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 Dr.
Martin Luther
(1483
– 1546)
"Father of the Reformation"
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Martin Luther was a German priest,
Dominican monk, and professor of theology who is attributed with
starting the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the
claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased
with money. He confronted Johann Tetzel, a special papal envoy
sent to Germany to sell indulgences. He is said to have nailed his
Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517 in
order to confront several teachings of the Church. He refused to
recant from his teachings and writings at the Diet of Worms in
1521. Pope Leo X excommunicated him following his refusal and he
became an outlaw by decree of the Emperor.
Luther's major teachings are still found in Protestant teachings
today:
- Sola Fide - salvation cannot be earned by good deeds
but is a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Sola Scriptura - he taught that the bible is the only
source of divinely revealed knowledge excluding the papal
decrees.
- Pristhood of all Believers - all baptized
Christians are priests. There is no need for a mediator
(confessional priest) to confess sins to God.
He also translated the Bible into his German dialect that later
become known as "high German" while he was in hiding. His
hymns influenced the development of singing songs in church with
contemporary melodies (some of them having apparently been bar
tunes). |
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