2.2 Luther and the Protestant Reformation

Luther's Break with Rome

Martin Luther, a German monk, challenged Church practices after witnessing the sale of indulgences by Johann Tetzel to fund St. Peter's Basilica. In 1517, he posted the Ninety-Five Theses, criticizing indulgences and papal authority. Luther argued for sola fide (faith alone) and sola scriptura (scripture alone) as paths to salvation, rejecting Church hierarchy as necessary intermediaries.

Spread and Institutionalization

The printing press rapidly spread Luther's ideas across Germany and Europe. Condemned as a heretic at the Diet of Worms (1521), Luther refused to recant and was protected by German princes. He translated the Bible into German, empowering lay believers. Lutheranism became institutionalized through territorial churches supported by sympathetic rulers.

Political and Social Consequences

The Peace of Augsburg (1555) allowed German princes to choose Lutheranism or Catholicism for their territories (cuius regio, eius religio), fragmenting religious unity in the Holy Roman Empire. The Reformation intertwined with social unrest, seen in the German Peasants' Revolt (1524-25), which Luther ultimately condemned, aligning himself with princely authority over radical reform.

Key terms

Ninety-Five Theses

Document written by Luther in 1517 criticizing the sale of indulgences and Church corruption.

Sola fide

Doctrine that salvation is achieved through faith alone, not works or indulgences.

Diet of Worms (1521)

Imperial assembly where Luther refused to recant his teachings before Charles V, leading to his condemnation as a heretic.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

Agreement allowing German princes to choose Lutheranism or Catholicism for their territories, establishing cuius regio, eius religio.

Sola scriptura

Belief that the Bible alone, not Church tradition or papal authority, is the ultimate source of religious truth.

Try an AP-style question

Luther's doctrine of salvation by faith alone meant…

1. good works could not earn salvation
2. indulgences guaranteed heaven
3. salvation required pilgrimages
4. only priests could be saved