Research Paper on "Martin Luther and Christian Inculturation in the 16 Century"

Research Paper 5 pages (1567 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Martin Luther and His Profound Effect on Christianity

For modern day Christians, the mention of Martin Luther brings about a significant division in the way these individuals perceive this man who had such a momentous effect on Christianity and the way it is practiced in modern times. For many historians and laymen alike, Martin Luther is viewed as a radical whose works and teachings led to the splitting of the Christian church from one facet into many different denominations. For others, Luther is viewed as a visionary who was able to revive the church by pulling it out from under the control of corrupt leaders in order to give it new life and return Christianity to its true biblical roots. While both of these beliefs are grounded in opinion, there is one fact that firmly remains: despite individual beliefs, Martin Luther was a man who brought about monumental changes to Christianity through his teachings and actions, that laid the foundation for how Christianity is viewed and practiced today.

Who Was Martin Luther?

Martin Luther was a Christian theologian and Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced doctrines of the Protestant and other Christian religions (Greatsite, 2012, pp.1). Born in 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, Luther was immediately baptized and raised in the traditions and teachings of the Christian church as taught to him by his parents, Hans and Margaretha Luder. Martin's father, having been raised poor and come into some money through his ownership of a copper mine later in life was determined to ensure that his family enjoy a life of education and means that he was not afforded as a child. As such, Hans sent young Martin to grammar schools across the country, and Martin eventually went on to receive is Bachelor's and Master's degrees and enrolled himself in law school.

Luther's decision to join the church as a holy man came in July of 1505 when he was attending law school. Horseback riding during a thunderstorm, Martin became terrified when lightning bolts began to strike quite near to him. Fearing for his life, Luther called out, "Help! Saint Anna, and I will become a monk," and upon making it back to school uninjured, Luther viewed this vow as one he could never break (Brecht, 1993, pp. 48). During his time at the monastery, Luther devoted himself to the close study of the Scriptures and found himself entrusted with the duty of bringing light to the world regarding the true meaning of God's grace and salvation.

Impact on Church Reformation

In reality, it can be argued that Martin Luther was essentially the man who started the Reformation, both by his own actions and in his shaping the actions of others through new knowledge and beliefs. In his time at the monastery, Luther worked hard to translate the Holy Book into the language of his fellow citizens, who until his translations, had never been able to read toe word of the Lord that was preached to them. In translating these words and teachings into German, Luther was able to have a profound impact on his fellow Christians, who for the first time in their lives could understand the Bible for themselves instead of through word of mouth. In understanding the true words of the Bible, these individuals were, for the first time, able to see that the teachings and words of the Bible they were now able to read, did not always correspond to the many rules and regulations that had been given them by the leaders in the Catholic Church in Rome. In this capacity, and in the publication of his 95 Theses, Luther was able to begin the Reformation with the backing of his fellow men, who had only been enlightened to the truth because of his works.

The 95 Theses: Inspiration

Through his studies and through the publication of his own works, Luther became highly discontented with the Catholic Church, especially in its clerical abuses of its followers. In viewing and studying the teachings, restrictions, and actions of the Catholic Church, Luther set out to author a list of 95 revolutionary opinions that would essentially begin the Protestant Reformation with Luther's choice to nail his work to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517.

In his theses, Luther condemned the church for its excesses and corruption, and its dealings with money, which led him to author his theses. The image of the chaste and valiant monk defying the church and its teachings in a public manner is one that has been referenced countless times throughout history during times of religious corruption and its relative acts of bravery. Luther's Theses, while viewed as open attack on the church, was more accurately a simple scholarly manner of inviting debate on a particular subject.

Luther was determined to place his beliefs in the hands of those who could enact change, and in addition to nailing a copy on the Castle Church's door, he mailed a copy to his bishop, Albrecht of Mainz on the same day (the Lutheran, 2012, pp.1). However, while many throughout history have continually cited the image of Luther with hammer and nails in hand, it is Luther's words that had the impact to spark the Reformation. In viewing the content of Luther's Thesis and in understanding the commonly-utilized practice of the selling of indulgences that occurred at the time of its publication, one can immediately see the discrepancies between the word of God told in the Bible and the actions of his "appointed" teachers on Earth.

The 95 Theses: Issues with the Church and Indulgences

The 95 Theses, also referred to as the "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences" is based solely on Luther's disgust for the corrupt dealings of the church that in every way and manner went against the teachings of the Holy Bible. Aside from the discrepancies between the teachings of the Bible and the actions of church officials, the selling of indulgences was viewed by Luther to be a direct contradiction to the teachings of the Holy Bible. In Catholic theology, and in practical use at the time of Luther's existence, an indulgence referred to the full or partial remission of temporal punishment (Owenby, 2010, pp. 5). In other words, the distribution of an indulgence to a sinner meant that that individual sin's were partially forgiven in the eyes of the Lord, as determined by the granting of such absolution by the Catholic Church.

Unlike the modern practice of receiving the absolution of sin through penance, which is associated with the good works and prayers of the sinner, indulgences were a means for the church to generate a profit through the sales of indulgences, which presented as a clear abuse of power and morality in the eyes of many, including Martin Luther. In today's modern society, one can immediately pinpoint the morality issues that come into play in terms of indulgence selling in the time of Martin Luther. Modern Christians are taught to trust in the forgiveness of the Lord, which is said to come at no monetary price, but in the form of penance and repentance for any actions which may bring offense to God or his commandments. However, an understanding must be made that focuses on the commonplace selling of such indulgences at the time of Martin Luther's teachings. While many individuals could argue against the selling of absolution, corrupt leaders within the church left no option for intervention or modification of practices until someone as brave as Luther chose to bring these abuses to light.

Effects of the Reformation

Martin Luther's teachings and his ability to bring the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church allowed the Protestant Reformation to take place and alter the face of Christianity forever.… READ MORE

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