Question

What are the main points of Martin Luther's theology in its historical context? Please explain his theology.

Answer 1

I would say that he wanted to split from the Roman Catholic Church and started what is now know as the protestant reform. Basically that this time period the Catholics were the ones with true power and Martin didn't like that there are other differences like saints and do you know what communion is? When you drink the wine and bread, fun fact I have a friend who is catholic and he didn't even know this, RC believe that it is actually the blood and flesh of Jesus instead of the bread and wine symbolizing it. See lots of things have changed in 500 years everything is more laid back but back then little things like that were more extreme, Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

Martin Luther wanted to reform the Catholic Church -- he certainly had no intention of starting a separate church! His chief complaint was that the Church had gotten away from a direct relationship between the worshipper and God, which he (as a churchman himself) enjoyed. The parishioner was encouraged to understand God's will via the Church -- through fallible humans, like the priest and bishop and pope -- rather than through direct prayer and reflection.

People being what they are, fallible and venial, this opened the door to massive corruption. I doubt that Luther was particularly concerned about the financial side, but the spiritual corruption would have worried him deeply. For example, if a wealthy man could buy indulgences for fornicating with the wives of whose who owed him money, just by donating to the construction of a new cathedral, Luther would've been concerned that this meant the Church was knowingly abetting the wealthy man's corruption of his soul, and his eventual trip to Hell. What could be mroe shameful than the guardians of the soul *helping* it towards condemnation?

He was also concerned that the Church had begun to emphasize the importance of good works (including donating to the Church, ha ha) over the grace of God in redemption. He felt it was important to get back to the original understanding of salvation in Christianity, which is that ALL men are sinners -- irredeemably so, actually -- and that ONLY the grace of God can save them. Thus, the primary duty of men is to be humble and seek the grace of God, particularly by following His commandments and prayerful reflection, and that the arrogance of thinking you can "buy" your way out of Hell by endowing a bridge or university or tower of a cathedral should be snuffed out.

In time Luther's emphasis on an individual relationship to God, and a disbelief in the possibility of salvation through good works, would form essential elements of Protestantism. Ironically, despite the impression Protestantism later gave of itself of being a revolt against class and privilege, Protestantism turned into the religion of...the wealthy and privileged, and even today it is the Catholic Church that tends to minister to, and be the religion of, the poorest and most wretched.