Essay On Luther And The Catholic Church Reformation

Beginning in the early 16th century, a rise against the Catholic Church ensued as many influential Christian leaders began to teach against Catholic beliefs. In Germany specifically, a Reformation began in rebellion against the corruption and abuse of the Papacy. The Reformation opposed the catholic practices of collecting debts and the importance that they placed on Saints and icons. Martin Luther, the pivotal leader for the Reformation in Germany, expressed a need for rehabilitation within the church and created a new vision for Christianity. While it took many years and created controversy between Luther and the Catholic church, Luther’s teachings became more prominent, becoming the foundation for Protestantism. Although the Catholic Church …show more content…
Better known as the 95 These, this list questioned the actions of the Catholic Church. The Theses outlined the problems Luther saw within the Catholic Church, specifically surrounding indulgences, sacraments, and purgatory. The first of the two Theses encompassed Luther’s central ideas. The first stated, “When our lord and master Jesus Christ said “repent” (Mt. 4:17) he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” The second stated, “This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.” These two sacraments advocated that a Christian by faith alone can repent and achieve righteousness without the help of deeds and priests. Faith in God alone would lead to salvation. To defend this argument, Luther used John 20 which stated, “Jesus is the messiah, the son of god and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Luther argued that this passage proved priests were not needed to direct people to righteousness and that every Christian could be their own priest if they had faith. Another important These, addressed the Saint Peters Scandal and