Martin Luther's Influence On Religion

November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire, a role model for all Christians worldwide, was born. His name was Martin Luther, and this man changed the course of history forever. The Holy Roman Empire was an era where there was feudalism and a time of institutional growth and also a period of political importance. This empire encompassed the countries we know today as Czech and Slovak Republics, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and also eastern parts of France, Slovenia, northern Italy, and western Poland. The Holy Roman Empire lasted from 962 CE all the way until 1806 CE. That in all, is 844 years of many Popes, wars between countries, and a large number of different rulers.

Martin Luther took a stand against the most powerful leader of his time, the Pope . He championed the ideas that opposed the dominant Catholic beliefs, and created the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was one of the most influential characters of religious history.
Taking A Stand:
Martin Luther (when he was a child it was Luder and later became Luther) was born November 10, 1483, and died February 18, 1546, from a stroke. Martin Luther grew up during a tense time of the Holy Roman Empire. Hans Luther, who was a farmer's son and the father of Martin, moved from Eisleben to Mansfeld, Germany shortly after Martin was born. Their family, at the time, was not financially successful. They relocated so Hans could acquire a copper mining job.
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The father was thriving with his new job, and also the Luther family was greatly respected in Mansfeld around 1491. Martin Luther’s mother was named Margarette Luther. She grew up from a very small family and mostly a wealthy and peaceful childhood. When she married Hans, they had three children to look after, and her disciplinary system for her children was not as easygoing as her upbringing was. Margarette’s ways of instruction were very harsh for minor mistakes. As Martin Luther once mentioned, “For the sake of stealing a nut, my mother once beat me until the blood flowed” (pbs.org). Martin Luther’s father, Hans, was also abusive in his parenting techniques, and Luther suffered plenty from his father’s discipline. Martin Luther said, “My father once whipped me so hard I ran away - I hated him until he finally managed to win me back" (pbs.org). At the Latin School (Lateinschule) Martin Luther attended in Mansfeld, Germany, the instructors had a very uncivilized ways of discipline much like Luther’s parents had used. Martin was described as “A quiet, reserved yet talented student who was intimidated by the strict order” (Luther.de).
Martin Luther soon moved again to a town called Magdeburg in 1497. In Magdeburg, he attended an all-boys’ boarding school called “Brother’s for Living Together” (A boarding school; Bruder fuer Gemeinsamen Leben.) After living in Magdeburg, he moved in with relatives in a town called Eisenach. His father, Hans, had pulled him from Magdeburg because he wanted him to become a lawyer. Martin Luther was attending the town’s parish school while living in Eisenach. Because Martin Luther’s family was financially prosperous, he could afford to go to the University of Erfurt. He attended Erfurt from 1501 to 1505. At the University of Erfurt, Martin Luther received a Masters of Art’s degree in grammar, logic, rhetoric, astronomy, and metaphysics.
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It is said that when Martin Luther was only thirteen years old he started to develop a love for monastic living. Actually, July 2, 1505, Martin Luther was coming back to his hometown Mansfeld, Germany. He had been visiting his family on his way to Erfurt where he had recently passed a magistrate exam. According to legend, around the age of twenty Luther, “encountered a terrible thunderstorm, and suddenly one or more lightning bolts hit nearby. Some say he was himself struck by lightning and thrown to the ground, but survived” (christogenea.org). Martin Luther saw this incident as a sign from God. Martin Luther exclaimed soon after “Help! Dear Saint Anna! I want to become a monk!” (christogenea.org) Martin Luther then devoted his life to a monastic lifestyle but being a monk was not easy for Martin. Countless hours of prayer and non- stop fasting was required for monks. After his encounter with the lightning bolt, he went to the Augustinian monastery. Even though Martin was a full time monk, he did not give up his studies.
He continued to study in 1507, at Wittenberg, and sometime studied at Erfurt. As a part of the Augustinian monastery he was promoted to priest, but then a year later he became a professor in holy literature at Wittenberg. Then Luther decided to take a break from education and in 1510 to 1511 became a representative in Rome for the Augustinian monastery. He spent a month in Rome visiting other monasteries and learning how to speak Hebrew. Martin was very fascinated with everything he had seen in Rome, Italy. Martin Luther had said “If there is a hell, Rome is built over it” (martinluther.ccws.org). And then in 1512 he received his doctorate for biblical studies.
For the next five years of his life, Martin Luther was dedicated to theological studies. This was a time in his life when he started to question the Roman Catholic Church’s ways. Around the early sixteenth century, the Bible was becoming more and more available to the public. Martin, of
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course, had compared and contrasted what the Bible says and what the Roman Catholic Church believes.
He strictly opposed the idea of indulgences than the Catholics had been doing.

Back then, and sometimes today, people would pay the priest or pastor money to absolve them of their sins. The Catholics believed that you have to do good deeds or kind acts to go to Heaven, but Martin Luther studied the Bible and proved them wrong. Actually, Luther had once said “Faith cannot be inherited or gained by being baptized into a Church. Faith is a matter between the individual and God” (whatchristianswanttoknow.com). Martin Luther wanted all christians to know that it is a personal relationship with God that one should not have to do good deeds to earn a connection with

God.
One of the greatest acts in history was accomplished by Martin Luther.

He was the man that formed the base of the Protestant Reformation. Luther knew he had to take action on this convictions immediately. So on behalf of the rebellion against indulgences and other Catholic doctrine, Luther created a “ Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” or more commonly known as “The 95 Theses.” The 95 Theses were a list of topics to discuss and propose the idea of indulgences. Or as some people would say to protest the sale of the indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church. The main seller of these indulgences was a man named John Tetzel who had promised the Christians that by paying they were “instantly” saved from sin. Legend says that on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses were nailed onto the doors of the Wittenberg Castle Church. Luther knew that this revolt was not violent, but was only intended to educate

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others on the greedy, false doctrine of indulgences. And the Pope at the time was Pope Leo X. Pope Leo reigned from 1513 to 1521 when he died. This was the act that started the Reformation and the stand that Martin Luther took to go against the Pope.

Result (Draw

Conclusions)
Similar to many individuals who take a stand for ideals, Martin Luther felt driven to change his world. He was compelled to challenge the greedy, self-serving practices of the Catholic Church of his era. By posting his 95 Theses, he took a stand for a faith that encouraged people to have an individual relationship with God that would lead them toward works of love. He educated common people by teaching them what he had learned and became one of the most influential historical, Christian figures to ever live. Luther’s protest started the Protestant Reformation and this reformation spread all over the world. The Reformation changed the Catholic Church as well as became the source for many other Christian based religions that were not Catholic. Luther’s bravery and dedication to the truth has become an inspiration for others who feel oppressed by authority. Martin Luther’s strong belief in his ideas was clearly expressed in this quote to Pope Leo X
I can do only one thing, I shall most willingly promise Your Holiness that in the future I shall leave this matter of indulgences alone, and will be completely silent concerning it (if [my enemies] also stop their vain and bombastic speeches). In addition I shall publish something for the common people to make them understand
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that they should truly honor the Roman church, and influence them to do so. [I shall tell them] not to blame the church for the rashness of [those indulgence preachers], nor to imitate my sharp words against the Roman church, which I have used—or rather misused—against those clowns,and with which I have gone too far. Perhaps by the grace of God the discord which has arisen may finally be quieted by such an effort. I strive for only one thing: that the Roman church, our Mother, be not polluted by the filth of unsuitable avarice, and that the people be not led astray into error and taught to prefer indulgences to works of love (douglasbeaumont.com).
Conclusion
Martin Luther’s harsh, traumatic, and abusive youth pushed him to question and challenge the authority in his individual life. He saw the authority of his childhood as very unjust. As a result he was uniquely prepared to confront the selfish and deceitful authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Through inspiration and education he wrote The 95 Theses to exploit the doctrine of indulgences and other wrongful teachings at the time. This act formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s courage against the sovereignty of the Roman Catholic Church transformed many people’s ideas and relationships with God, and encouraged people of all beliefs to take a stand for the Truth.