Profound Implications Of Protestant Reformation As A Result Of Luther Article Reviews Examples

Martin Luther can be undoubtedly called an outstanding historical figure who managed to change the history of his country and the world in general. The Luther Legacy is an article which summarizes his achievements. First of all, the article underlines that Luther was not a politician but a theologian. He never followed selfish goals; rather he tried to propagate pious life and Christian values. Luther was a monk but he did not blindly follow all the prescriptions of the Church. He understood that indulgences were a manifesto of the Church’s corruption and greed, and ventured to defy the authority of the Church in his 95 Theses. He said that the word of God was written in the Bible and no priest could decide whether a person deserved heaven. Everyone could become their own theologian having access to the Bible. Luther’s followers created a new religious teaching, Protestantism which resulted in Reformation. Luther’s ideas also led to the translation of the Bible into German. That step not only undermined the Church’s autocracy but also began the establishment of the national language which inspired the uniting of the nation and the growth of national identity. Luther also wrote the catechisms which was as important as the translation of the Bible. He advocated for education, and thanks to him, by the end of the 16th century there were schools for boys in one in two parishes in the Electorate of Saxony some of which taught also girls. In 1525, Luther married Katharina von Bora and despite criticism, their family was a true example of Christian values, such as a union of a man and a woman to have and bring up children in the Christian way. Luther’s name was used by nationalists in the 20th century but he himself did not share that point of view. He was a pastor.
In my opinion, the article is a good example of a short but detailed analysis of Luther’s achievements. Here we can find the reasons for his teaching, as well as the influence it had on Germany, Europe and the whole world. The article shows that Luther made a great change not only to religion being the precursor of Protestantism, but also to the society when he translated the Bible into German. His work also changed political and intellectual spheres but, from my point of view, these aspects are better described in the textbook reading which is shorter than the article but more straightforward and simple. While the article focuses on Luther’s life and the effects his actions had, the textbook reading describes the long-term consequences of Reformation. The change of religious paradigm and the uniting of nations helped some cities rise. Strong cities and their strong rulers annexed weaker settlements and eventually the inner shape of countries changed. There appeared absolute monarchy. People’s worldview transformed resulting in capitalism with its competition between merchants. Reformation affected not only Germany but also Switzerland, Italy and Spain where people began to see the sins of the Church. In England Reformation inspired the creation of an absolutely new Anglican Church by Henry XIII. In other words, both texts show that Luther made a true revolution which affected religion, policy, culture and society. The importance of Luther cannot be overestimated.