The challenge of Luther

Question 1

What was Germany like in 1517?

Answer 1

• tithe - priests get 10% of the income from the parish

* no monarch, so pope has a big influence

Question 2

How was Pope Leo X (1513-1521) corrupt?

Answer 2

• massive debts from rebuilding St Peter’s Basilica

* created 31 cardinals in one day, mostly family members, including 2 infant grandchildren

Question 3

How radical were the 95 theses?

Answer 3

• published the theses on 31st October because the next day was All Saints’ Day - the only day F the Wise allowed indulgences to be sold
• his approach was new, but what he said had been said before (first line was a direct quotation from Erasmus’ essay against indulgences in 1516)
• subtle criticism of the Church
• that night Luther’s students copied the theses into german and distributed copies. Within 2 weeks every german city had it, and within 4 weeks it was in London!!

Question 4

How did Luther’s challenge develop? augsburg disputation

Answer 4

• Pope Leo X wanted Luther to be questioned in Rome but F the Wise resisted this and arranged for him to be interviewed in Germany
• October 1518 - Luther is interviewed by Cajetan, who demands him to retract his accustions
• Luther refuses, saying he’ll only do so if they can be disproved by the Bible (this denied papal supremacy)

Question 5

How did Luther’s challenge develop? leipzig disputation

Answer 5

• 1519 - Eck attacked Luther but he continued to defend himself by referring to the Bible
• Luther said “There was much said by Hus (heretic who was burned at the stake) that was both Christian and true” - this just enhanced his reputation. He became known as the ‘Saxon Hus’
• Church’s failure to arrest Luther demonstrates the papacy’s lack of power

Question 6

How did Luther’s challenge develop? exsurge domine

Answer 6

• 15th June 1520, papal bull published saying Luther could either recant 41 specific assertions or be excommunicated
• 10th December (60th day of grace) Luther burned it at the Wittenberg gates
• This was a public display of his break from the Catholic Church

Question 7

How did Luther’s challenge develop? Print campaign

Answer 7

• 1520 - 3 key works: 1. The address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (appealed to HRE’s secular rulers to reform the church. written in german.) 2. On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (challenged sacraments and priests) 3. On the Freedom of a Christian (salvation by faith alone)
• Luther exploited the printing industry to its full potential
• he wrote in German as well as Latin to appeal to more
• responsible for 20% of all that was printed on the German presses between 1500 and 1530
• The Address to the Christian Nobility had an initial print run of 4000 copies which sold out in 5 days
• Printing was the “most important reason why Luther did not meet with Hus’s fate” (Lyndal Roper)

Question 8

How did Luther’s challenge develop? Decet Romanum Pontificem

Answer 8

3rd Jan 1521 - papal bull excommunicating luther

Question 9

How did Luther’s challenge develop? Diet of Worms

Answer 9

• April 1521 - Luther was asked if the writings were his and if he’d recant them. Luther asked for an extra day to consider it
• The next day he said that he was “bounded by the scriptures” and so wouldn’t recant anything

Question 10

How did Luther’s challenge develop? Edict of Worms

Answer 10

• imperial ban that outlawed Luther and all his supporters. His writings were condemned as heretical and ordered to be burned
• F the Wise kidnapped Luther on the way back to Wittenberg and taken in secret to his Wartburg Castle He was kept there in protective custody for nearly a year