Dr hitesh sheth biography of martin luther

The Pope issued a ban, ordering him to be silent and to say or write no more on this topic. His writings were attacked by other leading men in the church. In Luther had a great public debate with a famous professor, Dr. Eck, in Leipzig; it was there that Luther boldly declared that the Pope and the church were teaching things contrary to the Bible.

In Luther was required to appear before Emperor Charles V in the city of Worms, to be questioned about what he had said and written. Here he bravely stated that he would not take back any of his statements, since he was simply teaching what the Bible taught. Then the emperor issued the order making Luther an outlaw, subject to arrest and death.

Luther therefore stayed in Saxony, spending all his time teaching, counseling and writing. In Luther translated the entire New Testament from Greek into German to replace a number of inadequate translations of the official Latin Bible. In , Luther entered the University of Erfurt , where he received a degree in grammar, logic, rhetoric and metaphysics.

At this time, it seemed he was on his way to becoming a lawyer. In July , Luther had a life-changing experience that set him on a new course to becoming a monk. Caught in a horrific thunderstorm where he feared for his life, Luther cried out to St. The decision to become a monk was difficult and greatly disappointed his father, but he felt he must keep a promise.

The first few years of monastic life were difficult for Luther, as he did not find the religious enlightenment he was seeking. A mentor told him to focus his life exclusively on Jesus Christ and this would later provide him with the guidance he sought. At age 27, Luther was given the opportunity to be a delegate to a Catholic church conference in Rome.

He came away more disillusioned, and very discouraged by the immorality and corruption he witnessed there among the Catholic priests. Upon his return to Germany, he enrolled in the University of Wittenberg in an attempt to suppress his spiritual turmoil. He excelled in his studies and received a doctorate, becoming a professor of theology at the university known today as Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

Through his studies of scripture, Luther finally gained religious enlightenment. Finally, he realized the key to spiritual salvation was not to fear God or be enslaved by religious dogma but to believe that faith alone would bring salvation. This period marked a major change in his life and set in motion the Reformation. Luther also sent a copy to Archbishop Albert Albrecht of Mainz, calling on him to end the sale of indulgences.

Dr hitesh sheth biography of martin luther

Aided by the printing press , copies of the 95 Theses spread throughout Germany within two weeks and throughout Europe within two months. The Church eventually moved to stop the act of defiance. In October , at a meeting with Cardinal Thomas Cajetan in Augsburg, Luther was ordered to recant his 95 Theses by the authority of the pope.

Luther said he would not recant unless scripture proved him wrong. This declared Luther and his followers as outlaws ; and ordered his writings to be burned. Moreover, giving shelter or food to Luther was made a crime; and anyone was allowed to kill him without any legal consequence. Luther was taken to the security of the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach.

He stayed in hiding for 10 months. Only a few people knew where he was and most thought that he was dead. During his stay at the Wartburg Castle, Luther translated the New Testament from Greek into German , considered one of his most important accomplishments. Attempts to suppress Luther and his followers by the Roman Catholic rulers proved unsuccessful and, within two years, it became evident that the movement for reform was very strong in certain regions.

This was a time when the Protestant Reformation had become more of a political struggle than a theological one. Thus, post, Luther became a somewhat less influential leader of the Protestant Reformation. However, he did have strong influence in Wittenberg where he controlled the course of reform. On June 13, , Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora , a former nun whom he had helped escape from the Nimbschen Cistercian convent in April At the time of the marriage, Luther was 41 and Katharina was 26 years old.

The marriage of Martin Luther caused a huge scandal among Catholics and, at the same time, enabled other clergy in the Lutheran churches to get married. Katharina was, in many ways, an equal partner for Luther helping him manage his finances and participating in scholarly gatherings Luther held at their home. Luther even named her his sole heir , which was extremely unusual at the time.

Luther had suffered from ill health like vertigo, cataract, fainting and tinnitus for many years. In , he began suffering from arthritis, ear infection and kidney stones. As his health deteriorated, his writings became harsher. He gave his last sermon at his place of birth, Eisleben. He died three days later on February 18, at Eisleben.

He was 62 years old. The Protestant Reformation resulted in the division of Western Christendom between Roman Catholicism and the new Protestant traditions. As Martin Luther was the catalyst of the Protestant Reformation, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity. Birthplace of Martin Luther in Eisleben, Germany.

Statue of Martin Luther in Eisleben, Germany. Luther Monument in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Raised in a strict household, his father, Hans Luther, was a miner who aspired for his son to become a lawyer. However, a life-altering experience in pushed him toward a different calling. Caught in a violent thunderstorm, he cried out to St. Anne, vowing to become a monk if he survived.

Surviving the storm prompted Luther to leave his legal studies and enter the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt. His monastic life was marked by rigorous devotion, including fasting, prayer, and self-discipline. However, despite his attempts to attain spiritual peace, Luther struggled with feelings of guilt and inadequacy before God. These internal conflicts set the stage for his later theological explorations.

In , he was deeply troubled by the actions of Johann Tetzel, a friar who actively sold indulgences in Germany. This prompted Luther to compose the "Ninety-Five Theses," a document outlining his objections to indulgences and calling for reform within the church.