A Biography of Martin Luther

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Martin Luther

Martin Luther was born in 1483 to a peasant family in Eisleben. His father had recently come up in the world, becoming the owner of several foundries, and was able to provide his eldest son with a good education.

Luther was at the University of Erfurt studying to be a lawyer when he was almost struck by lightning on a country road. He called on St Anne and vowed to become a monk if he was spared, and joined the Augustinian Order two weeks later.

He was obsessed with the idea that men were hopeless sinners in the eyes of God and he carried his monastic duties to excesses of fasting and spartan living. Partly to distract him, he was sent to teach theology at the University of Erfurt and later at the University of Wittenberg, where he received his doctorate.

As a professor and parish priest in Wittenberg he became disgusted with the practice of selling indulgences: a piece of paper guaranteeing an early exit from Purgatory. Luther's reading of the Bible convinced him that the Pope had no authority over Purgatory, so the indulgences were worthless. First he preached against the indulgences, then wrote a list of 95 theses, or points, that he wished to dispute with other scholars.

Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, setting off the Protestant Reformation. His public protest was not well-received by the Church. This was a major source of fundraising and Pope Leo X was a Medici with expensive habits and ambitious building plans.

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Luther soon added more complaints about church doctrine and practice and ultimately challenged the authority of the Pope and Catholic Church to interpret the Bible and declare Church doctrine. Luther also called for radical changes in church services and for doing away with all but two of the sacraments, saying they were inconsistent with Scripture. See Doctrinal Differences.

The debate raged for years via pamphlets and articles and the German princes chose sides.For various political reasons, the Pope was not in a position to antagonize the Germans, so Luther was not arrested as a heretic as the Pope wished.

In 1521, Martin Luther was summoned to appear at the annual meeting of the German rulers, or Diet, called by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, in the city of Worms. He was ordered to recant, but he refused, saying, "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise."

After he left, Charles declared him a heretic and condemned him to death. Luther went into hiding at Wartburg Castle, protected by the local prince. During the year he spent in the castle, he translated the New Testament from Greek into German.

Back in Wittenberg, the pace of changed rushed forward. Nuns and monks left the cloisters and got married, and priests wore normal clothing and conducted services in German. Some groups launched violent attacks on the churches, smashing images and disrupting masses. The town leaders begged Luther to return and restore order.

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Martin Luther returned to Wittenberg in 1523 and had a calming effect on the turmoil. He married a former nun, Katherine von Bora, fathered six children and spent the rest of his life preaching and writing in Wittenberg.

He produced an enormous volume of written material and created a form of worship consistent with his interpretation of the Bible.

In 1525, an uprising of peasants broke out over their miserable living conditions. There was widespread looting and destruction and the nobility suppressed it with great violence, slaughtering thousands of peasants. Luther was criticized by both sides: for inspiring the rebellion against authority by his teachings and for encouraging the nobles to use the sword in suppressing the revolt.

Martin Luther died in 1546, at the age of 62, during a business trip to Eisleben, the town of his birth. By the time he died, all of Northern Germany had become Protestant. He left behind a masterful translation of the Bible which had a profound influence on the German language. His body is buried in the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

Interested in more about Luther's life? Here I Stand, A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland H. Bainton, is a fascinating biography of Martin Luther.