Events Leading Up To Martin Luthers Excommunication :: essays research papers fc

Martin Luther was the founder of the Protestant church. Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben in the province of Saxony. His view of Christianity started what is called the Protestant Reformation in Germany. Luther sought out to inform people of what he thought were the churches wrongdoings. The resistance of the church called the Counter Catholic Reformation permanently divided western Christianity. Luther was raised (for the most part) in Mansfield. His mother and father were so cruel and abusive his childhood was almost non-existent, which later in life caused him to run away to a monastery and become a monk. He studied at Eisanbach and Madgeburg and later studied at the university of Erfurt. The reasons Luther unexpectiantly became a monk are conflicting and could be argued upon. Luther himself said, "When I was terror stricken and overwhelmed by the fear of impending death, I made an involuntary and forced vow". There are many legends explaining this statement but nobody knows for sure. The main reason Luther went deeper into his religious life was that he felt he would never earn his salvation. He didn't feel that all the prayer, sacraments, and the good deed doing were enough. Therefore Luther did not think he could satisfy such a judging god, which meant damnation. Soon after entering the religious life he became an Augustian monk and entered the Augustian monastery at Erfurt on July 17, 1505. In 1512 Luther earned his doctorate in theology and became the professor of biblical literature at Wittenberg University. Luther took his religious vocation very seriously and spent much of his time reading the bible, which lead him to question the Roman Catholic Church. He realized man was at a disadvantage because our weaknesses force us to be burdened with sin. He said humans could not earn salvation by doing good deeds or performing holy acts instead we can earn it with faith in Jesus alone. Believing this, Luther was influenced to write the ninety-five theses along with him strongly opposing the sale of indulgences which are documents freeing sinners of punishment after death. After posting up the ninety-five theses on the castle churches door on October 31st, 1517, Luther sent a copy of the theses and an explanation to the Arch Bishop. The bishop sent it to his councilors at Aschaffenburge. The council was unanimous that Luther was a heretical man and proceedings against him should be taken.