Martin Luther

Luther was born

1483

He was born on November 12 in Eisleben (a county of Mansfeld)

School

1502

Receives a liberal arts degree and a master's degree along with beginning law school. His background in law gives him a solid and logical basis for his Protestant Movement.

Abandons School

1505

Abandons the study of law after a violent thunderstorm scares him and enters a monastery to begin live as a monk. Beginning of his heavily spiritual journey.

Receives Doctorate

1512

Receives his doctorate and begins life as a professor of biblical studies; begins to publish his writings on religion. Beginning of religious influence on the state.

Breakthrough

Period: 1513 to 1516

It was around this time Luther realized all the Protestant ideas that made him angry with the church. Taught that salvation is a gift of God that was received by faith alone rather than by indulgences like the church was saying.

95 Theses

1517

In retaliation against the church, Luther wrote the 95 Theses explaining that indulgences were wrong. Posted them outside the door of the Schlosskirche church. 95 Theses were printed and distributed amongst the common people, weaking the power of the church.

Beginning of Protestant Reformation

1517

With the inspiration given by Luther, the people began the protestant Reformation, as in the split of western Christianity between roman Catholics and protestants

Disputation

1519

Theologian Johann Eck staged a disputation with Luther's colleague named Andreas Karlstadt and invited Luther to speak. Luther made a few controversial comments against the way the papacy ran and Eck was determined to "defeat" Luther.

Warning from the Pope

1520

The pope issued a papal bull (edict) to Luther telling him to renounce what he said in the 95 Theses. Luther publicly set fire to the bull, showing his ultimate defiance to the papacy.

Excommunication and Trial

1521

Luther is officially excommunicated from the church by Pope Leo X. Church wants to burn but Charles V vowed there must be a trial.
He is tried and claims that he will renounce what he said if they could find where in the Bible it said he was wrong.

Return to Wittenberg

1522

secretly returned to Wittenberg and preached 8 sermons during lent in which he preaches the primacy/the core of Christianity. was incredibly well received by the people, claiming they were bringing "misguided people into the way of the truth."