Joel Detamore - Reformation Research Paper
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Joel Detamore
CHHI 300: Survey of the History of Christianity
November 13
th
, 2023
Biography of Martin Luther
Martin Luther was born in 1483 to Hans and Margarethe Luder, in Eisleben, Germany.
1
Though he was born with the surname Luder, which means “bait,” often translating to the more
negative connotation of “scoundrel.” Many believe he changed his surname to “Luther” on the
idea that Martin was set free in Christ and “Luther” deriving from “Eleutherius.”
2
He also began
to sign his letters with “Eleutherius.”
3
Luther was not necessarily born into wealth, but also was
not born into poverty. His father had decided for him that he would become a lawyer, on the
premise that he noticed Martin was rather intellectual and showed signs of being great in
academia. With that, his father sent him to the University of Erfurt c. 1501.
4
The trajectory of Luther’s life shifted after he graduated from university, with his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees (speaking well to his father’s intuition on being academically
gifted). Luther was on his way back to Erfurt when he found himself amid a frightful
thunderstorm. So frightful, Luther cried out of fear a prayer to St. Anne, grandmother of Jesus,
exclaiming, “If you save me, Anne, I will become a Monk!”
5
Luther found himself back in Erfurt
and kept good on his prayer by beginning the process of becoming a monk and entering a
monastery in 1505. He was subjugated to the harsh and disciplined life of a monk in the first year
at monastery. Luther gained favor with his monastery leadership, also known as “superior,” and
they sent him to the University of Wittenberg c. 1507.
6
1
Luther’s Early Life
, accessed November 13, 2023, https://lutheranreformation.org/history/luthers-early-life/
2 Thomas Kaufmann,
A Short Life of Martin Luther
, 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
2016)
3 James M. Kittelson and Wiersma H. Hans,
Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career
, 96
(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2016)
4 Mark Nickens,
A Survey of the History of Global Christianity, Second Edition
, 91 (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic,
2020)
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid., 92
In 1510, Luther had the opportunity to visit Rome on behalf of Johann Staupitz, his
superior, because of internal debates and disagreements within the Augustinian Order.
7
While at
first a remarkable opportunity to visit Rome with all its relics, churches, holy sites, etc. it became
apparent to Luther the way things operated in Rome and within Catholicism wasn’t what he had
thought, hoped, and dreamed it would be or what he was even taught. He was sorely dismayed at
the way indulgences were being conducted and lack of respect and honor for sacred sites and
even the lack of praise and glory to God. This trip to Rome began a stirring inside Luther that
would alter his life and the Christian/Catholic church forever.
Upon his return from Rome, in 1512, Luther earned his doctorate from the University of
Wittenberg and began teaching in the very same university. In 1515, as part of Luther’s
teachings, he began a work in the book of Romans. It was in this preparation for lectures, in
Paul’s letter to Rome, where Luther’s heart was enlightened to the Truth about salvation and
Scripture. Romans 1:17, “The just shall live by faith.” (King James Version), pierced Luther’s
heart and opened his mind and spirit to the true gift of salvation. Even towards the end of his life,
Luther reflected on this newfound revelation of the gift from God,
At last, meditating day and night and by the mercy of God, I gave heed to the context of
the words, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through
faith is righteous shall live.’” Then I began to understand that the righteousness of God is
that through which the righteous live by a gift of God, namely by faith. . . . Here I felt as
if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through gates that had been
flung open. An entirely new side of the Scriptures opened itself to me. . . and I extolled
my sweetest word with a love as great as the loathing with which before I had hated the
7 Ibid.
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term, “the righteousness of God.” Thus, that verse in Paul was for me truly the gate of
paradise.
8
Luther’s re-birth into the truth of how salvation works speaks directly into what Paul
wrote to the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one
can boast.” (New International Version). This verse in Romans that penetrated Luther’s heart was
the beginning of a paradigm shift in his beliefs he grew up with in the Catholic church. Luther
did not keep this newfound revelation to himself. He began teaching it to his students at the
University of Wittenberg. Though he was only a professor at the time, his teachings gained
traction and attention. Which began to bring to light the counter-teachings of indulgences by the
Catholic church. It was at this crossroads where Luther’s life, along with the Roman Catholic
Church, would forever be changed.
9
During this time of Luther’s teachings at the university, in Rome there was a large
movement by Pope Leo X to continue renovations to St. Peter’s Basilica ,which was started by
the previous pope. In scheming on how to hasten and further this project, Pope Leo X enacted a
“new” kind of indulgence, that would,
Restore you to the holy sacraments of the Church, to the unity of the faithful, and to that
innocence and purity which you possessed at baptism; so that when you die the gates of
punishment shall be shut, and the gates of paradise of delight shall be opened; and if you
8 James M. Kittelson and Wiersma H. Hans,
Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career
, 96
(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2016)
9 Mark Nickens,
A Survey of the History of Global Christianity, Second Edition
, 94 (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic,
2020)
shall not die at present this grace shall remain in full force when you are at the point of
death.
10
This newly enacted indulgence by Pope Leo X would be available to anyone who
monetarily contributed to the building and renovations of St. Peter’s Basilica. An enticing
indulgence since the belief was that you would forgo any time in purgatory and be admitted
directly into heaven after death. It was this indulgence to entice people to assist in the project of
St. Peter’s Basilica that catapulted Luther’s writing of the ninety-five theses and posting them on
the doors of the church in Wittenberg, which he did on October 31, 1517. What Luther intended
was merely to start a debate on the ninety-five theses and indulgences. Instead, his theses grew in
popularity not only in Germany, but also gaining attention in Rome, causing quote a ruckus in
both countries.
In the following year, Luther was granted his debate in Rome and was asked to recant all
he had written. However, true to his belief in the Word of God, Luther did not recant and fled to
Wittenberg. His superior in the monastery, Staupitz, relinquished Luther’s responsibilities as a
monk and from any authority of the Augustinian Order.
11
Because Staupitz released Luther, he
was free to travel as he wished. This also posted significant risk to Luther’s life because of the
clashing beliefs with the Roman Catholic Church. During these times his prince, a man named
Frederick the Wise, protected him many times in his life until his own death. Then, in 1519,
Luther met with a Catholic theologian by the name of Johann Eck. It was at this meeting where
Luther did not recant his writings, but also openly spoke against the infallibility of the pope and
councils, denying them completely.
12
After the hearing in Rome, Luther was released to travel
10 Israel Smith Clare,
Library of Universal History
, 1961 (New York, NY: Union Books Co., 1898)
11 Mark Nickens,
A Survey of the History of Global Christianity, Second Edition
, 96 (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic,
2020)
12 Ibid.
back to Wittenberg free from any harm or recourse over the next 21 days. Even so, Luther’s life
was in danger and once again, his prince saved his life when he was suddenly kidnapped by
riders on his way back to Wittenberg and taken to a haven just outside Eisenach to a place called
Wartburg Castle, owned by his prince, Frederick. This, just a month before the Edict of Worms
was released stating Luther was an outlaw and sentencing anyone to kill him without
repercussion.
13
Theological Basis
The biggest theological point in Luther’s reformation was the idea of grace and salvation.
At the time, the Roman Catholic Church was enacting indulgences of all kinds for people to try
and ensure they would either have a shortened time in purgatory or be able to bypass it altogether
as was the case with Pope Leo X’s plenary indulgence with St. Peter’s Basilica. With all the
indulgences enacted by the Roman Catholic Church, the only way to salvation was through
works done here on Earth. A life with Christ is the complete opposite, in fact, Christianity is the
only non-works-based religion/faith on Earth. As stated previously, Paul’s letter in Ephesians
clearly states that salvation is by grace through faith alone, and not by works so that any man can
boast. The idea of indulgences to earn grace is in direct contradiction to the Word of God.
Significant Writings
During Luther’s reformation, specifically in 1520, three major writings were penned by
Luther. They are
Address to the Christian Nobility
, which encouraged the German princes to
13 Ibid.
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reject Catholic ideologies like celibacy of the clergy and religious orders by taking upon
themselves a reform,
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church
, which spoke out against the
Catholic practice of serving bready only to the laity during communion and took the number
sacraments down to two: communion and baptism, and
A Treatise on Christian Liberty
, which
speaks about the priesthood for all believers.
14
Word Count: 1582
Bibliography
Clare, Israel Smith. “Modern History-Sixteenth Century.” Essay. In
Library of Universal History
,
1961. New York, NY: Union Books Co., 1898.
14 Ibid., 97
Kaufmann, Thomas. “One Person in Two Natures.” Introduction. In
A Short Life of Martin
Luther
, 11. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.
Kilcrease, Jack. “Luther’s Early Life.”
Lutheran Reformation
. Last modified February 2, 2017.
Accessed November 13, 2023. https://lutheranreformation.org/history/luthers-early-life/.
Kittelson, James M., and Hans H. Wiersma. “The Public Disputant.” Essay. In
Luther the
Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career
, 96. Minneapolis , MN: Fortress Press,
2016.
Nickens, Mark.
A Survey of the History of Global Christianity, Second Edition
. Nashville, TN:
B&H Academic, 2020.