Martin Luther

  • Luther was born
    1483

    Luther was born

    He was born on November 12 in Eisleben (a county of Mansfeld)
  • School
    1502

    School

    Receives a liberal arts degree and a master's degree along with beginning law school. His background in law gives him a solid and logical basis for his Protestant Movement.
  • Abandons School
    1505

    Abandons School

    Abandons the study of law after a violent thunderstorm scares him and enters a monastery to begin live as a monk. Beginning of his heavily spiritual journey.
  • Receives Doctorate
    1512

    Receives Doctorate

    Receives his doctorate and begins life as a professor of biblical studies; begins to publish his writings on religion. Beginning of religious influence on the state.
  • Period: 1513 to 1516

    Breakthrough

    It was around this time Luther realized all the Protestant ideas that made him angry with the church. Taught that salvation is a gift of God that was received by faith alone rather than by indulgences like the church was saying.
  • 95 Theses
    1517

    95 Theses

    In retaliation against the church, Luther wrote the 95 Theses explaining that indulgences were wrong. Posted them outside the door of the Schlosskirche church. 95 Theses were printed and distributed amongst the common people, weaking the power of the church.
  • Beginning of Protestant Reformation
    1517

    Beginning of Protestant Reformation

    With the inspiration given by Luther, the people began the protestant Reformation, as in the split of western Christianity between roman Catholics and protestants
  • Disputation
    1519

    Disputation

    Theologian Johann Eck staged a disputation with Luther's colleague named Andreas Karlstadt and invited Luther to speak. Luther made a few controversial comments against the way the papacy ran and Eck was determined to "defeat" Luther.
  • Warning from the Pope
    1520

    Warning from the Pope

    The pope issued a papal bull (edict) to Luther telling him to renounce what he said in the 95 Theses. Luther publicly set fire to the bull, showing his ultimate defiance to the papacy.
  • Excommunication and Trial
    1521

    Excommunication and Trial

    Luther is officially excommunicated from the church by Pope Leo X. Church wants to burn but Charles V vowed there must be a trial.
    He is tried and claims that he will renounce what he said if they could find where in the Bible it said he was wrong.
  • Return to Wittenberg
    1522

    Return to Wittenberg

    secretly returned to Wittenberg and preached 8 sermons during lent in which he preaches the primacy/the core of Christianity. was incredibly well received by the people, claiming they were bringing "misguided people into the way of the truth."