Preview

Martin Luther Biography Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
501 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Martin Luther Biography Essay
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in the town of Eisleben, Germany. His parents, Hans and Margarethe Luther, having some success in mining, were only considered to be a peasant family. Due to an abundance of ore deposits, the Luther family relocated to Mansfield in 1484.
In 1501, Martin Luther entered the University of Erfurt and earned a Master of Arts in Philosophy. While his goal seemed to be toward becoming a lawyer, Luther had a life-changing experience in 1505. He was caught in a horrible thunderstorm and he was afraid for his life. Luther, “…fell to the ground and cried: ‘St. Anne, mother of Mary, help me! I promise to become a monk!’” The storm subsided and he was saved. The decision to become a monk was difficult and
…show more content…
This revelation marked the beginning of the Reformation in Luther’s mind.
In 1517, after the buying and selling of indulgences had reached a record height, Luther had taken enough. On October 31st, Luther nailed a sheet of paper with his Ninety-Five theses on the chapel door. Though he intended for this to be more of a discussion, the theses delivered a critical hit on the indulgences as corrupting people’s faith. Within a few weeks, copies had been spread throughout Germany and the rest of Europe.
In an attempt to stop Luther’s defiance, a meeting with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan was called in October of 1518, and Luther was demanded to recant his Ninety-Five Theses by the pope. Luther said he would not recant unless Scripture could prove him wrong. On January 3, 1521, Luther was officially excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, and in March, he was summoned before the Diet of Worms. In the midst of this, he refused to recant his position and “…was placed under Imperial Ban” on May 8,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Now, both Erasmus and Luther wrote something out against the Catholic church, Erasmus writes the satire praise of folly in 1509 , and Martin Luther writes his 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences in 1517 . Since Erasmus wrote his satire eight years prior to the 95 theses and there was no uproar against him, but when Luther writes the 95 theses, Catholics start going a-wall. This is because Erasmus wrote the Praise of Folly in Satirical form, and barely anyone in that time period understood what it meant. Once pope Leo the tenth started selling indulgences to people, Luther had to speak out. Without really even knowing it Luther elaborates on Eramus’ ideas from the Praise of Folly, and puts them into the 95 Theses. Erasmus states in the Praise of Folly, “ . . . now what am I to say about those who enjoy deluding themselves with imaginary pardons for their sins?” Erasmus is saying that he doesn’t know what to think about people who can buy their way out of sinning, and acting as if nothing of the sort has ever happened. Of course this has to do with the pope at the time selling indulgences. Luther picks up on this note in the 95 Theses by saying, “ The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.” Luther is saying that the pope cannot release anyone of their sins other then the sins he has caused or…

    • 732 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1943. He held many positions, he was a monk, a Catholic priest and a professor. Two of his most significant social accomplishments were the challenging of the Catholic doctrine of that time and the translation of the New Testament into German and incorporating his own doctrine.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther changed history in the 1500's. In 1517 Luther took a public stand against friar Johann Tetzel. Tetzel was selling indulgences by telling people they could buy there way into heaven. Luther was outraged by Tetzel's actions. In response to Tetzel Martin Luther wrote 95 Theses, attacking "pardon-merchants." On October 31, 1517, he put the 95 Theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, and invited people to debate him. Someone copied the theses and took it to the printer. Luther was quickly known all over Germany, because of the theses, and it led to the Reformation. Many people were unhappy with the church and they thought Luther's protests were a way to challenge church control.…

    • 297 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ap Eurp Ch 14 Outline

    • 1980 Words
    • 8 Pages

    5. Luther’s answers as delineated in the Confession of Augsburg to the four basic theological issues were the following. When asked how a person is saved, Luther said by faith alone. When asked where does religious authority reside, Luther said in the Word of God, as revealed in the Bible alone. When asked what is the church, he said the entire Christian community. Luther said there is no highest form of Christian life, all are equal.…

    • 1980 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther has impacted many people. He was a professor of theology and a German priest and wrote the 95 thesis. His revolutionary ideas served as the catalyst for the eventual breaking away from the Catholic Church and were later instrumental in forming the movement known as the Protestant Reformation. Luther wrote his radical “95 Thesis” to express his growing concern with the corruption within the church. In essence, his thesis called for a full reform of the Catholic church and challenged other scholars to debate with him on matters of church policy. Luther published his “95 Thesis” fully realizing that he faced excommunication and even death for protesting the traditions and beliefs of the Catholic church. To do so was considered heresy…

    • 367 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther was a German priest whose frustration with the abuses Roman Catholic Church ignited a change. In 1510 he visited…

    • 448 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther was a man of many great things, Martin standout amongst the most persuasive figures in Christian history when he started the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. Martin received a Master degree in arts where he wanted to study law. During the early 1500 Martin life change which put him on a new path from what he was doing. Martin was put in a life or death situation where he sob out for a Savior, right then and there he vowed if he made if through the storm in was in he would become a monk. Martin thought that by becoming a monk and doing Gods will he would find…

    • 113 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    God, Wittenberg, the printing press, and Luther’s friends, all helped guide Luther toward his accomplishments during his life. Before Luther became a monk, a bad storm threatened his life. Luther fearing for his life prayed to Saint Anna to save him from the storm; in turn, he would devote his life to becoming a monk (32). God used this storm to serve as a path to guide Luther into becoming the head of the reformation. Luther stuck to his promise and dropped out of law school and started attending school to become a monk.…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    95 theses

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Martin Luther was a Theologian who was on his way to becoming a lawyer until an event that altered his life. In July 1505, Luther was caught in a terrible thunderstorm where he genuinely feared he may die. During the storm, he cried out to St. Anne, the patron saint of miners and said "Save me, St. Anne, and I 'll become a monk!". (A&E Networks 1) When he told his parents of his decision, his father was deeply disappointed in him. Luther also was driven by the wrath of God and felt as if his decision would help him gain salvation.…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther was a very important figure in the Protestant Reformation, he was also known as a German professor of theology, a monk, a composer, and a priest. On November 10, 1483, Martin Luther was born to Hans Luder and Margarethe Lindemann. At a day old, in Eisleben, Saxony, he was baptized as a Catholic. He had several siblings, and out of all of his brothers and sisters his favorite happened to be, Jacob. At the age of 19, in 1501 he went to college at the University of Erfurt. Five years later, Martin Luther was receiving his Master’s degree. On June 13, 1525, he married Katharina Von Bora.…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Catholic Church was seen as the central power of the region although its influence was…

    • 800 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    By the 1500’s many issues shows signs of disorder within the Church. The idea of selling indulgences (forgiveness for sin) for clergy benefit began to negatively spread throughout the people, along with opposition to pluralism (holding more than one office). This sparked many attempts to reform the church through individual groups, one of which being the Brotherhood of Common Life. One of their accomplishments was starting schools for the poor, in which educated none other than Martin Luther. By the time he became a priest, many people had already failed to reform the church. When Martin Luther entered Rome, he briefly supported the church before realizing the hidden corruption, and his optimism towards converting the Jews was accounted for before realizing their stubborn views of God. While his loving ideas towards peasants turned into hatred of rebellion, it proved to be a consistency because he had always believed peasants belonged in their place. These ideas changed due to the naïve spirit he entered with before being awakened by the truth.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    " This is one time that I'm out of jail and I'm not happy to be out". Martin Luther King, Jr was a civil rights movement's leader during the separation time for African Americans. He has faced obstacles and challenges for fighting what he thought was right, which was equally for every man and women. He is considered here today because of what he fought civil rights, racism, and his lasting legacy which was in his dreams. Martin Luther King, Jr was one of the most important leaders for the civil rights movement during the 1950's and 60's. First he was respected young man who was the top of his class and become a pastor in his dad's church at the age of 18. According to African American Lives, "the national Baptist groups selected Martin Luther…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. He was born to Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. King Jr. had an older sister, Willie Christine King, and a younger brother, Alfred Daniel Williams King. Growing up in Atlanta, King attended Booker T. Washington High School. A very intelligent student, he skipped both the 9th and the 12th grade and entered Morehouse College at fifteen without graduating from high school. In 1948, he graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary. He graduated from Crozer with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1951.…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Luther continued his schooling—due to his obedience towards his parents—and was well on his way to becoming a lawyer when he found himself caught in a lightning storm, fearful for his life he promised God if he made it out alive he would stop his current course and become a monk: two weeks later he entered the Augustinian monastery (34). Luther took this promise to the Lord very seriously, he was taught his entire life to fear God, in fact “the entire training of home, school, and the university was designed to instill [the] fear of God and reverence for the Church” into young people (27). William Bennett, in his book “The Book of Virtues,” stresses the importance of moral education of youth. He describes how “good habits formed in youth make…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays