Sixteenth century is a period that was marked by constant struggles between religious groups as each religion tried to establish their practices and traditions throughout the world. These battles would become so rampant over the years, thus causing a lot of tension in some religious groups.
Christianity, which was highly represented by the Roman Catholic Church, was among the groups that would undergo significant changes as a result of these tensions. Before the Sixteenth century, the church had strongly established itself in most parts of Europe compared to any other Christian church.
However, in the wake of the sixteenth century, a lot of opposition against Roman Catholicism was observed in Northern Europe and Central Europe, where some people who had perceived different interpretations of the church’s doctrine came out openly to stage their views. Without any doubt the Protestant Reformation would not have been possible without the contribution of Martin Luther.
The strong authority of Roman Catholicism over the other churches was based on their doctrine, which strongly links the church foundation to Jesus Christ. The doctrine further states that, the designation of Apostle Peter as the first pontiff of the church by Christ Himself marked the humble beginning of the church.
Martin Luther, an ex-Roman Catholic Monk who was not convinced by the truth in these views went on to stage serious opposition to the church and its practices. Luther used the power of media to publicize his numerous theses that outlined his disagreement with the church, thus setting the stage for the Protestant Reformation.
In his revolt against Roman Catholicism, Martin Luther challenged various traditions and practices aligned to the church. For instance, Luther condemned the sale of indulgences in the church as a way through which followers can be pardoned of their sins.
In regard with this practice, Luther would base his views on the claim that, it was only through faith that salvation comes to people, whereby Faith is acquired through contemplation of the scriptures (MacCulloch 65). Luther went on to challenge the authority of the Pope, making it clear that salvation was a divine gift that comes freely to people after they have truly repented their sins before God.
Luther also raised complaints about the luxurious lifestyles that were associated with the Church administrators. Luther and his followers also denounced some key customs and beliefs associated with the church such as pilgrimages, fasts, saints’ veneration, and the belief on purgatory among other aspects. Another interesting observation by Luther that would raise a lot of controversy was the perception that clergy should be allowed to marry.
I personally believe that Martin Luther was right about his attacks on Roman Catholicism. Apart from what was contained in the doctrine of the Church, Luther simply had a different imagination about faith, and in that case, his main interest was to influence Catholics to believe on his own mold of salvation that appeared to be more perfect.
In this regard, thinking that Luther was wrong by using abuse to attack the church would be a mistaken perception. The truth of the matter is that, rather that following the misleading lessons of the Roman Catholic church , Luther just used the revolutionary path to seek true salvation for himself and anybody else who would believe in his views and suggestions.
The Eastern Orthodox Church shares a lot in common with the Roman Catholic Church, and some of these similarities were just what Martin Luther disagreed with. For example, just like the Catholics, the Orthodox also claims to be a true church of Christ, whose origins can be traced back to the apostles.
Moreover, the Orthodox maintains the idea of apostolic succession and they also affirm the Trinity, among other aspects of the Roman Catholic doctrine. In fact, these were some of the reasons why Martin Luther never considered Eastern Orthodox as a valid alternative to Roman Catholicism. More importantly, the Eastern Orthodox Church did not fit in the call of the Lutherans for a clear interpretation of the scriptures in all aspects of Christianity.
Martin Luther was also the pioneer of anti-Jewishness that would flourish in Germany, owing to his various publications that openly expressed his hatred for Jews (Placher 27). Luther may not have invented anti-Semitism, but his works played a significant role in promoting the prejudice to a level that had never been observed before in Europe.
By vehemently criticizing the Jews and their religious practices, Luther unconsciously influenced people, particularly the Germans, to have a negative outlook on the Jews. His Libel against Jews brought unfortunate repercussions on the group during the Holocaust. The Jews were driven from their homes and into concentration camps, where they were exposed to all kinds of inhuman acts such as hard labor, poor diet, and cruel deaths.
As it is observed from this essay, Martin Luther was one person who has had serious impact in modern Christianity. Through his many theses challenging Roman Catholicism, he had succeeded to convince people about the many faults that existed in the Roman Catholic doctrine.
This way, Luther set the pace for the historical Protestant Reformation that, apart from unveiling a better understanding of faith would also bring the authority and corruption within Roman Catholicism to an end. It is also clear here that, apart from being the mind behind the Protestant Reformation, Luther had also pioneered anti-Semitism in Europe.
Works Cited
Chidester, David. Christianity: A Global History, New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation: A History, New York: Viking Press, 2004. Print.
Placher, William. A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1983. Print.