Martin Luther -
PBS Documentary - Part 1 of 2
(Part 2 of 2: at
http://youtu.be/zK3iRNWUths
Martin Luther
OSA (
German: [ˈmaɐ̯tiːn ˈlʊtɐ]
10 November 1483 --
18 February 1546) was a German monk,
Catholic priest, professor of theology and seminal figure of the
16th-century movement in
Christianity known
later as the
Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with monetary values. He confronted indulgence salesman
Johann Tetzel, a
Dominican friar, with his
Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of
Pope Leo X in 1520 and the
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the
Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the
Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the
Emperor.
Luther taught that salvation and subsequently eternity in heaven is not earned by good deeds but is received only as a free gift of
God's grace through faith in
Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin and subsequently eternity in
Hell.His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the
Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the
Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God and opposed sacerdotalism by considering all baptized Christians to be a holy priesthood. Those who identify with these, and all of Luther's wider teachings, are called Lutherans even though Luther insisted on
Christian as the only acceptable name for individuals who professed
Christ.
His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead of
Latin) made it more accessible, which had a tremendous impact on the church and on
German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the
German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the writing of an
English translation, the
Tyndale Bible. His hymns influenced the development of singing in churches.[6] His marriage to
Katharina von Bora set a model for
the practice of clerical marriage, allowing
Protestant priests to marry.
In two of his later works, Luther expressed antagonistic views toward
Jews, writing that
Jewish synagogues and homes should be destroyed, their money confiscated, and liberty curtailed. These statements and their influence on anti-Semitism have contributed to his controversial status.[8] Martin Luther died in 1546, still convinced of his
Reformation theology, and with his decree of excommunication by Pope Leo X still effective. On his deathbed, Luther was asked, '
Are you ready to die trusting in your
Lord Jesus Christ and to confess the doctrine which you have taught in his name?'. He answered, '
Yes' before taking his final breath.
- published: 19 May 2014
- views: 223845