During the fifteenth century the Catholic Church was in control of everything and believed that law was the way to keep order. Then, a reformer named Martin Luther came amidst. Although Martin Luther disagreed with the practice of indulgences, distrust in different powers through religions, and salvation through good works, he took action and wrote his 95 theses, affecting people politically, socially, and economically, all of which led to a reformation of the Catholic Church and new faith. In 1517, many citizens of Germany had many political views about Luther.
Luther believed that salvation was achieved by the grace of god and not by doing the work that the church demanded. The Reformation was so much more than a religious revolution even though it started out with a religious nature, it exceeded pass religion.
He was a huge follower of Luther’s teaching and agreed with Luther’s views on sin and salvation thus believing that if you are to sin you mean it and that you are to only be forgiven if you are truly apologetic. John Calvin also believed in the concept of
Martin Luther had many different beliefs than that of the Roman Catholic Church and the church did not, however, respond well to them. Luther first attacked the selling of indulgences because the put and unnecessary strain on the people not to mention he thought it to be a sin. The Roman Catholic Church did not favor this one because that is how the received most of their money for building things. He believed that you could go to heaven by faith alone. This, however, was not a principle of the Roman Catholic church believes once you are saved you go to heaven.
Calvin has opposing views to the (hand me down) aspect of the Catholic religion. Calvin believes that the pastors are not sent forth with a licentious and lawful authority but have a duty to the church and must be faithful to their
Another thing is that Martin Luther thought all humans we 're powerless “In the sight of the almighty God”(textbook pg.173). Martin Luther went to the catholic church and nailed a paper with 95 theses ”Luther, who was greatly angered by the Church 's practices, sent a
Martin Luther, a German professor and monk, made a large impact on society in the fifteen hundreds. His new ideas of Christianity changed the concept of how religion was viewed and practiced in the 16th century. Within his Ninety-five Theses, he questioned the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and brought to light the corruption surrounding the church while stating how Christianity should be practiced in different ways rather than what is being taught. It is important to understand his stances on religion to explain how different groups reacted to his ideas. While some parts of Europe accepted his ideologies into practice, others reject Luther for many different reasons.
Luther believed that every sinful person has no ability to control the power of the flesh, but only by the grace of God 's (spirit) that a man can overcome the power of the flesh. He said “let no man therefore despair if he feels the flesh oftentimes to stir up new battles against the spirit, or if he cannot by and by subdue the flesh, and make it obedient to the spirit”(Many faces of Evil, 112). He was convinced that the way a man conducts himself (either good or bad) at a particular time depends on whether the flesh or the spirit is in control of that very man at that point in time. I strongly disagree with Luther on this aspect. I believe every man was born with the ability to differentiate between right and wrong.
John Calvin was a French Theologian who and was the leader of the Protestant Reformation (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). He first had studied to become a priest then became fascinated with theology and started to study it (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). The church taught that if you are not a part of God than you will not go into heaven. John Calvin believed that all people are flawed and corrupt so because of this they can not understand or take part in his salvation (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). John Calvin’s moral was everyone should live a moral life and hope that God will save them (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras).
Among the religions and beliefs during the 16th century, there were different opinions on how to run society and the government. Martin Luther and John Calvin were two leaders in the Protestant Reformation who wanted change in the Catholic Church. Although Luther and Calvin were similar in the political authority and ecclesiastical, they differed on religion and society. Luther and Calvin were both Protestants who believed the Catholic Church was corrupt due to the selling of indulgences and the preaching of salvation.
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.
On All Saints Day, October 10th, 1517, Martin Luther wrote a lengthy letter named as “The Ninety-Five Theses” to the Bishop Albert of Mainz (“Martin Luther”). This letter stated that the Bible is the central authority of the Protestant religion and one can attain salvation by their loyal faith to God. “The Ninety-Five Theses” letter became a huge impact for the Protestant Reformation, and it was one of the major reasons why this religion was spread around Europe; however, it also focused on practices from Catholic churches about baptism and absolution (“Martin Luther”). The Protestants used the letter to form their ideas about God and to start their own church denominations. In addition, Protestantism helped a lot during this movement because its belief is that God saved everyone by His faith to Jesus Christ, himself.
John Calvin is considered one of the most important people in regards to the Protestant Reformation during the early-mid 1500’s. He was a pastor that took his job seriously and wanted to influence people to go beyond conformity and to try to grasp who God truly is, not just who others preached that He is. He encouraged thinking, not conformity. This new ideology, of course, brought about conflict between the widely prevalent Roman Catholicism of that day and Calvin’s personal conviction. The doctrinal differences mentioned in the prayers were part of that conflict.
“We lay hold on the heart of God by fearing Him, standing in awe of Him and honoring Him in all things. We fear because He sees all we do, and we think of nothing else than the fact that his eyes rest on us.” By one recognizing the former in humility one will be open to hear God’s Word Moreover, love, too, for Luther, recognizes God in God’s fullness, letting God be God. The act of trust in God presupposes both recognizing God as the Divine Being, in which God is infinitely superior to humanity It is important here to note the dualistic character that Luther attributes to God that informs one’s existence under God.
Martin Luther lists the Ten Commandments, top among them the commandment against idolatry. Idolatry, according to the book, means having a wrong and false trust which translates to not serving the right God. I find Luther’s interpretation of idolatry insightful, particularly his analysis of the first commandment as demanding sole trust in God without ever seeking any other god. Luther further adds that idolatry goes beyond erecting and worshiping images to trusting, seeking, and pursuance of help and consolation from sources other than God. This interpretation widens the scope of idolatry beyond the common perspective of the practice, an interpretation I find enlightening and which introduces a new dimension to the understanding of the practice of idolatry.
