Martin Luther's Importance to Society

Throughout history there have been few individuals who have changed the world, and there are even fewer individuals who have shaped the world as we know it today. Altering the course of civilized society is no easy task and as such there are few who can claim the responsibility for something so significant to mankind. One of the lesser known individuals who can claim this title is Martin Luther, the leader of one of the most important dissents in human history. Luther rose as a prominent figure in Europe during the 16th century due to his beliefs of a corrupt Catholic Church. He was a German theologian who firmly believed that the church was taking advantage of the commoners by selling them indulgences, which were payments for the forgiveness of sins. Luther protested by writing his 95 theses and cited that the bible said absolutely nothing about buying your way into heaven but instead the only way to heaven's gates was by living a humble and modest life with adamant faith in Jesus. Simply preaching his ideals to the general public wasn't going to be enough for him though; he knew that if he was going to make a difference in the lives of all those misinformed and falsely informed people was to provide concrete reasoning. Luther's major breakthrough was his idea to translate the bible from Latin, which was the language of the elite and educated, to German, which was the commoner's language. By translating the bible and with the help of Guttenberg's progression of the printing press, the knowledge and ideology contained in the bible could be spread throughout Europe in a manner never before seen. Through Martin Luther's leadership and bold proclamations against the Roman Catholic Church, the protestant reformation formed and took hold in Europe. Quickly spreading and dividing people for and against the practices of the church, the movement brought significant changes in the landscape of European religion. The one unifying essence of the European populace was severely fractured and out of it came multiple dissenting branches of Christianity. By the time the reformation was over, a new Europe was essentially created. The power of the Roman Catholic Church was significantly crippled and in its place there came new branches of Christianity that still thrive to this day. The epicenter of this severe, almost tangent, segment of history can most adequately be drawn back to Martin Luther and his courage to stand up and be counted against the most powerful community in the pre-modern world.

Martin Luther is known for being one of the most important historical figures for his remarkable inspirational movements that shaped our society today. He was born at Eisleben in Thuringia on November 10, 1483. Martin Luther grew up in a strict, harsh, even upbringing household with few resources. His father, Hans Luther, descended from free peasants, but as a younger son, decided to become a copper mine. His father always hoped that his gifted son would one day make a brilliant career as a lawyer since he had the ability and determination unlike his father at the time. In the summer of 1505 Martin was caught in a thunderstorm and, in sudden fear for his life, he vowed to become a monk. "Help me, St. Anne! I will become a monk!" Martin luther cried out as lightning struck perilously close (Robinson 1). Martin Luther believed that in that instant he should have traded his study of law for a life of religion. He did not change his mind when his family and friends tried to pursue him to continue his studies but instead, he entered the monastery of the Augustinian Eremites at Erfurt in 1505, took monastic vows in 1506, and ordained a priest in 1507 (Koenigsberger 20). Martin embarked on the journey that would one day make him the great reformer of European Christendom. The life of a monk during Luther's time was hard and consisted of fasting, prayer and work. His days began at 3 am with the first hourly prayers. This time shaped Luther and above all he found a close relationship to the Bible which characterized his later life and work. Martin began studying Theology at the University of Erfurt and in 1511, he was appointed a professor at the Wittenberg University (Koenigsberger 20). After receiving his doctorate in Theology, he started to teach lectures over the Psalms, Letter to the Romans, Letter to the Galatians, and Letter to the Hebrews.

In 1517, Martin Luther published his Ninety-Five Theses, a written protest against the practices of the Roman Catholic Church, played a primary role for the Protestant Reformation. This book protested against the sale of indulgences, which were a form of documentation signed by the Pope allowing people to make payments for the forgiveness of their sins. Luther believed that faith and the grace of God alone would get one into heaven. His main purpose for the 95 theses was because he believed people were being offered false security. "Whatever the intention, the result of such indulgence preaching was to encourage ordinary Christians to trust for their salvation in the power of indulgences and to lessen the necessity of true repentance" (Tomlin 72).