Martin Luther

Martin Luther Was Born

1483

Martin Luther was born in on November 10th, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. His father was a copper miner

Martin Luther Receives the Baccalaureate Degree

1502

Luther enrolled at the University of Erfurt, at the time one of the most distinguished universities in Germany. Martin Luther took the customary course in the liberal arts and received his bachelor's degree in 1502.

Martin Luther Becomes A Monk

1505

Martin Luther received his Master's degree from the University of Erfurt in 1505. However, on July 2, 1505, a thunderstorm in Germany changed the course of history. As Martin Luther was returning from his family’s home in Mansfeld, to Erfurt, where he was studying law, he was caught in a storm. Luther begged for his life to be saved and vowed to “become a monk” if he survived. He kept his promise and entered St. Augustine's Monastery in Erfurt that same year.

Martin Luther Receives His Doctorate and Becomes a Professor

1512

On October 19th, 1512, he was awarded his Doctor of Theology and, on October 21st, 1512, was received into the senate of the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg, having succeeded Von Staupitz as chair of theology. Over the next five years Luther’s continuing theological studies would lead him to insights that would have implications for Christian thought for centuries to come.

Martin Luther Analyzes the Faith

1513

Beginning in 1513 and continuing to 1516, while preparing lectures, Luther read part of scripture that made him feel his own sense of disillusionment with God and religion. He continued to study and analyze each line of the scripture. Finally, he realized the key to spiritual salvation was not to fear God or be enslaved by religious dogma but to believe that faith alone would bring salvation. This period marked a major change in his life and set in motion the Reformation.

Luther Posts The 95 Theses

1517

Luther writes the Ninety-five Theses, a document that explains why indulgences are wrong. Luther posts the Ninety-five Theses on the door of the the church, Wittenberg, on October 31. Thus setting the foundation for the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther Goes Against The Sale of Indulgences

1517

The Catholic Church’s practice of granting “indulgences” to provide absolution to sinners became increasingly corrupt. Indulgence-selling had been banned in Germany, but the practice continued unabated. In 1517, a friar named Johann Tetzel began to sell indulgences in Germany to raise funds to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Martin Luther was appalled by this and began to publicly speak against the sale of indulgences.

Luther Continues His Writings

1519

Luther had come to believe that Christians are saved through faith and not through their own efforts. This turned him against many of the major teachings of the Catholic Church. In 1519 -1520, he wrote a series of pamphlets developing his ideas - 'On Christian Liberty', 'On the Freedom of a Christian Man', 'To the Christian Nobility' and 'On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church'. Thanks to the printing press, Luther's writings spread quickly through Europe.

Luther's Teachings Are Examined

1520

In January 1520 a consistory heard the recommendation that Luther’s orthodoxy be examined, and one month later a papal commission concluded that Luther’s teachings were heretical. Because this conclusion seemed hasty to some members of the Curia, another commission, consisting of the heads of the several important monastic orders, was convened, and it rendered the surprisingly mild judgment that Luther’s propositions were “scandalous and offensive to pious ears” but not heretical.

Luther is Called To Take Back His Words

1520

In 1520 Pope Leo X issues a document called the Papal Bull to tell Luther to take back his accusations, however Luther retaliates by publicly setting the document on fire, a sign that he is willing to fight.

Luther is Excommunicated

1521

The pope formally excommunicates Luther, throwing him out of the church. The pope says Luther is a heretic—an outlaw who should be captured and burned to death. However, the German king and Holy Roman emperor, Charles V, had vowed that no German would be convicted without a proper hearing.

Luther Appears at the Diet of Worms

1521

Luther appears at an official meeting called the Diet of Worms in Germany. His accusers ask him to declare that the books he has published are wrong, but he insists that he cannot unless someone can find evidence in the Bible that he is wrong. Charles V declares Luther an outlaw after the Diet of Worms, but local ruler Frederick III of Saxony keeps Luther in hiding for the better part of a year. During this period Luther begins to translate the New Testament into German.

Luther Returns to Wittenberg

1522

Luther returns to Lutherstadt, Wittenberg and sets off a series of theological and social reforms, such as education for all. He encourages musicians and poets to write music and hymns for church services. His influence was strong in Wittenberg, and he managed to control the course of reform.