Martin Luther
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Germany in the year 1483. He was born into a peasant family with eight siblings, four of which died before adulthood. In 1501 Luther began studying at the University of Erfurt where he received several degrees including a masters in logic and philosophy.
In 1505 Martin Luther experienced a life threatening storm. Fearing for his life he prayed “Save me, St. Anne, and I’ll become a monk!”. The storm eventually cleared and Luther set out in his new life path.
It wasn't until 1513 that Luther felt he had gained spiritual enlightenment. It was here where he developed the idea that the path to God is through faith alone which was to be the future foundation of his church.
In 1517 Pope Leo X announced new indulgences to fund the building of St Peter's Basilica. This was the final tipping point for Luther. He wrote a list of aspects of the Catholic Church which he believed were wrong ,commonly called the “95 Theses”. He stuck this to the door of Wittenberg University Church and it was spread throughout Germany. This sparked the beginning of the protestant reformation. In 1520 the Pope wrote a letter to Luther threatening him with excommunication if he did not recant his “95 Thesis”. Luther refused and burnt the letter publicly.
In 1521 Luther's writings were banned by the Edict of Worms and he was declared a “heretic”. With the help of some friends he went into hiding. In this time he translated the bible into German and acquired a small following. In May 1522 Luther began his own church called Lutheranism which gained the support of several German Princes and spread throughout Europe .
What he believed
Martin Luther had two main beliefs he wanted to be made prominent in the church. He believed that the Bible is the only central authority of Christianity and that humans can only gain God’s salvation through faith. He opposed Catholic practises of indulgences and challenged the corruption of the church in the 16th century. He publicly spread these ideas throughout Germany in his “95 Thesis”. These were also the major ideas that his new church was based upon.
In 1505 Martin Luther experienced a life threatening storm. Fearing for his life he prayed “Save me, St. Anne, and I’ll become a monk!”. The storm eventually cleared and Luther set out in his new life path.
It wasn't until 1513 that Luther felt he had gained spiritual enlightenment. It was here where he developed the idea that the path to God is through faith alone which was to be the future foundation of his church.
In 1517 Pope Leo X announced new indulgences to fund the building of St Peter's Basilica. This was the final tipping point for Luther. He wrote a list of aspects of the Catholic Church which he believed were wrong ,commonly called the “95 Theses”. He stuck this to the door of Wittenberg University Church and it was spread throughout Germany. This sparked the beginning of the protestant reformation. In 1520 the Pope wrote a letter to Luther threatening him with excommunication if he did not recant his “95 Thesis”. Luther refused and burnt the letter publicly.
In 1521 Luther's writings were banned by the Edict of Worms and he was declared a “heretic”. With the help of some friends he went into hiding. In this time he translated the bible into German and acquired a small following. In May 1522 Luther began his own church called Lutheranism which gained the support of several German Princes and spread throughout Europe .
What he believed
Martin Luther had two main beliefs he wanted to be made prominent in the church. He believed that the Bible is the only central authority of Christianity and that humans can only gain God’s salvation through faith. He opposed Catholic practises of indulgences and challenged the corruption of the church in the 16th century. He publicly spread these ideas throughout Germany in his “95 Thesis”. These were also the major ideas that his new church was based upon.