key topic 2

• 95 thesis ( 31st October 1517 )

  • pinned to the main door of church of Wittenberg
  • were intended to invite debate - written in Latin
  • sola fiede - thought that good works get you into heaven
  • example of thesis : an indulgence will not save a man
  • wrote against the sale of indulgences - was angry that the Wittenberg people were crossing the border to purchase indulgences
• his main arguments

  1. forgiveness was a free gift from from god and could not be purchased
  2. the pope had no control over over purgatory god alone had that
  3. souls could not be released from purgatory through the purchase of papal pardons
• • against a revolution : wanted to provoke a debate ---> wrote in Latin
  • for : was posted a day before a holy day , was criticizing the relic collection
• impact of the thesis - what made it popular

  1. the timing - previous attempts against indulgences were ignored, Tetzel selling these indulgences caused concern among the elite
  2. their tone - wrote in a hurry and his language was combative was wrote in a way ordinary people could understand
  3. appeal for German nationalists/ poor - popular theme that Germans were being tricked into handing over their savings to foreign power
  4. use of printing press - meant that the wide spread of the thesis could not be contained
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  albert of Mainz (1517

  • was one of the 7 electors
  • hired Tetzel to hire to sell indulgences so he could become archbishop of Magdeburg
  • Albert had sent Luther’s letters to Leo about Luther protesting the sale of indulgences
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  meeting with Augustinian order (1518)

  • in Heidelberg
  • Luther was invited to talk as guest of honor
  • he drew strength from public support
  • Leo x issued orders on Luther to be brought to Rome on charge of heresy
  • Fredrick stopped this and helped Luther however this didn't mean that Fredrick stopped adding to his relic collection
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  meeting with Cajetan (1518)

  • Fredrick requested imperial guarantee of safety - stops luthers arrest to Rome
  • Cajetan was under orders to get Luther to recant / arrested
  • Cajetan pointed out luthers errors i.e. thesis 7 no one could ever be certain of obtaining grace
  • in the end Luther refused to recant and Cajetan dismissed him
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  the response of Leo x to Luther

  • emperor maximillius health was declining
  • Leo sent militiz a golden rose -trying to get Fredrick’s vote
  • max died and Leo put efforts onto pope election therefore lost focus on Luther
  • Leos other concerns - he was bankrupt , wanted to unite Christian europe to deal with the ottoman empire
  • ordered the Augustinian order to silence Luther
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  Leipzig debates (1519)

  • held at plessnburg castle
  • Johan eck wanted to attack Luther in a debate
  • at first eck was debating with harlstat however eck was annoyed at this and so he got Luther his safe conduct
  • debated luthers ideas i.e. 95 thesis and ideas
  • was a turning point in 3 ways - 1. Luther has been forced to address his ideas 2. Luther gained publicity 3.eck reported to Rome that Luther was a heretic
  • dr john eck was a Dominican frier
• shaping of Lutheran beliefs (1517-1520)

  papal bull of excommunication ( 1520 )

  • 41 of luthers views seen as heretic
  • books to be burnt publicly
  • forbidden to preach or write - produced over 20 pamphlets
  • if he failed to submit would be excommunicated - gave him 60 days to recant
  • luthers response to this was that he burnt the papal bull
• 3 pamphlets of 1520

  Christian nobility of German nation

  • wrote in German to gather support
  • stated clergy were not superior to ordinary people
• 3 pamphlets of 1520

  a bablonish captivity of the church

  • Latin - addressed to clergy and humanists
  • attacked romes teachings on sacraments and bias of Catholicism
  • caused divisions as extremists thought he was being too casus
• 3 pamphlets of 1520

  concerning Christian liberty

  • written in German
  • most gentle pamphlet out of three
  • wanted to share a sense of liberation
• importance of printing press

  • books can now be mass produced
  • spread of knowledge cant be contained by church
  • 200 presses in Germany
  • allowed access to humanist works
  • central to luthers message to sola scriptura
  • by 1524 all doctrinal works in print were by Luther
  • woodcuts for illiterate
• tower experience (1514-19) actual date unknown

  • shaped luthers key beliefs
  • sola feide - faith alone
• why did luthers ideas change

  1. drew courage from support he received
  2. backlash caused him to get bolder i.e. burning papal bull
  3. gave Luther time to think
  4. Leo initially underestimated Luther - left Augustinians to deal with him
  5. church applied pressure on Luther that forced him to expand on his ideas i.e. eck and Cajetan
• What are the influences of Luther’s views from his early life

  1. Lightening storm of 1505 - prayed to st Anne and said he would give up law and become a monk if he survived

  2. He became an Augustinian monk of the Erfurt branch which had already been reformed

  3. Taught and preached in Wittenberg university , gave the university fame

  4. 1510 went to Rome and saw the corruptions of the church

  5. Humanists like Erasmus - when he published the New Testament in Greek Luther learnt Greek so he could understand it