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Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. His teachings inspired the Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines and culture of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions, as well as the course of Western civilization. Luther's formulation of the doctrine of sola fide, "salvation by faith alone," became the principal cause and distinctive feature of the Reformation movement.
Under Luther's influence, church hierarchy was radically reduced, allegience to Rome and the Pope eliminated, and new roles for secular authorities in the church developed. His translation of the Bible speeded the standardization of the German language and influenced other translations into vernacular languages, including the King James Bible.[2] (See Luther's Bible translation below.) Extensive liturgical reforms included the introduction of new forms of Mass, the rejection of transubstantiation (though Luther maintained the Real Presence), the expanded use of vernacular languages and the introduction of congretational singing. Indeed, Luther even wrote hymns for the liturgy, including "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."[3] His marriage played a major role in the reintroduction of clerical marriage in the areas formerly under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church.[4] (See Marriage and family below.)
With the help of recently developed printing press, his writings were widely read, influencing both Protestant Reformers and the subsequent Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation.[5] Luther wrote extensively on the abuse of indulgences, the role of the laity within the Church, the role of Grace and faith, and many other subjects. His 95 Theses and excommunication by the Pope are often seen as watersheds in the Protestant Reformation. His writings about the Jews proposed that Jews' homes be destroyed, their synagogues and schools burned, their money confiscated, and their rights and liberties curtailed [6] The National Socialists in Germany cited these writings to support their programs, [7] and, since World War II, historians have debated the extent to which this teaching influenced and represented a particularly virulent form of anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust. (See Luther and the Jews below.)
Today, nearly seventy million Christians belong to Lutheran churches worldwide,[8] with some four hundred million Protestant Christians[9] tracing their history back to Luther's reforming work.
- ^ Ewald Plass, "Monasticism," in What Luther Says: An Anthology (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959), 2:964.
- ^ Erwin Fahlbusch and Geoffrey William Bromiley, The Encyclopedia of Christianity (Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leiden, Netherlands: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Brill, 1999–2003), 1:244
- ^ "The last and greatest reform of all [in music] was in congregational song. In the Middle Ages the liturgy was almost entirely restricted to the celebrant and the choir. The congregation joined in a few responses in the vernacular. Luther so developed this element that he may be considered the father of congregational song." from Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther (New York: Penguin, 1995), 269; Martin Luther, Luther: Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth, (4 compact disks). (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2005).
- ^ "If he could not reform all Christendom, at any rate he could and did establsh the protestant parsonage" from Bainton, 223.
- ^ Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence (New York: Harper Collins, 2000), 4.
- ^ Martin Luther, "On the Jews and Their Lies," Tr. Martin H. Bertram, in Luther's Works ed. Franklin Sherman (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971), 47:268-272 (hereafter cited in notes as LW).
- ^ Timothy F. Lull, "Luther's Writings," in The Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther, ed. Donald K. McKim (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 58. See also: Uwe Siemon-Netto, The Fabricated Luther: the Rise and Fall of the Shirer Myth. Peter L. Berger, Foreward (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1995).
- ^ Lutheran World Federation, "Slight Increase Pushes LWF Global Membership to 66.2 Million", The Lutheran World Federation, http://www.lutheranworld.org/ (accessed May 18, 2006).
- ^ "Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents," adherents.com http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity (accessed May 22, 2006).