Essay On Martin Luther's Influence On Women

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Martin Luther, was a major proponent of the Protestant Reformation, which emphasized political and social reform within the religious sector. While Luther was not the first to object to the injustices of the Catholic Church, he was a leading figure in the German Reformation. As revolutionary as Luther was, his stagnant views on women are reflective of sixteenth century patriarchal society. Luther transformed the concept of marriage and the acceptance of life-long chastity. Luther emphasized God’s expectations for man by stating how God expected the same level of obedience from all people, and that God endorsed faith alone, which contradicted the commands of the Catholic Church. Obedience was a requirement for both sexes, but more so from women. …show more content…

Luther appears to contradict his opinion of women. He emphasizes a woman’s importance in the raising of perfect Protestant children and her role in helping to create a perfect union in the eyes of God. However, Luther then downplays a woman’s importance in the marriage and demands her upmost obedience in domestic chores and in the marital relationship. Luther’s interest in women does not stray from how well women can be utilized in carrying on a man’s legacy and her role in a marital union with …show more content…

Many women of the Catholic faith were obviously quite reluctant to renounce their positions in convents, and the trust in their God. For instance, Caritas Pirckheimer, the abbess of the Convent of St. Clare, recorded her struggle and her defense of convent life and of the Roman Catholic religion in the area. As she advocated equal rights and the right to choose individual lifestyles and faiths, Pirckheimer represented many Catholic women whose voices were not

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