J E A N C . O RT I Z C A L D E R Ó N

MARTIN LUTHER: FATHER OF THE REFORMATION

U N I V E R S I D A D D E P U E RT O R I C OR E C I N T O D E A R E C I B O

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INTRODUCTION

• What would you do if you didn’t agree with what someone was doing?

PROFESSIONAL VOCABULARY

1. Indulgence: in Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment, due for sins which have already been forgiven.

2. Reformation: to form again: improvement; betterment; correction.

3. Inquisition: an official investigation, especially one of a political or religious nature, characterized by lack of regard for individual rights, prejudice on the part of the examiners, and recklessly cruel punishments.

PROFESSIONAL VOCABULARY

4. Excommunication: to cut off from communion with a church or exclude from the sacraments of a church by ecclesiastical sentence.

5. Illiterate: unable to read and write.

6. Peasants: a member of a class of persons, as in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, who are small farmers or farm laborers of low social rank.

7. Printing press: a machine, as a cylinder press or rotary press, for printing on paper or the like from type, plates, etc.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In the year 1450 Johannes Guttenberg modified the

existing printing press a made it more accessible for the all

writers, including Luther. All of Luther’s writings spread

throughout Europe with the help of the press.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Years prior to Luther’s rise, the Spanish American

Conquest expanded the Roman Catholic Church influence

unto the “new world”, because of the great expenses of the

Christianization of the new land and the construction of St.

Peter’s Basilica, the Church recurred to a new way of

refunding: the selling of indulgences, documents that

promised to forgive all sins, even above confession and

repentance.

BIOGRAPHYRELIGIOUS AWAKENING

• Martin Luther was born at Esleben,

Germany in November 10, 1483; he also

died on Esleben in February 18, 1546.

• (1515). While studying the book of

Romans he realized the doctrine of

"justification by faith" (Luther began to

teach that salvation is completely a gift

of God's grace through Jesus received by

faith), and that the Bible should be the

basis of religious life and available to

everyone.

95 THESES AND EXCOMMUNICATION

• (October 31, 1517) a document that challenged the

teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on the nature of

penance, the authority of the pope and the usefulness of

indulgences.

• (January 3, 1521) Luther was given a couple of months to

repent and to take back the 95 theses, to what he

answered: “I submit to no laws of interpreting the word of

God.”

DIET OF WORMS AND THE EDICT OF WORMS

• (April 17-18, 1521) an edict by Charles V outlawing Martin Luther and all his writings with death sentences and confiscatory penalties for anyone( such as a printer) found with them in their possession.

• "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason I do not

accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have

contradicted each other, my conscience is captive to the Word of

God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against

conscience is neither right nor safe." "Here I stand. I can do no

other. God help me. Amen."

WARTBURG CASTLE

• (April 1521 - March 1522) Luther translated the New

Testament into German to make it more accessible to the

commoners; the whole Bible was translated in 1534.

PEASANT’S WAR AND LAST DAYS OF LUTHER

• (Summer 1524) the war reflected the economic and

religious struggles of peasants and farmers. The German

Peasants' War was Europe's largest and most widespread

popular uprising prior to the French Revolution of 1789. It

was heavily influenced by the Protestant Reformation.

• Luther married an ex-nun and continued with his writings,

he also met other reformists (such as John Calvino and

Ulrich Zwingli) and all conceived the Wittenberg Concord.

DIRECT QUOTES

• “I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth. “

• “If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there. “

• “I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. “

• “True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.”

• It is neither right nor safe to go against my conscience.”

DIRECT QUOTES

• “You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say”

• “An unjust law is no law at all.”

• “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”

• “The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.”

• “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right....”

WHY WAS LUTHER INFLUENTIAL?

• Luther's translations of the Bible helped to develop a standard version of the German language and added several principles to the art of translation (to all sorts of languages: French, English, Spanish, etc.)

• Primary education establishment (Luther believed that it was crucial for all Christians to read the bible and be able to comprehend it).

• Luther's hymns inspired the development of congregational singing in Christianity, also dancing and paintings.

WHY WAS LUTHER INFLUENTIAL?

• His marriage on June 13, 1525, to Katharina von Bora began a movement of clerical marriage within many Christian traditions. Inclusion of women into the ranks of the Lutheran Church, now days the Lutheran priestesses.

• Luther challenged all of the precepts orders and gave birth to a new way of thinking, freed from the shackles of tradition, hence Luther’s Protestant Reformation was the very first major revolution of all times, leading some people to think he influenced the French Revolution (1789).

WHAT IF LUTHER HAS NOT EXISTED?

• If Luther never existed, the Protestant Reformation would have taken much longer, we might have been talking today about John Calvino as the father of the Reformation instead; and incidentally more bloodshed would have happened.

• The development of primary education for all the people regardless of social statement (reading and writing education) would have been stalled. And so the art of translation and literature spreading.

• The War of Peasants was directly related to Luther’s preaching and it influenced the French Revolution.

REASON OF CHOICE

I decided to choose Martin Luther because he was

certainly one of the first major revolutionist of all times.

Luther stood up to his beliefs and died honoring his word,

even against all the odds. During the fight for his beliefs

other men and woman that thought alike reunited with

Luther, giving birth to the Protestant Reformation. Indirectly

and unintentionally he influenced a lot of revolts and

insurrections against the authorities: the Catholic Church and

the Government.

CONCLUSION

More than a reformation Luther truly brought upon

the 16th century’s world a major revolution: a choice for

everyone with no social, economical or genre exclusions

whatsoever. He preached more than a religion, a style of

life which included building fraternal relationships, having

always goodwill and preserving and pursuing beliefs. He

also taught the entire world that he could fight a war

without a sword and a shield; instead, he used the pencil

and the paper.