Martin Luther and Catholic Protestant Church Research (Research Paper Sample)

Martin Luther and Catholic Protestant Church
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Martin Luther and Catholic Protestant Church
Martin Luther was born in 1483 and was initially headed for a career in law which he took up because of the insistence of his father. The background of Luther while growing up does not indicate his rebellious nature. In fact, there were no indications that the man would confront the Catholic Church and change the history of Europe. At twenty-one, he commits his first act of rebellion as he leaves his family and career in law to become a monk at Augustinian friary (Bainton, 2009). It is at this place that he commences the journey that eventually creates a preface for new movement in religion within Christendom. Lane (2006) narrates that life in the monastery consisted of frequent prayers, hard work, and fasting. Luther becomes obsessed with the search for personal purity and struggles to comprehend his relationship with God (Hasting, Mason & Pyper, 2007). He seemed to be disturbed if all that he had done had pleased God. The selling of indulgences in particular was a church practice that he scandalized to be corrupt. To Luther, it was an indication that the church had lost its way (Noll & Nystrom, 2008).
The Protestant Movement that he began in Germany was duplicated in the entire Europe and its growth is associated with the corruption that had escalated in the old church. In fact, the increase in protest against the Roman Catholic Church resulted in the call for reforms. According to Hasting, Mason & Pyper (2007), the path Luther chose not only required commitment but also devotion to fasting, frequent confession, and hours of prayers. Wipfler (2011) adds that by dedicating himself to this cause eventually leads him into the comprehension of his sinfulness. He tended to despair from religion because of his self-spiritual examination. He was therefore directed to articulate his instruction in academics so as to save him from his own anguish (Haymes, Lewis & Rollmann, 2005).
When he had been ordained as a priest and awarded with a doctorate, he began questioning some of the doctrines that were embedded in the Roman Catholic practices. In fact, his ideas of righteousness, penance and salvation gradually changed from what his instruction had made him believe. This provided him with the preface for his new conversion. Wipfler (2011) narrates that he began to construct his ideas and formulate them into Justification doctrine. Lane (2006) explains that it is the comprehension of the justification that that led to the divide between Martin Luther and the Roman Catholic Church.
In the 16 century, the church not only established but also linked the church membership with salvation. To keep the followers in line and also to punish individuals whose actions and conduct were outside the doctrines of the church, beside those that the hierarchy of the church had set. In fact, excommunication was either used as a threat or a weapon against defiant individual (Hasting, Mason & Pyper, 2007). Furthermore, the pope (Catholic Church leader) was declared the Vicar of Christ. The implication of the transfer of the title to the pope is that his office had extraordinary holiness and universal primacy (Armstrong, 2007).
The primacy of authority compelled Luther to begin challenging and questioning the Catholic Church. His justification doctrine made him to a different comprehension of the salvation origin. To him, salvation was not something that was to emanate from being a member to a certain institution or even in the hands of a human being (Hasting, Mason & Pyper, 2007). Instead, he perceived it as a spiritual gift that emanated directly to individuals from God. His new understanding related salvation with faith and it is the faith that leads to salvation through God’s grace. The grace of God was a sovereign favor regardless of one’s deeds and action. It was not only an enabling power but also an essential God’s given gift that would allow an individual to secure an eternal salvation. Luther was against grace being predicted on the earthly works or even the membership of the church (Noll & Nystrom, 2008).
According to Noll & Nystrom (2008), the increase in controversy over the issue of indulgence provided the ground for spiritual confrontation. Sin was idea associated with the violation of the moral rules which were code of conduct that God had decreed. The occurrence of sin which happened at alarming rates required the carrying out of some form of penance for absolving an individual as a sign of repentance. It was the action of repentance and penance, as well as, subsequent corruption around it that led to the crisis in the Catholic Church. It perpetuated the increase in condemnation and protest of indulgence (Hasting, Mason &Pyper, 2007). The Catholic Church provided further insights from the scriptures on what was acceptable for sin remission by the 16th century. The first step entailed the act of contrition where the sinners had to pray for forgiveness. After the confession of sin which also included the admission of guilt, the sinner was to carry out sacramental penance of some form. Moreover, as a way of expanding the church’s merit, it offered indulgence (Hasting, Mason & Pyper, 2007). They were the extensions drawn from merit ‘storehouse’ inclusive of the saint’s virtues. As per the doctrines of the church, God granted merits virtues for either the good works or prayers of the saints. Consequently, a sinner had the leverage of employing these instruments to obtain absolution for the sins committed. In fact, the Catholic Church acted as the channel or mediator before God (Noll & Nystrom, 2008).
Armstrong (2007) reiterates and adds that it was a controversy that was more involving in comparison to just the sales of indulgence. Luther and other radicals questioned the Catholic Church authorities on the conviction concerning the indulgence being bought and sold. Moreover, more questions resonated across Europe on whether this church would assume the authority for the sale of salvation. The argument of the church, on the other hand, the indulgence was after the absolution and confession fact while the indulgence served as a replacement for other penances. However, despite this definition, several persons could not see the difference while others felt that there was none. Luther was among these individuals and eventually his reaction changed the entire world with regards to Christendom. Wipfler (2011) narrates that the church also offered indulgence as a technique of removing punishments that were temporary that would be paid in the purgatory as time spent there. Lane (2006) explains that purgatory was an existence between one’s life on the earth and heaven’s eternal life where the souls of humans would be accommodated so that they get purified. It was based on the belief that some good souls were not completely free of sin and had to be cleansed before they would enter the heavens. The indulgence would also be applied to such souls not only to minimize the time spent in the purgatory but also to do away with their unseemliness.
Noll & Nystrom (2008) explain that the sales of indulgence later turned out to be a full time job for some individuals within the Catholic Church and that it was geared towards of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Luther’s writings condemned indulgences and his Disputation and Power and Efficacy of Indulgence served as a catalyst for the emergence of Protestant Reformation. Armstrong (2007) elaborates that they become to be referred to as Ninety- Five Theses which he enclosed on letter to Archbishop Albrecht in protest against the indulgence. He questioned...