The 95 Theses

The Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, known as the 95 Theses, (from 31 October 1517) challenged the teachings of the Church on the nature of penance, the authority of the pope and the usefulness of indulgences. They sparked a theological debate that would result in the Reformation and the birth of the Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist traditions within Christianity.

The background for Luther's Theses centers on particular disputes with the Church dealing with the offering of indulgences—the granting of penance for sin. In short, the practice of giving indulgences became somewhat commoditized (with relics) and then commercialized, contributing to what Luther felt was an offense to Holy salvation among Catholics who felt they could find absolution through purchase rather than merit or grace.

The Castle Church in Wittenberg in the Holy Roman Empire held one of Europe's largest collections of religious artifacts, accumulated by Frederick III.

At that time viewing relics was purported to allow the viewer to receive relief from temporal punishment for sins in purgatory. By 1509 Frederick had over 5,000 relics, "including vials of the milk of the Virgin Mary, straw from the manger [of Jesus], and the body of one of the innocents massacred by King Herod."[1]

The relics were kept in reliquaries and exhibited once a year for the faithful to venerate. "In 1509, each devout visitor who donated toward the preservation of the Castle Church received an indulgence of one hundred days per relic." By 1520 Frederick had over 19,000 relics, allowing pilgrims viewing them to receive an indulgence that would reduce their time in purgatory by 5,209 years.[1]

As part of a fund-raising campaign commissioned by Albert of Mainz (the Archbishop of Mainz) and Pope Leo X to finance the renovation of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Johann Tetzel a Dominican priest began selling of indulgences. Even though Luther's prince, Frederick III, and the prince of the neighboring territory, George, Duke of Saxony, forbade the sale in their lands, Luther's parishioners traveled to purchase them. When these people came to confession, they presented their plenary indulgences, claiming they no longer had to repent of their sins, since the document promised to forgive all their sins.

According to a report written by Philipp Melanchthon in 1546, Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, October 31, 1517. Some scholars have questioned the accuracy of this account, noting that no contemporaneous evidence exists for it. [2] Others have countered that no such evidence is necessary, because this action was the customary way of advertising an event on a university campus of Luther's day.[3] Church doors at the time functioned very much as bulletin boards. Still others suggest the posting may well have happened sometime in November 1517. Most agree that, at the very least, Luther mailed the theses to the Archbishop of Mainz, the pope, friends and other universities on that date.[4]

Most recently, in February 2007, the media reported that a handwritten note by Luther's secretary Georg Rörer, found in the university library at Jena, appeared to confirm the traditional account of Luther nailing the theses to the door. This new find has yet to be assessed by scholars.[5]

More significant is the response and events that followed. What is important is that on October 31st, 1517 “Luther approached the competent church authorities with his pressing call for reform. On this day he presented them with his theses and the request that they call a halt to the unworthy activities of the indulgence preachers. When the bishops did not respond, or when they sought merely to divert him, Luther circulated his theses privately. The Theses spread quickly and was printed in Nurnburg, Leipzig, and Basel. Suddenly they were echoing throughout Germany and beyond its borders.” [6]


Reaction to the 95 Theses
It is hard to determine and pinpoint the reaction to the 95 Theses because so much was happening at the time. To really be able to attribute any one event or movement to Luther's Theses is very difficult. What we can be sure of however, is that Luther had a tremendous impact on his world. The 95 Theses gained enormous popularity over a very short period of time. His ideas did not just speak to one type of people but, his followers were from all classes and walks of life. However, his supporters that were noble did not always follow because of his doctrine. The seizure of monasteries and their lands was enticing to princes who were plagued with financial problems. [7]

Pope Leo X wished for Martin Luther to recant 41 purported errors, some from the 95 Theses and others from other writings and sayings attributed to Luther, which he famously refused to do before the Diet of Worms in 1521, thus symbolically initiating the Protestant Reformation.
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