How The Protestant Reformation Changed Christianity

During the early 1500’s, Martian Luther (1483-1546) became a pivotal figure in the Protestant Reformation. Although a brilliant scholar and Augustinian monk, Luther struggled to find peace with God viewing Him “as a wrathful judge who expected sinners to earn their own righteousness” (Elwell, 1984, p. 665). After realizing the truth of Ephesians 2:8, Luther would come to change his view of God, rediscovering the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Luther’s views not only contributed to the Protestant Reformation that changed Christianity forever, but also contributed to the advancement of science and psychology, and placed him at odds with the Church on issues such as marriage and the accepted understanding of free will.
The contributions Luther made to Christianity, the Reformation, and psychology are numerous and profound. As a Catholic monk, Luther
Erasmus believed the Bible teaches that people have free will and that without it, people are not responsible for their actions. Luther believed that God, in His foreknowledge and omnipotence, was utterly sovereign and that people are slaves either to God or to Satan (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014, p. 97). Interestingly, however, the Lutheran movement preferred Erasmus’s view of free will to Luther’s (Hergenhahn & Henley, 2014, p. 98).
Martin Luther’s contributions to the Reformation and to the field of psychology influence society even today. His emphasis on personal experience over institutional practice not only changed Christianity but also encouraged understanding one’s self and one’s personal experience. While I personally disagree with Luther’s position on free will, I greatly appreciate his momentous contributions to Christianity and psychology as I, as a Christian and psychology major, wholeheartedly embrace the evangelical Protestant