By Jessica Morales

MARTIN LUTHER

BASIC INFORMATION

• Born November 10, 1483

• Lived in Eisleben, Saxony, Holy Roman Empire

• German monk, former Catholic priest, professor of theology and seminal figure of a reform movement

• Well known for “95 Theses” and Reforming the Catholic Church.

BACKGROUND

• In July of 1505, Martin was caught in a horrific thunderstorm.

• Afraid that he was going to die, he screamed out a vow, “Save me, St. Anna, and I shall become a monk.” (St. Anna was the mother of the Virgin Mary and the patron saint of miners.)

• Most argue that this commitment to become a monk could not have come out of thin air and instead represents an intensification experience in which an already formulated thought is expanded and deepened

• On July 17th Luther entered the Augustinian Monastery at Erfurt.

WHY REFORM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?

• Roman Catholic Church sent a papal commissioner to sell indulgences to raise money to rebuilt St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Luther Was not Happy!

WHY IS MARTIN LUTHER A LEADER?

• Martin Luther published the 95 theses which criticized the Catholic Church.

• He taught that the Bible should be the sole authority in the Church and taught to trust in Jesus, do good works and trust in the Bible.

• Later he criticized the Pope for selling indulgences. In 1520 he published three works spelling out his understanding of Christianity.

• Translated the New and Old Testaments into German.