World Religions › Medieval › Protestant Reformation
Martin Luther
1483–1546· Founder, prophet or teacher· Judaism, Christianity & Islam
Historical recordConfirmed by archaeology, outside sources or contemporary records.
A German friar and professor whose challenge to church authority in 1517 launched the Protestant Reformation.
See it on the World Religions map →What it is
An Augustinian friar teaching at Wittenberg, Luther struggled with guilt until he concluded, from Paul's letters, that people are saved by faith in God's grace alone, not by good works. In his 95 Theses (1517) he attacked the sale of indulgences, church certificates said to reduce punishment for sin. Excommunicated, he refused to recant at the Diet of Worms (1521). He translated the Bible into German, married former nun Katharina von Bora, and wrote hymns. His late writings attacked Jews harshly.
Why it matters
He broke the Western Church's unity, put the Bible in everyday language and showed the power of printing; roughly 75–80 million Lutherans today trace their church to him.
Life, legacy and sources
His own letters, sermons and treatises, printed in huge numbers in his lifetime; records of the Diet of Worms; and portraits by his friend Lucas Cranach.
Questions and debates
Whether he actually nailed the 95 Theses to a church door is debated; he may only have mailed them. His famous 'Here I stand' may have been added later.
Connections (2)
▸Augustine of Hippo deeply influenced Martin LutherHistorical record
The connection
Luther belonged to the Augustinian order, and Augustine's teaching that humans cannot save themselves and depend wholly on God's grace became central to his thinking. Luther read Augustine's writings against the Pelagians, who stressed human effort, and cited him constantly against the theology of his day, while going further with justification by faith alone.
When and where
Erfurt and Wittenberg, Germany, c. 1505–1520s; Luther entered the Augustinian order in 1505 and lectured on Paul's letters, drawing on Augustine.
Historical evidence
Luther's lectures, letters and treatises cite Augustine extensively; he credited Augustine with confirming his reading of Paul.
Questions and debates
How closely Luther followed Augustine is debated: Augustine saw grace as gradually transforming the believer, while Luther stressed God declaring sinners righteous.
▸Martin Luther launched Protestant ReformationHistorical record
The connection
Luther's 95 Theses against indulgence sales, dated October 31, 1517, at Wittenberg, were reprinted across Germany within weeks. His refusal to recant at Worms, his German Bible and his flood of pamphlets gave the movement its message: salvation by faith alone, scripture as the final authority, and the 'priesthood of all believers'.
When and where
Wittenberg, Saxony, 1517–1546; protected by Elector Frederick the Wise; working with Philip Melanchthon and printers including Lucas Cranach's workshop.
Historical evidence
Printed copies of the Theses and his pamphlets; letters; the 1521 Edict of Worms against him; and print studies showing his huge output.
Questions and debates
Historians debate whether a Reformation would have happened without Luther, given earlier reformers like Jan Hus and widespread calls for church reform.