Warm Up
The Reformation was unintentionally started
by Martin Luther when he questioned some
of the actions of the Catholic Church.
How did the Renaissance contribute to the
spread of Luther’s ideas and the willingness
of the people to listen to him?
(Hint: Look at your Legacy of the
Renaissance notes)
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Martin Luther
The Reformation
Martin Luther
Young Martin Luther
Old Martin Luther
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16th Century Europe: The Reformation
• At the beginning of the 16th
century, Europe was
uniformly Catholic.
• By the middle of the 16th
century, large sections of
Europe were Protestant.
• The shift was part of the
Reformation, spurred by the
writings of Martin Luther’s 95
Theses, drafted in 1517.
Europe in 1560
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The Selling of Indulgences
•Prior to 1517, the Catholic Church
had been “selling indulgences.”
• Indulgences allowed people to
“buy their way into heaven.”
•Johann Tetzel sold indulgences for
future sins
Jorge Breu, 1530 “A Question to a Mintmaker”
Depiction of Selling Indulgences
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Martin Luther
•Wrote a letter to the Archbishop of
Mainz to explain his position.
• The Pope excommunicated
Luther from the Catholic Church.
•German Princes protected Luther
and helped him spread his ideas.
Collection of Martin Luther’s Writings, 1581
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Martin Luther
• Luther gave different
accounts of his break with
the Catholic Church during
his life.
• Today, we are going to
explore two documents
attributed to Luther that
illustrate different
motivations for separating
from the Catholic Church.
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Timeline
• 1517 Johann Tetzel travels in Germany selling on indulgences
• Oct. 31, 1517 Martin Luther sends his 95 Theses with a letter to
the Archbishop of Mainz (Doc A)
• 1518 Pope Leo calls on Luther to take back the 95 theses, but
Luther refuses
• June 15, 1520 The Pope excommunicates Martin Luther from
the Catholic Church
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Timeline continued
•
1521 The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, declares Luther a
criminal and attempts to arrest him
•
1521 Frederick, a German prince, pledges his support to Luther and
grants him protection at his castle
•
1521-1545 Luther’s ideas spread throughout Europe and gain more
and more support. Over the next twenty years, it becomes clear that
an irreversible break has occurred between the Catholic Church and
the Protestant movement
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Central Historical Question
Why did Martin Luther’s account
of his break with the Church
change from 1517 and 1535?
↓Questions↓
Document A:
Document B:
Intro to 95 Thesis Table Talk
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Questions
1. What was Luther’s “occupation” at the
time the document was written?
2. How would you describe Luther’s tone in
this document?
3. According to this document, why did
Luther challenge the Catholic Church?
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Form a Hypothesis
After answering the questions to
Documents A and B, create a hypothesis
to the following question:
– Why did Martin Luther’s account of his break with the
Church change between 1517 and 1535?
– Is one account more reliable than the other?
Explain your answers with specific evidence from the
documents.
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