Martin Luther's Impact on the Catholic Church

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Introduction

Martin Luther was a Monk, Priest and Theologian born in late 1483 in the German town of Eisleben. His father owned a copper mine and had always wished for his son to go into civil service. When Luther was seventeen he arrived at the University of Erfurt. By 1502, Luther had already received his bachelor’s degree and by 1505 he had a Master’s degree. The same year, while returning to University, he was caught in a tremendous thunderstorm. A lightening bolt struck near him and terrified, he cried out, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk!”. Luther lived, and keeping to his promise, he dropped out of university and entered the monastery.

Religious issues the person responded to.

Martin Luther responded to the exploitation delivered by the Roman Catholic Church. Upon travelling to Rome in 1517, Luther was appalled by the conduct of most of the members of the church and its hierarchy, especially the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were a remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, a form of buying yourself out of sin so that the parishioner could proceed to heaven. The Pope was involved with the sale of indulgences, using it as a method of raising money for the building of St. Peter basilica. Believing that actions and practice are what redeems a person of sins and not a piece of paper, Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses and nailed it to the church door at Wittenberg. He had no intention of opposing or challenging the church, however the Pope saw it as heresy as Luther had included many ideas that were associated with people of high positions within the church, such as number eighty-one "Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter...

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"Religion and the Church - Life in Germany During the Middle Ages - Medieval Germany - History - Germany - Europe." Countries Quest. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. .

"Religion and the Church - Life in Germany During the Middle Ages - Medieval Germany - History - Germany - Europe." Countries Quest. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. .

"Religion and the Church - Life in Germany During the Middle Ages - Medieval Germany - History - Germany - Europe." Countries Quest. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. .

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