Pope Leo X’s sale of indulgences kick-started the Protestant Reformation and split in Church, causing rapid cultural change.
Pope Leo X’s sale of indulgences, a paper for clearing away committed sins, started when he needed money to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica. To get money, he commissioned German preacher Johann Tetzel to sell indulgences in Germany. “As soon as the gold in the casket rings; the rescued soul to heaven springs.” This commission provoked Wittenberg theologist and priest Martin Luther to write Ninety-Five Theses against the sale of indulgences, famously saying sale of indulgences only brings greed.
Luther read the Bible and published his understanding of the text, and intended his Theses started a discussion among
theologists. However, the Theses was copied and translated into German and started the Protestant Reformation. Other priests, theologists, bishops, friars, and nobles read the Bible and interpreted it in different ways, and started new churches (e.g. Lutheran, Anglican, Calvinist, Puritan, Congregationalist, Anabaptist…). Today, 801 million Christians are Protestants. Pope Leo X’s sale of indulgences and the Protestant Reformation consequently led to the settlement of the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony, America. The Pilgrims were Congregationalist, who were fighting the Anglicans. They sailed to America in 1620 and established the first laws there based on ‘pure’ Christianity. So, arguably, without Pope Leo X’s sale of indulgences, America would have no law, or at least no strong basis for law. Pope Leo X and his sale of indulgences made a big impact on the Christian world, which split in today’s 33,000+ Christian denominations on earth.
Martin Luther is known to be a key initiator to the Protestant Reformation, although he had no intention of doing so. He was going to become a monk, so he read deeply into scriptures, but this only led him to discover inconsistencies between traditions and the Bible. These inconsistencies lead him to demand changes in the Catholic Church; however that did not include
The practice of selling indulgences became under attack from a monk named Martin Luther in the early 1500’s. Indulgences were used as a means by many church officials to add to their wealth and prestige. By buying an indulgence, one was released for all sin and acceptance into Heaven guaranteed. Luther argued that no one needed to buy admission into Heaven. He believed that people could obtain salvation thru their faith and actions alone. The authority of the Pope was also challenged by Luther believing that religious matters needed to be resolved through the words of the Bible and not an individual’s decision. All of this was set down in Luther’s 95 Thesis that he posted on the Church door in Wittenberg, Germany ("The Reformation Video").
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)
...17 “Martin Luther” confronted the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences. He placed notices on church doors exposing the corrupted practices. He lived believed good works alone could not earn salvation. The Reformation spread throughout northern Europe. The Catholic Church had no choice but to respond to the Protestant Reformation and they did so in the late 1530s through Spanish reformer “Loyola.” He formed a new religion order, he was the founder of the Society of Jesus, known as the Jesuits, and they became the strength of the Catholic Church. This was known as the Counter Reformation.
The stories elaborate on doing things to make up for your sins. They feel like if God was able to give his only son up for us to live and have our way we should be able to manifest in salvation. In “The Machinery of Indulgence” thinks we should be like God and have the same heart as him and be able to give out faith and grace like him.In Martin Luther’s article “The Ninety-Five Thesis” he constructed three main points. One point that was made is he insisted that it was wrong to sell indulgences for worldly task such as financing of the building of ST.Peters. He thinks that the money that is obtained from the sins should be consumed in well places and to assist people instead of assisting themselves. The people that are stating the Germans and laughing and calling it the common treasure of Christendom are the reasons he speak for himself and others. Soon all the bridges, walls and palaces of Rome will directly be built out for wealth
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.
Martin Luther’s view on indulgences appears in many of his writings including Luther’s 95 Theses and The Statement of Grievances. Martin Luther believes that the Papacy should not have a role in collecting taxes, indulgences, or any ways of drawing income from the German nation. On number twenty-three in the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Luther states “The brotherhoods, and for that matter, indulgences, letters of indulgences, and everything of that kind, should be snuffed out and brought to an end”. Martin Luther wants the German nation to get rid of indulgences since the indulgence sellings can harm the integrity of the church. Indulgences were not new to the German nation during the 16th century. Indulgences have been around for three centuries prior to 1520 even before Martin Luther’s Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation was published. With indulgences, the German nation pays for their sins to be forgiven. The church makes most of its profits from the public by selling these indulgences. In Carter Lindberg’s The European Reformation, Carter Lindberg states “An indulgence, then, drew on the treasure of the church to pay off the debt of the penitent sinner who would otherwise be obligated to pay off the penance by works of satisfaction either in life or in purgatory”. For example, in
Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”. To construct Saint Peters Basilica, Archbishop Albert borrowed money from the Fuggers (wealthy banking family). To pay for this loan Pope Leo X gave permission to Archbishop Albert to sell indulgences in Germany. An indulgence is a way to reconcile with God, by confessing your sins to a priest and perform a penance. By the later Middle Ages people believed that indulgence removed all their sins and ensured entry to heaven.
The 16th century was a time of social, political, and religious change in Europe. The Protestant
The buying and selling of indulgences and the cult of relics made the Catholic Church scandalous. Relics are the material remains of a deceased saint or martyr and objects closely associated with those remains (anonymous). Indulgences were certificates, purchased either for one’s self or on behalf of another, that would guarantee forgiveness of sin (Eppehimer 18). The Post-Classic Latin meaning of indulgence came to mean the remission of a tax or debt. In Roman law indulgence was used to express release from captivity or punishment. An indulgence that may be gained in any part of the world is a universal indulgence, while an indulgence that can only be gained in a specified place is local. Perpetual indulgence may be gained at anytime, while temporary indulgences are available on certain days or within certain periods (Kent).
In 1517, when reformist Martin Luther wrote an indictment of the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church called the 95 Theses, he appealed to many people across Europe. In his indictment he greatly criticized and addressed the selling of indulgences above all. At first, a person would have to do “work of satisfaction” like fasting, prayer, almsgiving, retreats and pilgrimages in return for an indulgence. But when the empire was in need of money to fight off the Ottoman Empire and rebuild St. Peter’s in Rome, the pope allowed indulgences to be sold for money where he would receive half the proceeds and the other half would go to funding. This is when Luther was even more angered by the selling of indulgences since he already believed that salvation could not be obtained by man’s own effort, but more the fact that man would be saved only if God willed it. It was that event that prompted the German monk to post his ideas and beliefs as the 95 Theses and address the abuse of selling indulgences in it.
Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian theologian, Augustinian monk, professor, pastor, and church reformer whose teachings inspired the Lutheran Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant and other Christian traditions. Luther began the Protestant Reformation with the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517. In this publication, he attacked the Church's sale of indulgences. He advocated a theology that rested on God's gracious activity in Jesus Christ, rather than in human works. Nearly all Protestants trace their history back to Luther in one way or another. Luther's relationship to philosophy is complex and should not be judged only by his famous statement that "reason is the devil's whore."
Martin Luther a German theologian and religious reformer was the founding figure of the protestant reformation, the break from the Catholic Church, which in many ways marks the beginning of modern Europe. A well-expressed preacher and huge writer, Luther attacked many abuses of the Catholic Church, especially the papacy. The source of his spiritual revelation was not political or institutional but came from his inner fight of conscience. Like other people of his day, Luther was horrified that god would in the end reject him for his sins. He found a word in the bible called “Law” which increased his terror, but he also discovered a word god called “Gospel,” the good news and promise of mercy in Christ, which shed all of his worries. By his words and actions, Luther caused an action that reformulated certain rudimentary Christian belief and the division of Western Church between Roman Catholics and the Protestant traditions. He is one of the most influential person in the history of Christianity.
On October 31, 1517 Luther nailed his critiquing of indulgences and the corruption of the catholic church on the door of Wittenberg castle catholic church.These writings were very detailed statements Luther had thought to be wrong about the catholic church. Some of the most famous are:
There was a lack of concern for the people from the Catholic Church. The selling of indulgences lead people to believe they could go to heaven in exchange for money. In result, the church lacked prudence. The church was being dishonest to their people in saying they could pay to get into heaven. The payment would not result in a secured place in heaven. No one was completely certain if payment could result in a place in heaven. The only people who would know the answer would be dead. The people of the church showed fortitude throughout the selling of indulgences. The people were trusting and optimistic of the idea of paying their way into heaven. Not only were they trusting and optimistic, they were loyal to the church as well. The people believed that the actions of the church were acceptable. The people of the church had complete trust in their church but the church deceived them. If the people did not exhibit fortitude towards the church, the church would not have been successful in their malpractice. When the church complied to the people's wants for a change, they exhibited fortitude and were loyal to their