Common Place In Young Martin's Time example essay topic

The year 1483 certainly was not the best of times and arguably not the worst of times but it was a notable time in that the birth of one Martin Luther did occur and the re-birth of Christendom was not far away. Eisleben, Germany is noted as the birthplace of young Martin Luther just ten days into November. Germany at that time was a place of emperors, princes, princeling's, nobles, lords and knights. A place once called the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. A place that had no qualms with poverty or those who lived poverty's reality, the peasants. One of the many odd things about young Martin's Germany was the fact that the princes at that time were made up of archbishops and bishops who had been appointed by the pope (so much for separation of church and state).

In 1483, Emperor Frederick presided over what can be described as a violent and brutal Germany, a land that hosted torture and established a new class of people... the executioner. Debate over the death penalty was non-existent for even young Martin would grow up to support state executions as being divine punishment. Today's electric chair seems humane compared to "the wheel", "the stake", or being boiled to death in oil or water, styles of execution that were a common place in young Martin's time. Young Martin's Germany was a lively and interesting place but everything except static. The fire of change was tiny but being kindled with embers from corrupt clerics, the destruction of the flat earth theory and the invention of the printing press were but a few.

Change was emphatically in the wind. Hans and Margaret he Luther had four boys with Martin being the second, and one of two to survive the dreaded plague. Hans went from laboring in copper and silver mines to later owning several small foundries. Despite the promotion, the Luther's were still not far from basic peasantry, but young Martin did enjoy some of the better things life had to offer such as an education.

Though he couldn't escape the infrequent brutal beatings at the hands of his parents, he did at times play like the other kids. Martin enrolled in the University of Erfurt in the spring of 1501 with a solid primary and secondary education behind him, and he intended on studying law. Like most institutions of higher learning at that time, Erfurt concentrated on philosophy and that meant "thinking and reasoning"; one would say young Luther's future was being sculpted. Martin Luther received his baccalaureate in 1502 and his masters in January 1505.

Now it was time to get down to the business of studying the law and, in that quest, he was caught in a storm near Stotternheim a village near Erfurt. Luther had a great fear of storms, he believed storms came from the devil and good winds were sent by angels. So in his fright he cried out "Help, St Anne I will become a monk". In those days a vow such as that was a huge commitment and to break it was a mortal sin. Upon celebrating at his valedictory dinner at Erfurt he falsely prophesied, "Today you see me but nevermore".

1 He ignored the pleas of his classmates to continue studying the law; he had a vow to keep. Martin entered the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, did his one-year trial period and made his final vow to renounce the world forever. This involved a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. When a monk took that vow, the belief was that he reverted back to the grace Adam had before the Fall, and even though he'd fall again he'd have the monastic lifestyle to help keep him straight and pure for heaven. In April 1507, at twenty-three years of age, Martin was ordained to the priesthood and was now authorized to administer the sacraments.

The period that followed is known as Luther's "years of silence". Martin did as asked and studied theology in an effort to become a professor at one of the many new universities being staffed by monks. He attained his bachelor degree in theology in 1509, a year after moving to the University of Wittenberg where he was involved in the teaching and lecturing arena. Some would argue that Wittenberg was the source of Martin's distaste for Aristotle, since he was required to teach the ethics of the philosopher in order to receive his doctorate. The distaste for Aristotle would lead to a later distaste toward Thomas Aquinas who, as a noted theologian, adopted some of Aristotle's philosophy.

Martin the preacher teacher began commenting on Psalms, Romans, Galatians and Hebrews with the St. Jerome Bible as his source since, this was the Catholic Bible and Latin was the language. During this time, Luther sees scripture in a new light. "I am not good and righteous, but Christ is"now this alone is the right Christian was, that I turn away from my sin and want nothing more to do with it, and turn alone to Christ's righteousness, so that I know for certain that Christ's goodness, merit, innocence, and holiness are mine, as surely as I know that this body is mine. In his name I live, die, and pass away, for He died for us and was resurrected for us. I am not good and just, but Christ is. He in whose name I am baptized, receive the Holy Sacrament, study the Catechism-He will embrace us if only we trust in Him".

2 Martin used to believe righteousness was synonymous with the wrath of God, in that God would smite the sinner in His righteousness, a smiting Martin feared. Righteousness in the legacy and tradition of the Catholic Church at that time was something you attained through works, sort of like the old Smith Barney commercials; righteousness was only had the old fashion way... you earn it. The bible states that whatever is done in the dark will eventually come out in the light, Jesus also said that you will know a tree by the fruit it bears, 3 The Catholic Church in that day (some would argue still) was growing bad fruit. Martin transformed his mind with regards to righteousness "As much as I had hated the expression "righteousness of God" before, I now loved and treasured it. Thus this passage from Paul became truly the gate to Paradise. Later I read Augustine's treatise "Spirit and Letter", where I unexpectedly found the same interpretation of God's righteousness as the righteousness with which God clothes us by making us righteous.

And although it is still imperfectly formulated and does not clearly explain everything connected with God's imputation, I nonetheless was pleased to find him teaching the righteousness of God as the righteousness through which we are made righteous". 4 This new look on scripture seems to me a serious turning point in Martins career, he was no longer reading in papal ese. Indulgences, a payment for clergy to intercede in a dead person's release from purgatory, a practice begun sometime in the mid 800's as an incentive to rid Rome of the Muslim presence. 5 In 1517, a Dominican friar named Johann Tetzel arrived in Juterborg, not far from Wittenberg, bringing the indulgence game to Luther's neighborhood. Thus the impetus for the Ninety-Five theses was set and Martin was about to go into the history books. October 31 The Disputation of the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences or Ninety-Five Theses was somehow found and reprinted for consumption all over Germany.

We shall not digress into whether they were nailed to the door or not. What is important though is the fact that a practice that afforded a lot of important people a substantial cashflow was being questioned publicly and that was not a good thing for the ruling class. Actually Martin's theses essentially ripped the lid off not only the practice of indulgences but went further and publicly disagreed with the pope, the church, bishops, priests and anyone else involved with this practice. This was, in the words of noted defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, "a blockbuster, a bombshell!" The Theses was anything but vague: 37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.

5 The very foundation of indulgences was struck down and not very politely. 6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven. 6 Martins theology moved consistently toward the Theses, having already established his belief in Justification by faith alone. Jesus never said God so loved the world that who ever believes on him, the saints, the pope and his underlings selling indulgences shall be saved.

The only time I see Jesus praying for the dead was just before he raised Lazarus from among them John 11.7 Within a month of the release of the theses Martin was known about town and country. He lectured and then when on the road to defend his position and was received with celebrity status, though some feared for his life. Some historians seem to equate Martins pondering's over scripture to be doubt of Gods love toward him or a fear of death. I do not concur, I see a man who used his brain to try and understand his God in way that was deeper than those around him at the time. The Catholic Church was entrenched already as an institution that did not change their rules, and Martin simply looked at the same scripture with not only mind but spirit. The Renaissance was in full swing at that time and was conducive to "higher thinkers".

Its 1518, Martin denied the Pope's ability to forgive sin. He also denied the churches authority or right to indulgences, and denied priests the deity they had come accustomed to enjoying so its no surprise that Rome is now aware of Martin Luther. Pope Leo X called for a hearing in Rome but Martin argued it should be in Germany with German judges. His prince Frederick the Wise agreed and got the emperor to sign on.

Ausborg would be host to the hearing though Rome preferred Martin be bound in chains, fetters and handcuffs and delivered there. Things went so bad at Ausborg, Martin ended stealing away at night to stagger back to Wittenberg, dazed and feeling alone. At Martins hearing, the Church stood strictly on its tradition and its assumed position of authority. Martin stood on scripture. While this was going on the people of Germany were watching and were stirred by the spirit of the debate.

Martin stayed the course and things continued to heat up with the Roman Curia investigating and condemning him in 1520, and a year later excommunicating him. They summoned him to appear before Emperor Charles V at The Diet of Worms, and they expected him to recant his position. He didn't. Upon his condemnation, his prince placed him in hiding at Wartburg castle where he would translate the New Testament from Greek to German and also go down in history as the progenitor of the Protestant Reform Movement. Christendom would forever be changed.