Third Assignment

[2] Luther as an Augustan Monk

Martin Luther became a religious revolutionary out of his own personal relationship with the church and his misgivings that resulted after a life long devotion to Christianity. Although he did not set out to be a revolutionary, he felt that many of the church's practices had become excessive, or a way for the church to get rich through manipulating its members by threatening to withhold Heaven and God's grace. These issues prompted Luther to declare his 95 theses of specific points that he disagreed with. The impact of Luther's defiance of church practices was wade significant by two factors. First of all, he was an engaging writer and a charismatic speaker. He wrote in language that the average German could understand as well as relate to. Secondly, his cause was aided by the printing press which would allow his ideas to spread far and wide very quickly. It was this aspect that made Luther important to the German-speaking lands. His writings captured the people and his ideas brought them together.

[1] Martin Luther's 95 Theses

[3] Martin Luther's Writings

During Luther's time, religion, politics, and society were closely intertwined, each one affecting the others. By calling for religious reform, Luther inadvertently became a political and social revolutionary as well. For better or worse, his work would change German culture in ways that Luther never intended. While printed German writings and ideas brought the people together, the interpretations of those ideas would keep them apart. Protestants split away from the Catholic church and peasants rose against the nobles and land-owners. Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X and declared an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Yet, the people adored him and gathered to see him pass through their villages. Luther became a revolutionary leader that threatened the power of the church, freeing the people from the church's greed. 

[1] http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/95-theses-to-the-modern-evangelical-church/

[2] [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther