Lutheran reformation: Luther's background, education and context

• Luther's father ran small business
• Luther brought up in religious orthodoxy.
• Showed interest in relgion at school.
• Luther sent to university of Erfert in 1501 to study lliberal art.

Dissatisfaction:

• dissatisfied with course: attracted to religious life.
• 1505 L. underwent profound psycholgical experience: promised St. Anne he would devote life to servic of God.

Obsession with sin

• Entered house of Augustinian friars to become a priest.
• developed fixation with sin.
• refused to believe his religious position would guarentee salvation- constantly confessing sins.
• Obsession undermined foundations of tradional faith assocaited with good faith.

Transference to Wittenberg

• When visting Rome (1510) L. shocked by what he saw- dissolusioned with the lax piety of administration of indulgences and commercialism of operation.
• L.'s superior Johanned Von Staupitz sent luther to university of Wittenburg for a better suited position.

• 1512 Luther appointed preacher in the town Church of Wittenburg.
• Began to lecture in university- lectures on Galations distinguished between law and the gospel as expression of revelation.
• Luther's views became dependent on biblical texts- took them literally.

Theology of humility

• Luther developed belief that only by confessing absolute helplessness before God could man reach salvation---> supported by writings of St. Augustine.