The Protestant Reformation

Although most medieval people were satisfied with the Catholic Church and its teachings from the C12th onwards, a number of groups and individuals began criticising Christianity, suggesting reform, improving clerical education and altering basic doctrines. (M.E Wiesner Hanks). 

Martin Luther, among many was an individual who was dissatisfied with the rules and regulations that the Catholic Church imposed on society. 

Martin Luther - Biography 

• Born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany - the son of a miner. 
• His father wanted him to recieve a good education and so Luther trained as a lawyer until 1505 when he had his ''lightning'' moment and pledged to take monastic vows. 
• While living as a monk, he became increasingly frustrated in his relationship with God, and so decided to to become a professor of theology in Wittenberg. In 1512, he recieves his doctorate. 
• Luther became passionately preoccupied with salvation and became frustrated because he wasn't contributing to his own salvation e.g by punishing himself. 
• Luther was disturbed by institutional corruption and misguided popular beliefs which he illustrated in his 95 Theses. (M.E Wiesner Hanks). 
• In particular, Luther was frustrated by the sale of indulgences, effectively pieces of paper rhat told the consumer they were going to heaven/ they would achieve salvation. Associated most greatly with Johann Tetzel, indulgences were the corrupt way of taxing the superstitious population in order to fund the reconstruction of the St.Pauls' Basilica. 
• Luther's 95 Theses were quickly printed (first in Latin - the original language he'd published them in) and then translated into German, and circulated in the form of pamphlets. (M.E Wiesner Hanks). 
• Luther refused to recant his statements and continued to develop his reform ideas, publicising these in a series of pamphlets in which he moved further and further away from Catholicism. (M.E Wiesner Hanks). 
• He clearly understood the power of print and so authorised his works to be published. (M.E Wiesner Hanks). 

Luther Ideas 

• Sola-fide: justification by faith alone: 

This idea led luther to a new understanding of faith; as a personal connection or relationship between Christ and the individual. Luther decided that we cannot be freed from sin, but that justification can give grace to the sinner and allows God to accept them. Sola-fide can be best encapsulated by Romans 1:17 - ''the just shall live by faith''. 

Sola-fide and the inability to rid onself of sin (but to be justified by Christ) was a key idea in the late-medieval Church. The Fall of Adam and Eve (original sin) dictated that ''we are all seminally present in the loins of Adam'' (St.Augustine). 

Salvation was NOT achieved by good works, it was simply a gift and therefore acts such as whipping oneself would not bring the sinner any closer to salvation. 

''The individual is at one, and at the same time righteous and a sinner'' - the idea that sin did not go away, but one could still achieve salvation.

Sola-fide also encapsulates ''sola-gratia" - the idea of justification by grace alone…