The Life of Martin Luther

Martin Luther is the rarest of creatures, a man who knows his own mind, speaks it and refuses to be swayed. There is something so, so logical about the man and his life; he was baptised on the Feast of St. Martin of Tours, he fulfilled his father’s wishes by enrolling in law school but he dropped out almost immediately as he viewed law as symbolising uncertainty, he entered the monastery because he had made a vow on the spur of the moment that he would become a monk if he was saved from a storm - something maddeningly logical about everything, no question, he did things because that was what was supposed to happen, simply that’s the way it is, do it. Indeed, he was the most austere of monks and did everything in his power to please God but could not help admitting to himself that he was not doing enough and that indeed he was losing touch completely, Luther was no blind devotee. His superiors reckoned that he needed to stop thinking, the concept is quite the comical one - Luther being chastised for contemplating life and God too much by his fellow monks! However, he took their advice and began teaching theology at the University of Wittenberg. The fact that the Catholic hierarchy had encouraged him to enter academia was one that they must have lived to regret. Luther trapped in a cloistered environment was one thing but Luther in a position of power within a liberal institution was quite another, Luther was still thinking and he was not content with much of what was going on within the Catholic Church. In 1516, the Vatican sent an emissary to Germany to sell indulgences in order to raise money to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Roman Catholic doctrine stated that faith alone was not enough to reach heaven, a believer must also commit good works and that these good works could be obtained by donating money to the Church. Of course, this was not going to wash with Luther the thinker, he wrote to Albrecht, Archbishop of Mainz and Madgeburg, protesting the sale of indulgences. Not one to simply sit and wait, content that he had done something, Luther than tacked his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Church of All-Saints at the University. Strange as that may sound, the door actually served as a notice board for the university, so his theses which were in many ways to change everything, were tacked up there with banal college activities and notices to join anonymous clubs. Indeed, the posting of the theses to the door was not a terrible act of rebellion but rather an academic challenge, Luther had written them in haste, they were not supposed to change the world, or so it would seem. But they did, they arrived in the world at a crucial time, the printing press was beginning and printers were eager to test their new contraptions. Luther’s theses were translated from Latin into German, printed, widely copied and within two weeks were available throughout Germany. Within two months they were available throughout Europe and people were gobbling them up. Students began flocking to Wittenburg to hear Luther speak, the whole thing snowballed, Luther must have felt more than a little uneasy and then Rome came a hollering, demanding that he account for himself. Luther managed to persuade the authorities to let him attend hearingson the matter in Germany rather than Rome citing bad health, perhaps an indication that he feared having to defend himself in the lion’s den, realising that he stood a better chance in his own backyard. The bout was set for the Diet of Augsburg in October of 1518 with Luther facing the papal legate, Cajetan. Cajetan was a formidable opponent, a Doctor of Philosophy before the age of twenty-one, he was viewed by many as the greatest theologian of his age. Luther by all accounts was bawdy and unruly, perhaps a sign that he was not so comfortable amongst such exalted company. Indeed, he was soon after writing to Rome, stating that he had never intended to undermine it’s authority, however he was writing to other correspondents stating the opposite, building himself up as the Church’s nemesis. Luther was once again brought forward at Leipsig in July 1519 to account for himself, this time he faced Johann Eck, who was to become his principal adversary. Eck was a master debater, Luther was also brilliant, but he lacked Eck’s serenity and composure under fire, becoming ruffled and querulous in the face of Eck’s unwavering style, Luther came off a definite second. It would appear he began to panic, allying himself with the most radical of the national humanists. Hanging with such company, Luther began to become more virulent in his opposition, it would be too much to say that it was their influence which transformed him completely but perhaps it eradicated any lingering doubts that he may have possessed from his strict Catholic life. He watered down his language, he was now appealing to Joe Public, battle lines were drawn, he was also most likely realising that in a war of head-on academia he was going to lose. He had the heavies on his side, he no longer had to fear capture or worse, he could now let loose, and let loose he did. It was a reckless path, the die was now definitely cast and the stakes had being raised, no longer was it a theological debate but rather the beginnings of a brewing of a continental revolution. Luther was upping the ante, publishing pamphlets that were becoming more and more radical. Rome replied with a papal bull entitled Exsurge Domine which threatened Luther with excommunication unless he recanted his writings within sixty days. Luther’s previous fears were certainly abandoned with, he set fire to Exsurge Domine at Wittenberg surrounded by students singing and dancing. Luther was summarily excommunicated in January of 1521 and what looked like the final showdown was set for the Diet of Worms which commenced at the end of that month. The event had snowballed into something of mighty ferocity, the rhetoric amplified and amplified throwing the bulk of the peasantry into a convulsive state. Economic deprivation had been lurking for decades, the spiralling strife granted opportunity to vent frustration and the line of malcontents grew and grew. Worms was a cauldron, anarchy was on the horizon, Luther was at the centre of it all, bizarrely now the poster boy for national patriotism. Perhaps he recognised the side-track, on his first appearance at the Diet he appeared as anything but the main man of the masses, he was timid and spoke so low that it was hard to hear what he was saying. However, he pulled himself together and on his re-appearance was once again in fine fettle, stating forcefully that he would not recant. The subsequent Edict of Worms declared him an outlaw, the gloves were off, it demanded his arrest and punishment as a heretic. He sought refuge in Wartburg Castle under the protection of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony. Away from the hullabaloo, Luther suffered, wracked with agonising reproaches of conscience, he was alone again, he was thinking again. He was swallowed up by guilt and remorse, it was a huge cross to bear, after all it was nothing short of the rupturing of Christian unity. Compounding his pain, his austerity had abandoned him, the weakness of flesh taking control, he was eating and drinking excessively and was giving way to sensuality. In addition, satanic manifestations were frequent, Luther was struggling with the whole shebang, both earthly and other-worldly. Miraculously, while even at such a low ebb he still managed to translate the New Testament into German and churned out countless doctrinal and polemical works. His absence from the affairs of the state was strangely paradoxically damaging, as his supporters and followers ran amuck. Once they had started down the road of change, there was no stopping them, they began to test and challenge almost every ritual and doctrine of the Church. Luther returned to Wittenberg in early March 1522 and began to restore some semblance of order and stability. He now faced two forces, that of the established Church and that of the radical reformers who threatened social disorder and anarchy. But the tide was too strong with the latter and there was nothing Luther could do as the radical elements embarked on the Peasant’s War (1524-25) during which many atrocities were committed in his name. Luther could never have anticipated what would be unleashed by his writings and his defiance. He had begun by seeking an academic debate but had ended fronting a war that had threatened the whole order of society. After 1525, he was a much more shadowy figure, throwing in very controversial observations from the sidelines.