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,