Martin Luther and the Crisis of Piety

1517-1520

Life of Luther (1483-1546)

• Born in Saxony (north central Germany)• 1501: University of Erfurt. Intended to study law• 1505: Entered Augustinian monastery• 1507: Ordained a priest• 1510: Pilgrimage to Rome• 1512: Doctor of Theology, teaches Bible at new

University of Wittenberg– Lectures on Psalms, Galatians, Romans– Conversion breakthrough (sometime during 1513-19):

“He who through faith is righteous shall live” (see Reader, p. 82)

Late medieval piety

• Fear of death (cf. Dietrich Kolde)

• Penance– Confession– Absolution– Satisfaction

• Indulgences– Remit temporal punishment

Indulgence advertisement (c. 1530)

Beginning of Luther’s Reformation

• Oct 31, 1517: 95 Theses• 1518-19: Public debates• 1520: Crisis

– June 15: Papal bull Exsurge Domini issued (received Oct 10)– Luther’s response

• August, Letter to German Nobility• October, Babylonian Captivity of the Church• November, Freedom of a Christian

– Dec 10: Luther burns the papal bull

• 1521: Confrontation– Jan 3, 1521: Luther excommunicated– April 1521: Diet of Worms

Martin Luther (1520); from “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church”

Passion of the Christ and Antichrist: Moneychangers in the Temple (1521)by Lucas Cranach the Elder and Philip Melanchthon (see also King, p. 268)

Passion of the Christ and Antichrist: Washing the feet of his disciples (1521)