On this Day: Martin Luther Nails ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ to Chapel Door

In essence, Martin Luther’s “Ninety-five Theses” were a call to debate. During the time in which he lived, men of letters and theologians regularly exchanged ideas by writing letters and essays.

The theses began with an invitation:

“Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.” 

“Luther clearly intended the Ninety-five Theses to be subservient to the church and the pope, and their overall tone is accordingly searching rather than doctrinaire,” states Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nevertheless, there is a detectable undercurrent of ‘reforming’ sentiment in the work—expressed in several theses beginning with the phrase ‘Christians are to be taught that…’—as well as some openly provocative statements.”

Take thesis 86, for example:

 “86. Again: -- ‘Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?’”

The initial response to Luther’s Ninety-five Theses was subdued. Few scholars took up his challenge. “But,” says Glimpses of Christian History, “once news of his proposals became known, many began to discuss the issue Luther raised that salvation was by faith in Christ’s work alone.”

Luther had expected the pope to agree with his arguments, as the theses were firmly grounded in scripture. But three years later, in 1520, Pope Leo X officially condemned his views.

According to Glimpses of Christian History, one day, as a young man studying law at the local university, Luther found himself caught in a terrible thunderstorm and was almost killed by lightning. Reportedly, he cried out to St. Anne, whom Christians take to be the mother of Mary, and promised that if he were spared he would become a monk. He lived, and he kept his word.

In 1505, Luther entered the Augustinian monastery and became a priest two years later. In 1510, he was sent to Rome. Glimpses of Christian History notes that “Luther was disenchanted with the ritualism and dead faith he found in the papal city. There was nothing in Rome to mend his despairing spirit or settle his restless soul. He seemed so cut off from God, and nowhere could he find a cure for his malady.”

Luther by that time had become well versed in scholastic theology and scripture, especially in the epistles of Saint Paul.
   
In Paul’s letters, says Christian Web site Believe, “Luther found that his teachings diverged increasingly from the traditional beliefs of the Roman church. His studies had led him to the conclusion that Christ was the sole mediator between God and man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are effected by God’s Grace alone and are received by faith alone on the part of man.”

Luther believed that the church had mired itself in an essentially temporal culture of greed and materialism. His was particularly appalled by the church’s practice of selling indulgences. It was the arrival of the Dominican friar Johann Tetzel to collect revenues for indulgences in Saxony that prompted Luther to post his Ninety-five Theses.

Luther’s contributions to Christian theology brought about a revolution in the church that saw the formation of many new Christian denominations.

“Through his words and actions,” says Encyclopedia Britannica, “Luther precipitated a movement that reformulated certain basic tenets of Christian belief and resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions, mainly Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Communion, the Anabaptists, and the Antitrinitarians.

As World Civilizations explains: “The whole concept of an indulgence is based on the medieval Catholic doctrine that sinners must not only repent of sins that they’ve committed, they must also confess these sins and pay some sort of retribution.”

The Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences brought in tremendous revenue. It was even reported that in 1517 the archbishop of Mainz, Albert of Brandenburg, paid off the pope for his appointment to archbishop, and helped finance a large part of the construction of Saint Peter’s in Rome with money garnered from the sale of indulgences.