Martin Luther Thesis

Kristina Luft

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses

31 October 1517

RELG 101—Fall 2010—Dr. Grieco

Your group number: 3

Theses assigned to read: 35-53

1. Summarize in a few sentences the main points or the main issues raised in your group of theses. You should be prepared to present your theses informally to the rest of the class on Friday.

Martin Luther didn’t want people to be as concerned with pardons as their fear of God. His main point was that people who rely heavily on pardons don’t really have remorse for their sins and think they are guaranteeing their way into heaven solely through pardons. He also mentions how it’s insulting to God to spend money on pardons but not help a man in need.

2. How do your theses fit into Martin Luther’s program of reform? For some information about Martin Luther’s ideas and the ideas of other reformers, see your textbook, pp. 269-275. What were the main areas/aspects of the Catholic Church that Luther sought to reform?

The sale of indulgences (releases from time in purgatory), were being objected during this time period (early to mid 1500s). Luther wanted to reform the idea that the pope had any jurisdiction over purgatory. He believed that Jesus would save and redeem individuals regardless of how much money they gave to the church. Luther also had issues with the pope’s religious authority. He wanted Protestants to worship the Holy Spirit within themselves and not hold the priesthood up on a pedestal.

3. List any questions you had about the text here. Were there any things you did not understand or found confusing?

Why did people think that the pope had any jurisdiction over purgatory? Also, the textbook text said that making monetary contributions would make people exempt from spending thousands of years in purgatory. Says who?