Luther Quiz 9: Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Question 1

cloudy or muddy

Answer 1

turbid

Question 2

someone who lives by asking people for money or food

Answer 2

mendicant

Question 3

made less effective; ruined or spoiled

Answer 3

vitiated

Question 4

the act of bowing on a knee in worship or awe

Answer 4

genuflection

Question 5

thoughts or careful reflections

Answer 5

cogitations

Question 6

a downward slope

Answer 6

declivity

Question 7

able to hold or contain a lot; large in capacity

Answer 7

capacious

Question 8

quiet, modest, and polite

Answer 8

demure

Question 9

quietly sad or thoughtful

Answer 9

pensive

Question 10

extreme poverty

Answer 10

penury

Question 11

How does the author describe the state of the Catholic Church at the time of Luther’s education?

Answer 11

It is a rather scathing critique: “a religion of law rather than of gospel; a Pelagian system of works rather than of divine grace … a religion of the senses and of poetical imagination rather than of saving faith … a religion founded more on the ignorance and superstition of the middle ages than on the revelation of the truth by Jesus Christ and HIs apostles.” (see page 35)

Question 12

What effects did Luther’s mother have on her son?

Answer 12

She was pious, but much more religiously superstitious than his father. Her influence is one of the greatest reasons Luther chose to become a monk in the first place.

Question 13

Describe Luther’s first encounter with a Bible. How was Luther able to go into adulthood without ever seeing a Bible? What does this tell you about the nature of the Church at this time in history?

Answer 13

Luther stumbled across a Bible while looking through other books. He marveled because the Bible contained much more than the postils circulated in the churches. He quickly devoured the story of Hannah and Samuel, and he began to wish for the day that he would one day have a Bible of his own. The Word of God was kept from the masses of people.

Question 14

What two ideas did Luther first began to explore at Erfurt - ideas that would later be the backbone of the Reformation?

Answer 14

Justification by faith alone, and private judgement in interpreting Scripture.

Question 15

Generally speaking, why did Luther consider becoming a monk? Specifically, what incident led him to make a vow to become a monk?

Answer 15

In his view, this pious life would be the surest way of pleasing God. He was nearly struck by lightning, and in his terror made this rash vow.

Question 16

Describe the monastic process of biblical interpretation as outlined in this chapter.

Answer 16

The Bible was not studied as a whole, but in small pieces removed from context. The author could not be his own interpreter. The literal sense was “deserted at pleasure, and an allegorical one introduced to suit the object of the interpreter.”

Question 17

How did Luther’s socio-economic background and geographic location benefit his efforts to reform the Church?

Answer 17

He was able to connect well with the greatest mass of people. His homely manner of speaking and writing served him with a great advantage. In addition, he came from a part of Germany that was “the most German” of all the districts, and it belonged to no other section. The Reformation also coincided with a larger period of social unrest amon the peasantry.