlling our

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony. However, in July 1505, Luther had a life-changing experience that set him on a new course. Caught in a horrific thunderstorm where he feared for his life, Luther cried out to St. Anne, the patron saint of miners, “Save me, St. Anne, and I’ll become a monk!” The storm subsided and he was saved.