Today in History: Luther Posts Ninety-Five Theses

Martin Luther (November 10, 1483-February 18, 1546) was a German theologian, pastor, professor, and church reformer who began the Protestant Reformation by nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31st, 1517.  Luther objected to the sale of indulgences, or the atonement of sins through monetary payment to the Catholic Church, as he explained the fundamentals of grace as the true means for forgiveness. Branded a heretic by the Catholic Church and condemned as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Empire, Luther believed that the monetization of faith was abusive to Christians and for the sole benefit of enriching and empowering the Church. As an academic at the University of Wittenberg, which was affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, his scholarly writing became a manifesto for important changes that led to the birth of Lutheranism, other Protestant faiths, and the greater authority of the state and its institutions over the Church.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning:

• Reformation Day: A Notable Event in the History of Christendom--Martin Luther's Dissent From the Teachings of Papacy. (1876, Nov 01). Courier-Journal (1869-1922) 
• Big Reformation Program Is Ready: Tremont Temple To Be Scene of Chief Observances in Celebration of Martun. Luther's Challenge of the Church of Rome. (1917, Oct 31). The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Celebrate Birth of Reformation: Detroit Lutherans Observe Anniversary of Nailing of the 95 Theses by Luther.  (1911, Nov 01). Detroit Free Press (1858-1922) 
• Moses, W. A. (1948, Oct 30). Lutheran Services to Attract 2000: Reformation Fete to Commemorate Nailing of Theses to Church Door. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Dugan, G. D. (1954, Oct 30). Reformation Day Is Due Tomorrow: 2 Churches to Enact Modern Version of Nailing Theses. New York Times (1923-) 
• Wicklein, J. (1959, Oct 24). Honor to Be Paid to Martin Luther: Protestants Over the Nation Will Mark Tomorrow as Reformation Sunday. New York Times (1923-) 
• Honor Luther Reformation in Wittenberg: Posted Theses There 450 Years Ago. (1967, Nov 01). Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Davis, W. A. (1983, Jun 19). Augsburg: Where Jacob the Rich Lived: And Martin Luther Came to Defend His 95 Theses. Boston Globe (1960-) 
• Pelikan, J. (1983, Sep 18). The Enduring Relevance of Martin Luther 500 Years After His Birth: Rome, Which Excommunicated Luther in 1521, Has Begun to Treat Him More as an Alumnus Than an Apostate.  New York Times (1923-) 
• Hogan, L., & MacCulloch, D. (2016, Jul 23). Diarmaid MacCulloch's Masterly Take on the Reformation: The Historian's New Collection Is Full of Insights Into Martin Luther and the Medieval Church All Things Made New: Writings on the Reformation. The Irish Times (1921-) 

Tips:

• George, Timothy. Reformation 500 : How the Greatest Revival Since Pentecost Continues to Shape the World Today. Ed. J. Michael Garrett and Ray Van Neste. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2016. e-book
• Kaufmann, Thomas. A Short Life of Martin Luther. Trans. Peter D. S. Krey and James D. Bratt. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016. e-book
• Lamport, Mark A., ed. Encyclopedia of Martin Luther and the Reformation. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. e-book
• Marshall, Peter. 1517 : Martin Luther and the Invention of the Reformation. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. e-book
• Melloni, Alberto. Martin Luther a Christian Between Reforms and Modernity (1517-2017). Berlin: De Gruyter, 2018. e-book

Images:

• Hans Stiegler - Luther und Huss - Amanduskirche Freiberg a.N, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
• Poster Image: Martin Luther, 95 Thesen, 1517, Schlosskirche Wittenberg, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons