The article provides a thorough examination of Martin Luther’s religious, political and intellectual views as well as his role in the establishment of the Protestant Reformation. First, the writer focuses upon Luther’s attitude to the Catholic Church. Due to the fact that Luther’s lifetime coincided with the times of corrupt selling of indulgencies, his theological ideas presented a direct rebellion against this regulation. The scholar was a founder of an independent religion. He claimed that the only reliable theological source could be the Bible and every person had a right to access it. Thus, his religious opinion rapidly turned into a political issue, since the church of the 16th century represented the highest authority in a country. The author of the article, however, emphasizes that Luther has never been the one to compromise or challenge the leaders of the Catholic Church so to attract public interest. The scholar had never acted due to his national prejudices as well, while Luther did not position himself as a nationalist. The central point of Luther’s doctrine lay in his devotion to democracy and individual freedom.
Martin Luther is often considered to be an individual who sparked the Protestant Reformation. Indeed, Luther’s beliefs about the Bible being the only authentic source of religion shaped the boundaries of this movement. The political ideas of Protestants were inspired by Luther’s godly teachings as well. However, in contrast to Martin Luther, Protestants never supported his non-confrontational tactic. While the scholar was trying hard to persuade his successors not to launch any war against the Emperor, the radical Protestants could not comply with Luther’s humble position and always acted in a more cardinal way.
In the 16th century, the social backbones of the Protestant Reformation were strongly interrelated with the intellectual ones. At that time, a new world of discoveries and revelations was developing around humans. Thus, people were no longer following the dogmas of a church blindly. They realized that they had the right to inspect the world on their own. While Martin Luther launched the translations of the Bible, he prompted the intellectual development of humans and helped them to open up a true religion. The tendency was overtaken by Protestants and soon the whole world responded to their ideas. Luther’s followers appeared not only in Germany and England but even in a catholic Italy. Therefore, Martin Luther’s beliefs weaved a strong web of social interrelations between the most diverse representatives of a global society.
The information that is presented in the text, in contrast to the article, exposes the Protestant Reformation, not as the major cause of Europe’s transformation. Instead, it proves that this movement was only a small part of the global change. However, both writings claim that Martin Luther’s role in the renewal of the religious map of the 16th century is immeasurable. It is impressive that both the book and the article view the scholar as a real Christian, despite the fact that he was expelled from the church. In my opinion, it can prove Luther’s belief about the core of theology, while he claimed that true religion starts not in a church, but in a heart.
To sum it up, Martin Luther appeals to me not only due to his views but due to the way in which he expressed these views. In fact, this figure has always been a standing illustration of his beliefs. Thus, he married a nun at the age of forty-three to prove the society that religion is not about virginity, it is rather about love and devotion. Finally, Martin Luther is a perfect example of a personage whose patience and courage inspire people throughout the world.