Martin Luther was an important religious theorist during the 1500’s who is well-known for his publication of 95 claims which countered the teachings of the Roman-Catholic church at the time. His work, though not intended to, caused such an uproar in the religious community that it created new ideologies which then led to the development of some of the many different denominations of Christianity in modern society.

Martin Luther’s childhood influenced his relationship with God and the church in powerful ways. He was an altar boy and choir member in his youth which began his faith at a very young age, giving him a very long journey with Christianity. His parents had very high expectations for him not only to be a devout Christian, but also for him to be a successful and well-educated man. Martin Luther’s parents were very strict when raising him, often giving severe physical punishments for his wrongdoings which led to the development of a fear towards punishment. This fear of punishment along with many of the things Martin Luther learned from his parents later translated into his religious life; he went from an unforgiving father to a God who seemed impossible to satisfy.

Following a near-death experience, Martin Luther withdrew from the university he was attending and joined an Augustinian monastery with the goal of securing his place in Heaven. He was convinced that the only way of achieving salvation was by separating oneself from worldly goods; he cut his hair, wore uncomfortable robes, and chose a grueling lifestyle only fit for those who were aptly gifted both spiritually and mentally.

As a monk, Martin Luther had begun to develop an understanding that salvation was earned through the process of confession and penance to achieve absolution. After some time he was sent on a pilgrimage to Rome, which was essentially the capital for the Christian faith at the time. During his pilgrimage, Luther witnessed new practices that seemed to conflict what was learned at the monastery. In Rome, religion and money seemed to be equal through the distribution of indulgences. Indulgences were a way that the Pope issued forgiveness for sins through payment to the church. The sales of indulgences was the primary method of the Pope who had depleted the treasury to regain funds for projects that he deemed fit along with his expensive desire to indulge in the finer things. Through the contrast in Martin Luther’s beliefs and those of the Roman-Catholic Church he developed a belief that the church was falling for the same worldly pleasures that he spent most of his life trying to separate himself from.

After his time in Rome, Martin Luther went to scripture to determine for himself if these indulgences were in fact justified. Through his studies, Luther developed and posted a 95-point thesis which points out how the church was both wrong in selling forgiveness and a way out of purgatory and how God, not any member of the church, is the one and only source of forgiveness. This document was extremely popular for Christians, becoming the most widely published work at the time. Martin Luther’s challenge of church practice was seen as an act of heresy and unintentionally began a war of ideologies between himself and the religious leaders of the time.