HISTORY 150 MARTIN LUTHER AND THE GERMAN REFORMATION

HISTORY 150 MARTIN LUTHER AND THE GERMAN REFORMATION

INTRODUCTION TO THE TIME PERIOD

• Around 1500:

  • Western society was profoundly religious.

  • Central concerns: salvation, vivid imagery of heaven and hell.

  • Mosaic of the damned from The Last Judgment (1200s), in a church in Florence, Italy.

  • The Church taught that faith and good works were essential for salvation, obtainable through the Church and sacraments.

  • A single, universal Catholic Church was recognized, with the pope as its head.

• Impact of the Reformation:

  • Led by Martin Luther, it dismantled the notion of a single, universal church.

  • Christianity today, with its diverse denominations, is a direct result of the Reformation.

LUTHER AND THE BREAK WITH THE CHURCH

• Beginning of the Reformation:

  • Date: 1517.

  • Location: German-speaking world, western and central Europe.

  • Key figure: Martin Luther.

• Martin Luther's Background:

  • Age: In his thirties, professor of theology at the newly founded University of Wittenberg (1502, approx. 300 students).

  • Status: Ordained priest, member of the Augustinian order.

  • Wittenberg: Small town (about 4,500 residents) in the Duchy of Saxony, part of the Holy Roman Empire.

LUTHER'S INITIAL CRITICISM

• Devout Christian:

  • Luther had no intention of creating divisions or new religions.

  • Originally aimed to criticize the technical aspect of the sale of indulgences.

• Indulgences Defined:

  • A physical representation of a good work, essential to salvation.

  • Officially authorized by Church leaders (typically the pope).

  • Offered an alternative to penance or time in Purgatory.

  • Common belief: indulgences secured full forgiveness and swift entry to Heaven.

• Tetzel's Indulgence Campaign:

  • Led by Dominican friar John Tetzel, known for catchy slogans, e.g., “AS SOON AS THE COIN IN THE COFFER RINGS, THE SOUL FROM PURGATORY SPRINGS.”

  • Developed pricing charts correlating sins with indulgence costs (e.g., incest was more serious than fornication).

LUTHER'S RESPONSE

• The 95 Theses:

  • In 1517, Luther posted a list of 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg Castle, akin to a community bulletin board.

  • Intended to hold a disputation (Latin) on these theses; however, it was poorly attended.

  • Criticism of key tenets: salvation through good works, papal power to grant indulgences, and the wealth of the papacy.

• Aftermath of the 95 Theses:

  • Translated to German, widely distributed and debated.

  • Resulted in severe consequences for Luther – he faced excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1521 and was branded a heretic by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

  • Luther became an outlaw, facing arrest or death, prompting him to seek protection from the Duke of Saxony and go into hiding for a year.

LUTHER'S THEOLOGY

• Pamphlets of 1520:

  • Outlined the fundamental principles of his faith, highlighting differences from Catholicism:

  • Justification by Faith:

    • Salvation through faith alone (gift from God), rejecting good works (e.g., indulgences).

  • Contrasts with Catholic teaching that emphasized both faith and good works.

  • Importance of divine mercy for sinful humanity.

  • Primacy of Scriptures:

    • Religious authority derived solely from the Bible, not from clergy interpretations.

    • Luther believed all Christians should read the Bible themselves to access God's word directly.

    • Rejection of beliefs and practices not explicitly grounded in biblical texts (e.g., Purgatory, indulgences).

    • Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German and later the Old Testament.

    • Bible became a bestseller, with around a million copies sold in Luther's lifetime.

  • Priesthood of All Believers:

    • Reimagined the Church structure, arguing against the notion that clergy alone constituted the Church.

    • Emphasized a direct relationship between God and believers, erasing distinctions between clergy and laity.

    • In 1525, Luther married Katherine von Bora, signaling a personal embrace of these beliefs, eventually having six children.

THE SPREAD OF LUTHER’S IDEAS: THE STATE AND PRINT

• Two Factors Contributing to Spread:

  • Support from German nobility and the advent of the printing press.

• The Printing Press:

  • Newly emerged technology around 1500, pioneered by Johannes Gutenberg.

  • Initial Output:

  • First edition of the Bible published around 1454 (180 copies, 50 survive).

  • Original print production mimicked parchment manuscripts in layout.

  • Prices: paper version = 20 gulden; parchment = 50 gulden.

• Distribution & Impact:*

  • The printing process reduced book production costs by approximately 80% and allowed for mass production.

  • Significant phenomenon:

  • Between 1517-1527, ~2 million of Luther's pamphlets were printed.

  • Represented one-third of all pamphlets generated in the German-speaking world during this timeframe.

• Literacy Rates and Outreach:

  • In 1500, literacy in the German-speaking world was low (3-4% fully literate).

  • Luther's followers addressed illiteracy through:

  • Oral communication (sermons and reading aloud).

  • Music, with Luther promoting congregational hymns (e.g., “A Mighty Fortress”).

  • Visual critiques of corruption in the Church, such as crude woodcuts by artists like Lucas Cranach.

CONCLUSION

• By 1530:

  • Luther's ideas had gained traction among the German nobility, leading to Lutheranism's establishment in northern German territories and recognition as the state religion in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

  • Vital role of the printing press in facilitating these transformative changes in religious practice and belief.