Martin Luther
Learn about Martin Luther — the German monk whose challenge to the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation and permanently split Western Christianity.
Martin Luther (1483–1546) was the German Augustinian monk and theologian whose protest against the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences in 1517 ignited the Protestant Reformation — one of the most consequential events in Western history. His theological insights, personal courage, and masterful use of the printing press combined to shatter the religious unity of Western Europe.
Luther's challenge began with a specific abuse — the selling of indulgences (certificates promising reduced time in purgatory) to finance the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. But his 95 Theses quickly led to deeper theological arguments. Luther's central doctrines — salvation by faith alone (sola fide), the authority of scripture alone (sola scriptura), and the priesthood of all believers — denied the Catholic Church's claim to be the necessary mediator between God and humanity.
Protected by German princes who saw political advantage in challenging papal authority, Luther survived excommunication and used the printing press to spread his ideas with unprecedented speed. His translation of the Bible into German was a literary masterpiece that helped standardize the German language. Luther's legacy is deeply ambiguous: he championed individual conscience and biblical literacy, but he also wrote viciously against Jews, peasant rebels, and theological opponents.