How Did Martin Luther Influence

Martin Luther is a person commonly known for being the key component of the Reformation. His Ninety-Five Theses Concerning Indulgences, which he posted on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517, grabbed many people’s attention for listing the issues of the corrupt clergy and is commonly known for marking the start the Reformation. However, according to the Sixteenth Century Dutch scholar Erasmus, “The egg was laid. Luther had but to incubate and hatch it.” There was an abundance of underrated people that created huge impacts throughout this time. Luther’s actions were only a conclusion of criticism that took place for roughly one and a half centuries. The selling of indulgences, opposing beliefs of religious matters, and church officials corrupting vows were prominent issues that caused many people to question the corruption of the church. Indulgences are one of the main problems that occurred during …show more content…
An indulgence is another word for pardon. In this case, greedy church officials would make large amounts of money by giving the illusion that people would have their sins forgiven if they payed money for it. One of the earliest people to take notice of this issue was John Wycliffe, a scholar in England during the 1370s. He was very open about his thoughts and had a strong negative attitude toward the clergy. One of Wycliffe’s writings clearly shows his ultimate complaint about this rising issue. “Priests, and especially high priests should be ashamed of the lives they lead, for they have reversed Christ in both word and deed.” (Document one) is a section of this piece that explains his complaint with the church because the people many citizens look up too are saying that there is no problem with going against God if there is a need to do so. Many church officials would lie to citizens by selling indulgences to become wealthy. Another person to notice this issue was