Martin Luther

The monk

According to Martin Luther, its monastic vocation would have come to him the July 2nd 1505, at the time of a storm where it failed to be struck down by a flash. It made the following wish then: “With my assistance, Holy Anne! I want to be made monk.”

He is indeed allowed as of the July 17th 1505 with the convent of the Augustins of Erfurt, where he tries at once to seek the perfection by the Ascèse and the Mortification S, while being persuaded at the bottom of itself that it will never arrive there. At the same time, it continues to study the Théologie and soon starts to teach it: ordered priest in 1507, it is indicated to teach philosophy with the convent of Erfurt. Doctor in Theology in 1512, it occupies thereafter the biblical pulpit of teaching to Wittenberg, city where it will be starting from 1514 also preacher of the church. Teaching, preaching and personal research are then the three essential activities of Luther.

Towards the Reform

Some make go up the reforming ideas of Luther to a stay which it made with Rome in 1510 - 1511 for the businesses of its kind. It is apparently not the case, and the ecclesiastical abuses the time do not seem to have moved it in addition to measurement. More important are its work on the epistles of Paul and his obsession of the divine hello. Luther was able from there to think that the man must accept his state of sinner, and that it is inevitably imperfect in front of God, which does not prevent obviously the Pénitence. On the other hand, to want to solve the problem of the Sinned by Indulgence S, generally versed out of money, is for him a practice incompatible with piety and a way too easy to elude truths problems.

Its conflict with the Church bursts in 1517, in connection with the Indulgence issued by the Pape Leon X for the construction of the Basilique Saint-Pierre, chief of work architectural and artistic, indulgence supported in Germany by the Albrecht archbishop of Mainz. The October 31st, Luther written with the archbishop to ask him not to guarantee this Indulgence and joint with its letter the 95 theses intended to clarify the doctrines of indulgences. It is said that these 95 Theses , also called Thèses of Wittenberg , would have been placarded on the door of the church of the castle of Wittenberg, but there is no proof of it. On the other hand, they are printed with the end of the year, causing agitation and scandal. Luther is denounced with Rome by the Albrecht archbishop. One year later, begins against him a long lawsuit which will lead to its Excommunication.

Implementation of the Reform

Vis-a-vis Martin Luther, Rome chose the confrontation, ignoring the adversary and its pugnacity, and undoubtedly also the German political situation. The driving lawsuit with its excommunication, far from strengthening Catholicism, made only accelerate the process of the Réforme, which in any event would undoubtedly have taken place, with or without Luther.

Excommunication

In October 1518, Martin Luther is convened with Augsburg, where the Cajetan cardinal is charged to obtain his retractation. Waste of time and effort. Luther worsens even its case in July of the following year (controversy with Johann Eck - Argument of Leipzig -, which will be the organizer of the Counter-Reformation in the Empire), by blaming the infallibility of the councils. In June 1520, Rome publishes the bubble Exsurge dominates threatening it of excommunication, while its books are flarings. Luther reacts with same violence, burning the December 10th at the same time the papal bubble and the canonical Droit. The Excommunication, from now on inevitable, is marked the January 3rd 1521 (bubble Of this romanum pontificem ). Now remain to put Luther at the round of applause of the Saint Empire, which can be done only after agreement of the States of the Empire. For this purpose, the diet of Worms is convened in April 1521: Luther again refuses to retract, claiming to be convinced by testimony of the Writing and estimating themselves subjected to the authority of the Bible rather than at that of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The edict of Worms then decides to put Martin Luther and his disciples at the round of applause of the Empire.

Political supports

One can imagine a monk with difficulty begging fighting only at the same time against the all powerful Roman Église and against Charles Quint, the most important sovereign of Europe, and personally very saddened by the deviations of the Reform. Admittedly, Charles Quint on other subjects of concerns - he must fight against the Arab invasion of a good part of his territories in Est - but Luther all the same has just been put at the round of applause of the Empire - what means that no matter who can put it at dead without never in having to return account in front of justice. Martin Luther however has various supports, that of the Landgraf of Hesse and especially that of the Prince-voter of Saxony Jean Frederic I {{er}} says Magnanime.

At once its pronounced judgment, Frederic makes it seek in the castle of Altenstein and puts it at the shelter in the strong castle of Wartburg. It remains there until the March 6th 1522 under the pseudonym of knight Georges . It is here that Luther begins its translation of the Bible, initially by that of the New Testament. The tradition wants that it left a trace of its passage: one day that the Devil once more came to torment it, thus preventing it from working, it launched its inkpot against the Demon, which caused a spot on the still visible wall… today. After a few months of semi-captivity, it returned to Wittenberg and will not be really any more worried.

On the contrary, the Réforme is spread in the close principalities, working a kind of German Unité that Charles Quint cannot fight, empêtré that it is in his wars against France.

At the time of the Diète of Whorl (April 1529), the sovereign tries well to take again the things in hand, but it runs up against six princes and fourteen cities which protest to call some with a council if Charles Quint wants to return to the edict of Worms. The Diet of Augsburg (1530), during which Melanchthon reads the Confession of Augsburg , confirms the resistance of the Protestant princes, who form the Ligue of Smalkade in 1531.

The detractors of Martin Luther often made him objection of this support of the princes, reproaching him for having set up a religion which is not really that of the people. They reproach him especially its behavior during the Guerre of the Peasants (1524 - 1525), revolt caused by misery but also dependant on the religious question and concerns close as of his (several leaders of the movement were anabaptists). In April 1525, in very hard terms, Luther decides for a pitiless repression of the revolt - there will be in all more 100 000 dead.

Development of the Protestantism

Started from a personal theological search, Martin Luther finds himself with the head of a new religion, that it is necessary for him to organize quickly to avoid any overflow, as it was the case in 1522 with Wittenberg while itself was retained with the castle of the Wartburg: Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt then deeply had altered the mass and had encouraged the Iconoclasme, and it had taken long weeks for Luther to take again the things in hand.

Although deeply conservative, Luther is condemned to make evolve/move the new evangelic Church, and to move away it more and more from the Roman traditions. It should also be equipped with teaching tools , which will be made in 1529 with Small Catechism , with the use of the people, and the Grand Catechism , intended for the pastors. Meanwhile, of many changes had already taken place: suppression of the majority of the Sacrament S - only the Baptême and the Eucharistie are preserved; -, suppression of the monastic vows and the celibacy of the priests, election of the pastors by local communities, German mass (1526) etc
Illustrant his reform, Luther itself Marie in 1525 with an old nun, Catherine de Bora of which it had six children.

Luther and hunting for the witches

The Hunting for the witches and wizards existed as well in the Protestant areas as roman catholics of the Central Europe, during and after the Reform. Luther and Jean Calvin gave their support there. They were based on the words of the Bible (Exodus 22:18) “you will not agree to let live a witch”.

Luther went until speaking about it in some about its sermons (that of May 6th 1526 WA 16,551f., and also WA 3,1179f, WA 29,520f). In that of August 25th 1538, it says: “you should not have pity for the witches, as for me I would burn them” (WA 22,782 FF.). He believed that sorcery was a sin going against the second command. Many theologists, preachers and lawyers Lutherans based themselves later on its dires.

Last years

Luther lived all its last years with Wittenberg. It was affected by the Gravelle, and knew several periods of depression and anguish (1527, 1528, 1537, 1538), which had with the death of his Madeleine daughter or the quarrels between Protestants. Regarded by some as an old man acariâtre, it had not lost anything of its pugnacity. Its principal adversary remained the Pape, for which it did not have rather hard terms. But it was also caught some with the Juif S, culprits apparently not to be itself converted with the new religion, and of which it wished to see the Synagog S burning. The Antisémitisme of Luther was reproached to him a long time, the more so as the Nazi S unfortunately did not hesitate to assert it to justify their crimes.

Martin Luther died the February 18th 1546, whereas it was with Eisleben, his birthplace, to settle a disagreement between the counts of Mansfeld.

Its Theology

The theology of Luther can be stated in four points.

The man is lost in his sin

Neither the flesh, nor the spirit of the man are free corruption of the Original sin . The major sin is according to Luther the selfishness, which moves away from God and others. Especially of the beginning of its life, Luther thought that its generation was ripe for the last judgment.

Man of the Rebirth, it condemns spirituality to the profit of a terrestrial life

He condemns the monastic life. With Dein Ruf STI dein Beruf (your vocation is your trade) it suggests that the vocation of each and everyone is not to seek God but to incarnate themselves in the world.

“ Release me according to your justice ” (Psalm 31)

God accommodates the sinning man who gives up himself with him. The only possible bond between God and the men are the Faith. The acts thus cannot anything: he is not used for nothing to be charitable, generous, pious… if there is not the Faith. It is initially necessary to be given up with God to feel the Faith; the acts will come then from themselves, as well as Safety. It should be noted that theology Lutheran is very théocentrée (concentrates on the Father) whereas the Catholicism of the time is mainly directed towards Christ intercessor.

Authority of the Gospel

The man has one infallible guide to find the good way, it is the Word of God, the Writing which leads it to Christ. God, the only entirely free being gives to each man the possibility of accepting where to refuse the Word and the Faith. The religion is a personal business. There is here a thought hinge between the pessimism of the Moyen-âge and the “ free referee-isme ” of the Humanistic . The man is made able by the power of the Gospel to give up his sin to find his freedom as a Christ.

Luther and music

Admiror of the music in all the forms and type-setter of hymns, it introduces into the reformed Church the canticles with one or two votes, in vulgar language, sung by the assembly of the faithful ones. Under the name of chorals, these canticles become the center of the Protestant liturgy, and their influence on the development of the German music is felt during long years, if one thinks of the essential place that they occupy in the work of Jean-Sebastien Bach.

See too

Principal works

Of the serf referee, diatribe of Érasme , Gallimard, ISBN 2070414698
Mouthfuls of Gospel , Shepherds and Magi, ISBN 2853041317
Luther, great reforming writings , GF Flammarion, ISBN 2080706614
Four-Twenty-Fifteen-Theses , Oberlin, ISBN 2853692531
On the rock of the word , Shepherds and Magi, ISBN 2853041225
Small Catechism (1529)
Of the Jews and their lies (1543)

Internal bonds

External bonds

the concept Lutheran of the Faith
Luther and the pilgrimage
Luther - justification by the faith alone (sola fide)

Luther and the Jews

Luther and the Jews
Martin Luther' S Attitude Toward The Jews by James Swan
Martin Luther on the site of Florida holocaust museum

Sources and bibliography

Jean Delumeau, Birth and assertion of the Reform , New Clio, PUF
Martin Luther - Bibliography
Works of Martin Luther: texts with agreements and list of frequency

Be-X-old: МарцінЛютэр Simple: Martin Luther Zh-classical: 馬丁·路德 Zh-yue: 馬丁路德

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