Analyze Martin Luther's Proposition Of The Ninety-Five Theses
Since the dawn of civilization, revolutionary advancements in cultural and technological development appear to erupt suddenly and seemingly without reason. For instance, Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persian Empire inadvertently led to a golden age in many fields of art, literature, mathematics and science which lasted for centuries. A few hundred years later, Constantine’s Edict of Milan and his contributions to religious tolerance set forth the entrenchment of one of the largest and oldest religions in the world: Christianity. Among the late ages, Martin Luther publishes his famous 95 theses which results in the diversification of the Church into multiple groups. Each of these events throughout history mark significant changes
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towards the methods in the circulation of ideas which lead to all sorts advancements for citizens and civic life. One such notable event in history was that in Greece during the 4th century BC and particularly after the great conquest of Alexander the Great where he seized control of most of the Persian Empire and annexation of lands in Asia Minor. What followed was nothing short of a sensational wonder; the once small and dominated city-state expanded to be one of the largest empires of ancient history and became the leader of advancements in nearly every field of study. The Greeks had become so well-educated that the late Persian kingdoms sought solely Greek professionals. In fact, Greek specialists were in such high demand that after only a few years, Greek merchants handled trade in The Levant and “Greek doctors had been employed by the Persian kings, and Greek artists by the Phoenician princes.” Along with their craft, the Greek people also brought with them their Greek culture. Since Greeks effectively dominated every industry that required a high level of education, the Greek language became the lingua franca in those regions. This exposure between both cultures allowed for greater exchange of ideas and ultimately led to new contemporary perspectives and overall decline of intolerance. In the middle ages, another event that saw similar results in cultural development was when Constantine legalized Christianity in 321AD. It was due to Constantine’s Edict of Milan that toleration towards all religions, but more prominently, Christians, was granted. The major effect of this edict was primarily to stop the persecutions of Christians, but other pagan worshipers were also given restitution. Constantine’s most notable works and contributions during his reign were the spreading of religious tolerance, and rightly so. His works brought about a decline of bigotry in an otherwise religiously fragmented society. In Constantine’s view, he believed that the people of Rome needed to be religiously tolerant in order to maintain the power that the Roman Empire held at the time. These factors contributed to an overall paradigm shift in the Roman Empire where its peoples were now more cohesive than it was ever before. This did not, however, contribute to a golden age of research, but allowed citizens to be more open to new ideas from other cultures and religions. Additionally, it also allowed the people to openly criticize other religions without fear of repercussions from the government. This allowed the challenging of ideas in other religions which placed an emphasis on theological reasoning. Another crucial event in the late-middle ages was Martin Luther’s proposition of his Ninety-five Theses in 1517 AD.
During this point in history, the Roman Catholic Church practiced the use of indulgences, allowing followers to pay a monetary fee for a lost one to reduce the time they spend in Purgatory. Subsequently, Martin Luther, a scholarly professor of the University of Erfurt, heatedly debated the practices of the Church, compiling his points into a single publication, the Ninety-five Theses. This led to many disputes and partitioned the Church into the conservative Catholics and the contemporary Protestants led by Martin Luther and is known as the Protestant Reformation. This act of defiance towards the Church was incomparable in its size and organization, and even garnered the support of German Princes who wished to gain independence from the pope. Luther’s contributions were substantial because it showed the people that the way of the Church can be questioned, and pushed people into figuring out the meaning of God in their own ways. This eventually leads to another split of the Protestant group, creating a new religion, Calvinism, led by its founder John Calvin. Despite the differences among these religious groups, Martin Luther has paved the way for theological discussion to unprecedented
levels. There are important events in history that bring about radical change on a cultural level. Most notably are the endeavors of Southern Europe throughout history which seem to be the frontrunners of the diffusion of ideas. And it is due to the innovation of the methodologies to exchange new ideas that leads to one of the most powerful forces of technological and cultural advancement.
towards the methods in the circulation of ideas which lead to all sorts advancements for citizens and civic life. One such notable event in history was that in Greece during the 4th century BC and particularly after the great conquest of Alexander the Great where he seized control of most of the Persian Empire and annexation of lands in Asia Minor. What followed was nothing short of a sensational wonder; the once small and dominated city-state expanded to be one of the largest empires of ancient history and became the leader of advancements in nearly every field of study. The Greeks had become so well-educated that the late Persian kingdoms sought solely Greek professionals. In fact, Greek specialists were in such high demand that after only a few years, Greek merchants handled trade in The Levant and “Greek doctors had been employed by the Persian kings, and Greek artists by the Phoenician princes.” Along with their craft, the Greek people also brought with them their Greek culture. Since Greeks effectively dominated every industry that required a high level of education, the Greek language became the lingua franca in those regions. This exposure between both cultures allowed for greater exchange of ideas and ultimately led to new contemporary perspectives and overall decline of intolerance. In the middle ages, another event that saw similar results in cultural development was when Constantine legalized Christianity in 321AD. It was due to Constantine’s Edict of Milan that toleration towards all religions, but more prominently, Christians, was granted. The major effect of this edict was primarily to stop the persecutions of Christians, but other pagan worshipers were also given restitution. Constantine’s most notable works and contributions during his reign were the spreading of religious tolerance, and rightly so. His works brought about a decline of bigotry in an otherwise religiously fragmented society. In Constantine’s view, he believed that the people of Rome needed to be religiously tolerant in order to maintain the power that the Roman Empire held at the time. These factors contributed to an overall paradigm shift in the Roman Empire where its peoples were now more cohesive than it was ever before. This did not, however, contribute to a golden age of research, but allowed citizens to be more open to new ideas from other cultures and religions. Additionally, it also allowed the people to openly criticize other religions without fear of repercussions from the government. This allowed the challenging of ideas in other religions which placed an emphasis on theological reasoning. Another crucial event in the late-middle ages was Martin Luther’s proposition of his Ninety-five Theses in 1517 AD.
During this point in history, the Roman Catholic Church practiced the use of indulgences, allowing followers to pay a monetary fee for a lost one to reduce the time they spend in Purgatory. Subsequently, Martin Luther, a scholarly professor of the University of Erfurt, heatedly debated the practices of the Church, compiling his points into a single publication, the Ninety-five Theses. This led to many disputes and partitioned the Church into the conservative Catholics and the contemporary Protestants led by Martin Luther and is known as the Protestant Reformation. This act of defiance towards the Church was incomparable in its size and organization, and even garnered the support of German Princes who wished to gain independence from the pope. Luther’s contributions were substantial because it showed the people that the way of the Church can be questioned, and pushed people into figuring out the meaning of God in their own ways. This eventually leads to another split of the Protestant group, creating a new religion, Calvinism, led by its founder John Calvin. Despite the differences among these religious groups, Martin Luther has paved the way for theological discussion to unprecedented
levels. There are important events in history that bring about radical change on a cultural level. Most notably are the endeavors of Southern Europe throughout history which seem to be the frontrunners of the diffusion of ideas. And it is due to the innovation of the methodologies to exchange new ideas that leads to one of the most powerful forces of technological and cultural advancement.