Martin Luther And The Medieval Reformation

Luther was a former Catholic monk who wrote the 95 Thesis document and nailed it on the door of the Catholic Church of Wittenberg. Once this happened many people all throughout Germany began to react to his convictions. He exposed the church for what he believed to be corrupt. Different protestant denominations began to spring up and they were in conflict with other Christian sects about the matter of how best to worship God.

“Martin Luther“ "Save me Saint Anne, and I will become a monk." These words spoken on that traveling road would lead to one of the biggest splits in any religion in the history of the world. These words were spoken by Martin Luther. The leader of the reformation and one of the most Famous theologians of the 16th century. He wasn't always going to be a theologian, He had a lot of viewpoints that opposed the Catholic church, and he was punished for his beliefs.

The Prince and the Catholic Church The Prince is considered a “handbook” on how to acquire and maintain power. Machiavelli does this by addressing what characteristics he believes a ruler should possess in order to be a successful ruler. With that being said, during the time in which Machiavelli wrote The Prince, some may have viewed his book as being immoral, as it did not follow the beliefs a Christian would uphold. It went against all aspects a good Christian would live by, ultimately leading up to an event that would forever change Machiavelli and his works in the views of Catholic believers. Within this essay, one will be able to identify as to why the story of The Prince may have conflicted with Catholicism and Christianity, causing the Catholicism not only to ban the book, The Prince, but also all of Machiavelli’s works in 1559 for over 300 years.

Luther focuses on a direct approach to reforming Christianity. He believes that God quite literally controls the fates of all men and in order to save his brothers from corruption he must force them to see the truth. So states what he thinks being a true Christian is by blatantly nailing his 95 theses up on the church doors for all to see. This strong, symbolic, and courageous move shows how deeply devoted he is to Christianity, so much so that he does not even fear the Church. His work states plainly what good Christians do and don’t do.

[3]Immediately after completing the Latin course, he joined the College de Montiago as a Philosophy student. [4]Believing he could make an increasingly larger amount of money as a lawyer rather than a priest-Calvin’s father withdrew him from College de Montiago and enrolled him in the University of Orleans, in 1525. After a few years of studying there, Calvin joined the University of Bourges. [6]There he studied

The five landmarks in the Protestant Reformation that were significate were Martin Luther , the 95 theses, the printing press, the translation of the bible into German, & Calvinism. The Roman Catholic Church was overrun with ambitious individuals who sought power and control. These landmarks were all significant in reforming the Roman Catholic Church in its beliefs and practices. Martin Luther is the primary source for beginning the Protestant Reformation. Luther publicly criticized the Catholic Church and its authority.

In 1517, indulgence salesman Johan Tetzel came to a town near Wittenberg. Luther wrote a letter of protest to Archbishop Albrecht von Brandenburg; he included 95 theses that criticized papal abuses and indulgence sales. His theses were printed and circulated in Germany. His opinions preceded what would later become the Protestant Reformation, which had a lasting impact on the Catholic Church. Luther felt strongly about many aspects of the Church and made his opinions known during his lifetime.

He describes the ‘Romanists’ using quite vicious language to get his point across. Using words such as wicked and princes of hell, Luther successfully illustrates his main criticisms of the Catholic church of how they have restricted reform and “practiced all their villainy wickedness” with the protection of the three walls. The first criticism Luther makes is about the hierarchal structure of the church and the separation it creates. He calls this the first wall. It is Luther’s belief that all Christians are equal in the eyes of god.

Martin Luther was the catalyst of the Protestant Reformation and an extremely influential figure who completely altered religious and social ideals in Europe. Luther, a monk, was originally set out to be a lawyer, but, when frightened during a thunderstorm, he vowed to become a friar. He quickly became ordained, and then moved on to get a doctorate of theology, an achievement that he was immensely proud of. However, Luther became uncertain about monastic life. He was apprehensive about his duties, and saw himself as incapable of meeting God’s demands.

The first institute that Chaucer uses satire to critique is the church. The church, during Chaucer’s time, was very important to be a part of. Chaucer critiques the church in his writings of the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tale’s and the Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale. In the General Prologue, Chaucer uses satire on the Friar. He says, “He was a noble pillar to his Order” (line 218).