Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon's Contributions in Educational Reform in the Protestant Reformation
The life of Martin Luther is frequently studied and his ideas are
widely known. Accounts of the nailing of his Ninety-Five theses on the
door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and his condemnation at the
Diet of Worms are considered by many in the western world to be common
knowledge. What is less frequently explored; however, are his vast
achievements outside of his direct conflict with the Catholic Church.
A major example of this is Luther's achievement in educational reform.
Although at first Luther resisted new forms of education, he came to
view schools as powerful tools for getting his message and religious
teachings across to the people, specifically the youth, of Germany.
Following this realization, Luther became one of the most fervent
supporters of universal education. The spread of Luther's ideas of
religious reform and the spread of schools and educational reform are
inextricably linked. For Luther's religious vision to be realized
among all people, it became clear that new institutions of learning
were essential. In collaboration with scholars and reformers like
Phillip Melanchthon, Luther successfully implemented new educational
programs and bolstered government support and control of schools.
Phillip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was a German scholar and religious
reformer educated at the universities of Heidelberg and Tübingen. He
was elected to the chair of Greek at the University of Wittenberg in
1518, mostly because of the support of his uncle, Johann Reuchlin, a
famous German humanist who had powerful political con...
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...iversity Press, 2001), 242
[6] Chadwick, 242.
[7] Gerald Strauss, "The Social Function of Schools in the Lutheran
Reformation in
Germany," History of Education Quarterly, 28(2) (1988): 202.
[8] Chadwick, 92.
[9] Lindberg, 127.
[10] "Protestantism," Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2002 ed.
[11] Strauss, 196.
[12] Strauss, 196.
[13] Strauss, 192.
[14] Gowthrop and Strauss, 39.
[15] Lindberg, 127.
[16] Strauss, 193.
[17] Martin Luther, "On Governmental Authority," in The Protestant
Reformation, ed. Hans J. Hillerbrand, (New York: Harper and Row, 1968)
43-44.
[18] Luther, 47.
[19] Signe Sandsmark, "A Lutheren Perspective on Education," Journal
of Education and Christian Belief, 6:2 (2002): 101.
[20] Luther, 55.
[21] Strauss, 195.
[22] Strauss, 195.
All of Europe used to be united under one religion, Catholicism. Europe started inching away from Catholicism during the 13th - 15th centuries. The church leaders started to only think about money and the power they held, instead of the real reason they were supposed to be there, God. This caused an uprising of people who no longer wanted to be a part of the Catholic church, nicknamed Protestants because they protested the ways of the catholic church. The Protestant Reformation was caused by corruption in the church, Martin Luther and John Calvin’s ideas, and the clergy and their preachings.
There are so many causes from the Protestant Reformation. In the Protestant, there was three different sections that got affected more the the others. When the Protestant Reformation happened it affected the Sociality, Political, and Economic the most.
Martin Luther desired to reform the Church because he believed that it was corrupt and wanted to be seen as the gateway to Heaven. In Luther’s eyes, the Roman Catholic Church was teaching the wrong things and showing bad behavior. Because of this, Martin Luther, being a conscientious friar and professor of theology, did not feel secure in the idea of salvation. The Church was teaching that salvation came through faith AND good works while Luther concluded
James Kittelson’s biography on the life of Luther is thought provoking and informative. Kittelson does not have a concise thesis, but as it is a biography the central theme of Luther the Reformer is an insightful narrative of Martin Luther’s life from his birth in Eisleben until his death on February 18, 1546 in Eisleben. Kittelson thoroughly and with great detail and sources explains Luther’s mission to reform the catholic church. Luther the Reformer seeks to condense Luther’s life in a manner which is more easily read for those who do not know the reformer’s story well. Luther is portrayed not only as a theologian throughout the book, but as a person with struggles and connections throughout the Germanic region in which he lived. Luther’s theology is portrayed throughout the entirety of the book, and Kittelson approaches Luther’s theology by explaining Luther’s past. The inclusion of
Roland H. Bainton opens the door to the life of Martin Luther one the greatest theologians of all time. Dr. Bainton, who was a minister along with serving as a faculty member for forty-two years at Yale’s school of Divinity. Mr. Bainton celebrates the life of this great Christian leader, by bringing to life one of the greatest events in the history of the Christian church and society which was the Great Reformation of the fifteen hundreds. The church-history changing act of nailing his 95 theses to the church door of Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 set Luther on course to become a man worthy of study by those who follow him and seek biblical truth. In Dr. Bainton’s work “Here I Stand” we will investigate Martin Luther’s stand
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. He was a German monk, priest, professor, theologian and church reformer. His teaching helped to inspire the Reformation, and influenced the doctrines of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, as well as the course of western civilization. Luther's works and writing helped bring the Middle Ages to a close, and brought about the Modern Era of western civilization. His translation of the Bible furthered the development of a standardized German language. Due to the development of the printing press, his teachings were widely read and influenced many reformers and thinkers. (Peterson 1)
Martin Luther, On Government Authority, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 74
" Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 21: 60-67. Print. The. Spitz, Lewis William. The Protestant Reformation.
The political organization and religion aspects during the 16th century influenced Protestant Reformation to occur in Germany. Martin Luther’s writings reflect on his views and perspectives of German politics and religion at the time. Martin Luther’s ideas in the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and The Statement of Grievances mentions Martin Luther’s thoughts about how corrupt the church is, why the corruption in the church needs to end, and what Martin Luther’s ideas are to change the way of the church.
* David Calhoun. “A Mighty Fortress is Our God: The Life of Martin Luther“ in his lecture series Reformation and Modern Church History, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, Spring 2006.
with his 95 Theses. A strict father who most likely did not accept “no” as an
King Jr., Martin Luther, ed. Readings in Christian Ethics: A Historical Sourcebook. Edited by J. Philip Wogaman and Douglas M. Strong. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.
The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century is one of the most complex movements in European history since the fall of the Roman Empire. The Reformation truly ends the Middle Ages and begins a new era in the history of Western Civilization. The Reformation ended the religious unity of Europe and ushered in 150 years of religious warfare. By the time the conflicts had ended, the political and social geography in the west had fundamentally changed. The Reformation would have been revolutionary enough of itself, but it coincided in time with the opening of the Western Hemisphere to the Europeans and the development of firearms as effective field weapons. It coincided, too, with the spread of Renaissance ideals from Italy and the first stirrings of the Scientific Revolution. Taken together, these developments transformed Europe.
Martin Luther was a friar very devoted to the Church but after analyzing all these aspects he decided to do something about it. On October 31, 1517 he attached to the door of Wittenberg Castle a list of 95 theses or propositions on indulgences. These theses criticized papal policies and were objections about he church put on hold for discussion.
Brecht, Martin, and Wolfgang Katenz. "Luther, Martin." The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation. Oxford University Press, 1996. Web. 3 Dec. 2011. .