Martin Luther

Martin Luther Becomes an Augustinian Monk Born in 1483, Martin Luther, the son of a miner in Eisleben in the Holy Roman Empire, was studying to be a lawyer. One day in July of 1505, he was struck by lightning. In fear for his life, he prayed for divine assistance, promising he would become a monk if he survived. He kept his promise, and within that month, he entered an Augustinian Monastery. Source: http://www.iep.utm.edu/luther/#H1 .

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the doors at the Church of Wittenberg. He was upset by the actions of John Tetzel who was selling indulgences to make money to restore church buildings. A Roman Catholic Augustinian monk, Luther also felt that there were other practices within the church that needed to be changed, and his 95 Theses were a way to spark debate. However, this action had far reaching effects after it began the Protestant Reformation. Source: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Martin_Luther_95_Theses.htm .

Martin Luther wrote over 30 hymns, and one of the most famous is “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” which is based on Psalm 46 in the Bible. The hymn was originally written in German and has been translated into many languages.

Frederick III, The Wise After the Diet of Worms in 1521, when Martin Luther was almost arrested because of his opposition to the Catholic Church, Frederick III, the Wise, of Saxony in the German states, refused to enforce the Papal bull (formal proclamation) against Martin Luther and kept him safe in his home at Wartburg and there, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German. Source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/217946/Frederick-III

The Spread of Lutheranism By 1560, Lutheranism had spread through the German states of the Holy Roman Empire to the Scandinavian countries to the north.