Martin Luther

Question 1

Who was Johannes Tetzel?

Answer 1

An infamous preacher who sold indulgences in an effort to raise money for the church. Was willing to sell indulgences for sins not yet committed.

Question 2

What is Martin Luther’s origins?

Answer 2

He was a lawyer-turned-priest who joined an Augustinian order after an encounter in a thunderstorm.

Question 3

What was Luther’s response to Tetzel?

Answer 3

He nailed his 95 theses on the church door of Wittenberg, and preached sola gratia and sola fide.

Question 4

What is sola gratia?

Answer 4

By grace alone; meaning that we are saved through God’s grace, not through our own works.

Question 5

What is sola fide?

Answer 5

By faith alone, meaning that we are saved through our faith in Christ: we receive Christ’s salvation the same way a bride receives her husband’s wealth.

Question 6

What was the 95 Theses?

Answer 6

A list of propositions for an academic disputation, particularly attacking Indulgences. Nailed to Wittenberg church in 1517.

Question 7

What was Luther’s feelings towards the Pope?

Answer 7

Originally Luther was “in defense of the pope”, but later he asked why the Pope sold indulgences, rather than giving them out of love.

Question 8

What was Pope Leo X’s response to Luther?

Answer 8

He asked the head of Luther’s order to silence him, but the head was very anti-Roman, and so did nothing.

Question 9

What was Exsurge Domine?

Answer 9

An edict published by Leo X, demanding Luther retract his 95 Theses. It was publicly burned by Luther.

Question 10

What is the Diet of Worms?

Answer 10

1521, Luther summoned to Worms to renounce or reaffirm his views in response to Leo X’s papal bull.

Question 11

What was the outcome of the Diet of Worms?

Answer 11

Luther refused to recant, and was kidnapped by Prince Frederick III on his way home in order to save his life.

Question 12

Who was Junker Jörg?

Answer 12

Aka “Knight George”, he was an alias of Luther’s while he was in hiding.

Question 13

What did Luther do while in hiding?

Answer 13

He wrote a German translation of the New Testament.

Question 14

What was Bildersturm?

Answer 14

Iconoclasm, or “smashing of images”, that followed in the wake of Luther’s reform.

Question 15

Who were the Zwickau Prophets?

Answer 15

A charismatic group of radicals who claimed they were receiving direct revelation from God and no longer required Scripture.

Question 16

What effect did the Zwickau Prophets have on Luther?

Answer 16

The brought him out of hiding so that he could debate (and disagree with) them.

Question 17

What is the Peasant’s War?

Answer 17

A series of uprisings against the German princes by dissatisfied peasants, who had no recourse for heavy taxation.

Question 18

Who supported the Peasants?

Answer 18

Thomas Müntzer, a german preacher and theologian. He had a radical communistic style of theology.

Question 19

What was Luther’s response to the Peasants’ War?

Answer 19

He endorsed submission to authority, and backed the princes when they murdered the peasants. He released writings to authorize the quashing of the rebellion.

Question 20

What was the Augsberg Confession?

Answer 20

The result of the 1530 Diet of Augsberg: Luther’s Theses was published as 21 articles of faith. The primary confession of faith in the Lutheran Church.