October 31, 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. It started with Martin Luther posting 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. These were questions (in Latin) he wanted to discuss with other scholars – primarily regarding the sales of indulgences (sort of a “get out of purgatory free” pass), and other issues regarding powers of the pope. These questions for scholarly debate however, got translated into German and (thanks to the new invention of the printing press), had widespread distribution.
The Roman Catholic Church, which had never been questioned before, suddenly found its doctrines, its papal power, and its very being called to account.
In this section, you will find a history focused primarily on the Lutheran Reformation in Germany. ENJOY!