The Idea that is Revolution

The Idea that is Revolution

Martin Luther set out to right the wrongs he saw in the Catholic Church. His beliefs in God moved him to stand for what he believed was the right way to follow God. He began his protest with the 95 thesis, what Luther didn’t know is how quickly and accepted his protest would spread. Luther originally set out to show the mistake he saw in the church, not a revolution. He was challenged by the church to rescind his statements, but his beliefs were too deep, and he refused. This began the Protestant Reformation and would later spark all different kinds of revolutions.

Martin Luther

Not seeking to make a political stance, Luther kept writing on his beliefs and understandings of what he read in the bible. He wrote of the fallacies in the Churches explanations of rituals. For example one explained by the scholars were the 5 sacraments, Luther understood the bible to only have 2. These were the things Luther wished to expose the Church for exacerbating for their own gains.  He believed in man’s personal relationship with God and while in exile/hiding he translated the bible from Latin to German. This allowed the common man to read it for himself.

This translation was not the only profound affect Luther had on the German culture. His cause sparked the idea of a revolution, one that could not be undone.  The printing press spread his writings like fire. 

Printing Press

Using these means, the peasant class of the Holy Roman Empire, mainly made up of the Germanic kingdoms, experienced uprisings like never before. Some in support of Luther and against the Church, others against the officials and the oppressive conditions of the peasant class. One could go so far in saying that Luther’s beliefs were the key to sparking the idea of revolution. Revolution had yet to fully be explained or used. Standing against power and authority had yet to be done during the medieval era, and Luther’s stance against the means and practices of servitude of God was a cause man found worth backing.   

His religious cause profoundly impacted the political equilibrium during this time. Heavily relied on the church and its authority, the kings and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire were at risk of losing great powers. If not for his [Luther] own king, Luther most likely would have in great danger. Luther offered him [his king] political leverage he need to secure more power.  

Luther defending his writings in front of the Germanic kings and the Emperor

Luther influenced not only religion by creating a separate denomination in which he wrote how the serve God, he influenced the German lands through translation of the bible and introducing the idea that is revolution.