Martin Luther: biography and personal life. Martin Luther - Brief Biography Mark Luther Biography

The beginning of the Reformation is October 31, 1517

Martin Luther passed away February 18, 1546

Writings of Martin Luther

Berleburg bible


Letter to Mülpfort (1520)


Letter of transfer (1530)
Of the Jews and Their Lies (1543)
Table Talk (1544)

Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. The boy grew up in the family of a former miner who became one of the owners of smelters and copper mines. After graduating from the University of Erfurt in 1505 with a master's degree, the young man entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt. Once, after another visit to the university library, a Bible fell into Luther's hands, reading which turned his inner world upside down. After graduating from university, Martin Luther decided on a high deed that no one expected from him. The philosopher went to the monastery to serve God, refusing worldly life. One of the reasons was the sudden death of a close friend of Luther and his consciousness of his own sinfulness.

In the holy place, the young theologian was engaged in various duties: he served the elders, performed the work of a gatekeeper, wound the tower clock, swept the churchyard, and so on. Wanting to save the guy from the feeling of human pride, the monks sent Martin to the city to collect alms. Luther followed every instruction, used austerities in food and clothing. In 1506 he became a monk, and a year later the priesthood, becoming brother Augustine.

Dinner to the Lord and the status of a priest did not become a limitation for Martin in further training and development. In 1508 Luther was recommended by the vicar general as a lecturer at the University of Wittenberg. where he taught young students dialectics and physics. Soon he received a biblical bachelor's degree, which allowed him to teach theology to students. Luther had the right to interpret biblical writings, and in order to better understand their meaning, he began to study foreign languages.

In 1511, Luther visited Rome on the direction of a holy order. It was here that Martin encountered contradictory facts regarding Catholicism. Since 1512, he held the position of professor of theology, read sermons, and acted as caretaker in eleven monasteries. Despite visual closeness to God, Luther felt some complexes, considered himself sinful and weak in his actions before the Almighty. The mental crisis was the beginning of a rethinking of the theologian spiritual world and the path to reform.

The beginning of the Reformation is October 31, 1517, when the Augustinian monk Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 theses to the doors of the temple in Wittenberg, where solemn university ceremonies were usually held. So far they have neither denied the supreme authority of the Roman pope, let alone declared him the Antichrist, nor generally denied church organization and church sacraments as necessary mediators between God and man. The theses challenged the practice of indulgences, which at that time was especially widespread in order to cover the costs of building St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome.

According to Luther's innovation, the state should not depend on the clergy, and the latter should not act as an intermediary between man and the Lord of all things. Martin did not accept the sayings and requirements regarding the celibacy of spiritual representatives, and destroyed the authority of the Pope's decrees. Similar reforming actions were observed in history before, but Luther's position turned out to be quite shocking and bold. Luther's theses turned out to be perceived by the opposition strata of the population as a signal to speak out against the Catholic Church and the church sanctified by it. social order, and the reform movement went beyond the boundaries that Martin set for him.

Relying on the social movement in Germany, Luther refused to appear at church court to Rome, and at the Leipzig dispute with Catholic theologians in 1519, he openly declared that he believed in many respects correct position put forward by the Czech reformer Jan Hus. In 1520, Martin publicly burned a papal bull excommunicating him from the church in the courtyard of the University of Wittenberg.

According to the Edict of Worms on May 26, 1521, Martin received a serious accusation of heresy, but numerous supporters of the main ideas of Lutheranism helped their master escape by staging his abduction. In fact, Luther was hidden in the Wartburg castle, where the theologian began translating the Bible into German.

In 1529, the Protestantism of Martin Luther received official acceptance by society, being considered one of the currents of Catholicism, but a few years later a split occurred in his "camp" into two more currents: Lutheranism and Calvinism. John Calvin became the second reformer after Luther, whose main idea was the predestination of the fate of man by God.

Martin Luther's attitude towards Jews changed throughout his life. Initially, he condemned the persecution of representatives of this nationality, recommended treating them with tolerance. Martin sincerely believed that a Jew who heard his sermons would definitely decide to be baptized. Later, the reformer became convinced that the Jews did not intend to follow his teachings, and at some point became hostile to them. The books “On the Jews and Their Lies” and “Table Talk” by Luther, written in such a state, had an anti-Jewish character.

The German philosopher disappointed the Jewish people, who turned their backs on the reformations proposed by Luther. Subsequently, the Lutheran Church became a source of inspiration for anti-Semites, and its positions served to create propaganda against the Jews in Germany, harassing them. Luther condemned the Jews as bearers of Judaism for denying the Trinity. Therefore, he called for expelling them and destroying the synagogues, which aroused the sympathy of Hitler and his supporters. Even the so-called "Kristallnacht", during which hundreds of Jews were killed, the Nazis called the celebration of Luther's birthday.

Martin Luther entered the history of German social thought as a cultural figure, as a reformer of education, language, and music. Great importance Luther had a translation of the Bible into German, in which he managed to establish the norms of the national language.

Martin Luther passed away February 18, 1546 in the German city of Eisleben. His body was solemnly buried in the courtyard of the palace church, where 95 theses were once nailed to it.

Writings of Martin Luther

Berleburg bible
Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516)
95 Theses on Indulgences (1517)
To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (1520)
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
Letter to Mülpfort (1520)
Open letter Pope Leo X (1520)
On the freedom of a Christian Against the cursed bull of the Antichrist Speech at the Reichstag of Worms on April 18, 1521 On the slavery of the will (1525)
Large and Small Catechism (1529)
Letter of transfer (1530)
Praise of Music (German translation) (1538)
Of the Jews and Their Lies (1543)
Table Talk (1544)

Luther Martin (1483-1546), theologian and politician, head of the Reformation in Germany, founder of German Protestantism (Lutheranism).

Born November 10, 1483 in Eislebahn (Saxony). A graduate of the University of Erfurt and a Master of Liberal Arts, Luther unexpectedly left the path of a secular scientist at a young age and became a monk. He did this, being sure of his extreme sinfulness and fearful of God's wrath. Luther was tonsured in the Augustinian order, known, on the one hand, for the great severity of the charter, and, on the other hand, for theological "liberties", frequent discrepancies with the official church doctrine.

Luther, a man educated and zealous in the faith, quickly stood out among the brethren. Having become a priest, he soon returned to scientific studies - now theological. In 1512, the doctor of theology Luther took the professorial chair of history at the University of Wittenberg. The decline of faith and discipline in the Church, the policy of Pope Giovanni de' Medici (Leo VII), who aspired primarily to power over Italy and personal enrichment, angered Luther. In the end, he became disillusioned with the papal power and placed his hope in the reform of the Church on the secular rulers. In addition, theological studies led him to the conviction of the falsity of the Catholic faith.

Luther rejected the Church's doctrine of grace, the possibility of salvation through good works. According to him, all people are equal before God by virtue of original sin. The acts of the saints were redundant and not needed for salvation, the clergy have no advantages. People are saved only by the power of sincere faith, which itself is a gift from God.

Luther rejected the worship of saints, icons, relics, demanded the severity and "cheapness" of the Church, the subordination of her secular power.

The mass issue of indulgences by Leo VII (letters that forgive sins for money) gave Luther a pretext for open speech. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses in which he accused the mercenary Pope of heresy. Luther ignored the call to Rome, and burned the papal bull, which excommunicated him from the Church, at the same fire with a pile of indulgences (1520) with a large gathering of people.
From that moment on, he became the recognized leader of the Reformation - a movement for the transformation of the Church.

Rejecting papal authority, Luther enlisted the support of the German princes. This was to the advantage of his desire to subordinate the Church to the secular authorities, transferring the appointment of bishops to their will.

The new Pope Clement VII (Giulio Medici), busy with the war for Italy with Emperor Charles W, remained indifferent to German affairs. The burden of the struggle against the Reformation fell on Charles himself - an enemy of the Pope, but a devout Catholic.

In 1530, the German theologian Melanchthon, who joined the Reformation, but was also close to the “people of the Renaissance”, created the Autsburg Confession of Faith together with Luther. The emperor rejected him, which was the beginning of the religious war in Germany.

The scale of the ensuing conflict worried Luther. He reacted sharply to the emergence of new leaders of the Reformation, such as W. Zwingli, T. Müntzer, J. Calvin.

Luther called on the allied princes to punish these "heretics" who led mass uprisings against the existing system. In addition, Pope Paul III, who ascended the throne in 1534 with the assistance of Charles, took up the fight against the Reformation in earnest.

Luther died in his native city on February 18, 1546.
The civil war in Germany raged for nearly a decade.

"We cannot forbid birds to fly over our heads, but we will not allow them to land on our heads and build their nests on it. Likewise, we cannot forbid bad thoughts sometimes cross our minds, but we must not allow them to nestle in our brains." - Martin Luther

Martin Luther(German Martin Luther [ˈmaʁtin ˈlʊtɐ]; November 10, 1483, Eisleben, Saxony - February 18, 1546, ibid) - Christian theologian, initiator of the Reformation, leading translator of the Bible into German. One of the directions of Protestantism is named after him.

Biography

Beginning of life

Martin Luther was born into the family of Hans Luther (1459-1530) - a former peasant who moved to Eisleben (Saxony) in the hope of better life. There he took up mining in the copper mines. After the birth of Martin, the family moved to the mountain town of Mansfeld, where his father became a wealthy burgher.

In 1497, the parents sent the 14-year-old Martin to the Franciscan school in Marburg. At that time, Luther and his friends earned their bread by singing under the windows of the pious inhabitants. In 1501, by decision of his parents, Luther entered the university in Erfurt. The fact is that in those days the burghers sought to give their sons a higher legal education. But he was preceded by a course in the Seven Liberal Arts. In 1505, Luther received a master's degree in liberal arts and began to study jurisprudence. In the same period, against the will of his father, he entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt.

There are several explanations for this unexpected decision. One refers to the oppressed state of Luther as a result of "consciousness of his sinfulness." According to another, one day Luther was caught in a severe thunderstorm and was so frightened that he took a vow of monasticism. The third refers to the excessive strictness of parental education, which Luther could not bear.

The real reason must be sought, apparently, in Luther's entourage and in the fermentation of minds that existed at that time among the burghers. Apparently, Luther's decision was to be influenced by his acquaintance with the members of the humanist circle.

Luther later wrote that his monastic life was very difficult. Nevertheless, he was an exemplary monk and carefully completed all the tasks. Luther entered the Augustinian order in Erfurt. The year before, John Staupitz, later a friend of Martin, had received the position of vicar of the Order.

In 1506, Luther took the monastic vows, and in 1507 he was ordained a priest.

In Wittenberg

In 1508 Luther was sent to teach at the new university at Wittenberg. There he first became acquainted with the work Blessed Augustine. Among his students was in particular Erasmus Alberus. Luther taught and studied at the same time to earn his doctorate in theology.

In 1511, Luther was sent to Rome on business for the order. The trip made an indelible impression on the young theologian. It was there that he first encountered and saw firsthand the depravity of the Roman Catholic clergy. In 1512 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Luther then took over as professor of theology in place of Staupitz.

Luther constantly felt himself in a state of suspension and incredible weakness in relation to God, and these experiences played a significant role in shaping his views. In 1509, Luther taught a course on the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard, in 1513-1515 on the Psalms, 1515-1516 on the Epistle to the Romans, in 1516-1518 on the Epistles to the Galatians and the Hebrews. Luther was a painstaking student of the Bible, and in addition to his duties as a teacher, he was the caretaker of 11 monasteries and preached in the church.

Luther said that he was constantly in a state of feeling sin. After a severe crisis, Luther discovered for himself a different interpretation of the letters of St. Paul. He wrote: "I understood that we receive divine righteousness as a consequence of faith in God itself and thanks to it, thus the merciful Lord justifies us by the consequence of faith itself." At this thought, Luther, as he said, felt that he was born again and through the open gates he entered into paradise. The idea that a believer is justified by his faith in God's mercy was developed by Luther in 1515-1519.

In Jena

Luther repeatedly appeared in Jena. It is known that in March 1532 he stayed incognito at the Black Bear Hotel. Two years later he preached in the city church of St. Michael against staunch opponents of the reformation. After the founding of "Salan" in 1537, which later became a university, Luther received ample opportunity here to preach and call for the renewal of the church.

Luther's follower Georg Röhrer (1492-1557) edited Luther's works during his visits to the University and the library. As a result, Luther's Jena Bible was published, which is currently in the city's museum. In 1546 Johann Friedrich I commissioned the master Heinrich Ziegler of Erfurt to make a statue for Luther's tomb in Wittenberg. It was supposed to use a wooden statue created by Lucas Cranach the Elder as the original. The existing bronze plaque ended up in storage at the Weimar castle for two decades. In 1571, the middle son of Johann Friedrich donated it to the university.

reform activity

On October 18, 1517, Pope Leo X issues a bull of absolution and the sale of indulgences in order to "Promote the construction of the church of St. Peter and the salvation of souls Christendom". Luther bursts into criticism of the role of the church in salvation, which is expressed on October 31, 1517 in 95 theses. The theses were also sent to the Bishop of Brandenburg and the Archbishop of Mainz. It is worth adding that there were protests against the papacy before. However, they were of a different nature. The humanist-led anti-indulgences approached the problem from a human point of view. Luther criticized dogmas, that is, the Christian aspect of teaching. The rumor about the theses spreads with lightning speed and Luther is summoned to court in 1519 and, having softened, to the Leipzig dispute, where he appears, despite the fate of Jan Hus, and in the dispute expresses doubt about the righteousness and infallibility of the Catholic papacy. Then Pope Leo X anathematizes Luther; in 1520, Pietro of the House of Accolti drew up a curse bull (in 2008 it was announced that Catholic Church plans to "rehabilitate" him). Luther publicly burns the papal bull Exsurge Domine excommunicating him from the church in the courtyard of the University of Wittenberg, and in his address “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation” declares that the fight against papal dominance is the business of the entire German nation.

The Pope is supported by Emperor Charles, and Luther seeks salvation from Frederick of Saxony at Wartburg Castle (1520-1521). There, the devil allegedly appears to him, but Luther proceeds to translate the Bible into German. Kaspar Kruziger, professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, helped him edit this translation.

In 1525, 42-year-old Luther ties the knot with 26-year-old former nun Katharina von Bora. They had six children in their marriage.

During the Peasants' War of 1524-1526, Luther sharply criticized the rebels, writing "Against the murderous and plundering hordes of peasants", where he called the massacre of the instigators of unrest a charitable deed.

In 1529, Luther draws up the Large and Small Catechisms, which were put at the forefront of the Book of Concord.

Luther did not participate in the work of the Augsburg Reichstag in 1530; the positions of the Protestants were represented by Melanchthon. Last years Luther's life was marred by chronic illnesses. He died at Eisleben on 18 February 1546.

The Historical Significance of Luther's Activities

According to Max Weber, the Lutheran preaching not only gave impetus to the Reformation, but served as a turning point in the birth of capitalism and defined the spirit of the New Age.

Luther also entered the history of German social thought as a cultural figure - as a reformer of education, language, and music. In 2003, according to the results of public opinion polls, Luther became the second great German in German history. He not only experienced the influence of the Renaissance culture, but in the interests of combating the "papists" sought to use folk culture and did a lot to develop it. Of great importance was Luther's translation into German of the Bible (1522-1542), in which he managed to establish the norms of a common German national language. In his last work, he was actively assisted by his devoted friend and colleague Johann-Kaspar Aquila.

Philosophy of Luther

The founding principles of Luther's teachings: sola fide, sola gratia et sola scriptura (salvation by faith, grace and the Bible alone).

One of the central and popular provisions of Luther's philosophy is the concept of "calling" (German: Berufung). In contrast to the Catholic teaching on the opposition of the worldly and the spiritual, Luther believed that in the worldly life, the grace of God is realized in the professional field. God predestinates a person to a certain kind of activity through an invested talent or ability and duty of a person to work diligently, fulfilling his calling. Moreover, in the eyes of God there is no work noble or contemptible.

The labors of monks and priests, no matter how hard and holy they may be, are not one iota different in the eyes of God from the labors of a peasant in the field or a woman working on the farm.

The very concept of "calling" appears in Luther in the process of translating a fragment of the Bible into German (Sirach 11:20-21): "keep in your work (calling)"

The main purpose of the theses was to show that priests are not mediators between God and man, they only have to guide the flock and be an example of true Christians. “Man saves his soul not through the Church, but through faith,” wrote Luther. He refuted the dogma of the divinity of the person of the pope, which was vividly demonstrated in Luther's discussion with the famous theologian Johann Eck in 1519. Refuting the divinity of the pope, Luther referred to the Greek, that is Orthodox Church, which is also considered Christian and dispenses with the pope and his unlimited powers. Luther claimed infallibility Holy Scripture, and questioned the authority of Holy Tradition and councils.

Luther taught that "the dead know nothing" (Eccl. 9:5). Calvin objects to it in his first theological work, The Dream of Souls (1534).

Luther and antisemitism

Regarding Luther's anti-Semitism (see the work "On the Jews and Their Lies") there are different points of view. Some believe that anti-Semitism was a personal position of Luther, which did not affect his theology in any way and was only an expression of the general spirit of the times. Others, such as Daniel Gruber, call Luther a "holocaust theologian", believing that the private opinion of the founding father of the denomination could not but influence the minds of weak believers and could contribute to the spread of Nazism among part of the Lutherans of Germany.

At the beginning of his preaching activity, Luther was free from anti-Semitism. He even wrote in 1523 the pamphlet "Jesus Christ was born a Jew."

Luther condemned the Jews as bearers of Judaism for their denial of the Trinity, so he called for their expulsion and destruction of their synagogues, which subsequently aroused the sympathy of Hitler and his supporters. It is no coincidence that the Nazis designated the so-called Kristallnacht as a celebration of Luther's birthday.

Luther and music

Luther knew the history and theory of music well; his favorite composers were Josquin Despres and L. Senfl. In his writings and letters, he quoted medieval and renaissance treatises on music (the treatises of John Tinktoris almost verbatim).

Luther is the author of the preface (in Latin) to the collection of motets (by various composers) Pleasant Consonances... for 4 Voices[* 1], published in 1538 by the German publisher Georg Rau. In this text, repeatedly reprinted in the 16th century (including in German translation) and (later) called “Praise to Music” (“Encomion musices”), Luther gives an enthusiastic assessment of imitative-polyphonic music based on cantus firmus [* 2 ]. Whoever is unable to appreciate the divine beauty of such exquisite polyphony, “he is not worthy to be called a man, and let him listen to the donkey screaming and the pig grunting” [* 3]. In addition, Luther wrote a preface (in German) in verse "Frau Musica" to a short poem by Johann Walther (1496-1570) "Lob und Preis der löblichen Kunst Musica" (Wittenberg, 1538), as well as a number of prefaces to songbooks of various publishers, published in 1524, 1528, 1542 and 1545, where he expounded his views on music as an extremely important, integral component of the renewed cult.

As part of the liturgical reform, he introduced the communal singing of strophic songs in German, later called the generalized Protestant chorale:

I also want us to have as many songs in their native language as possible for people to sing during Mass, immediately after the Gradual and after the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. For it is certain that in the beginning all men sang that which now only the choir [of clergy] sings. - formula missae

Presumably, since 1523, Luther took a direct part in compiling a new everyday repertoire, he himself composed poems (more often he recomposed church Latin and secular prototypes) and selected “decent” melodies for them, both authorial and anonymous, including from the repertoire of the Roman Catholic Church . For example, in the preface to a collection of songs for the burial of the dead (1542), he wrote:

For the sake of a good example, we have selected beautiful melodies and songs used under the papacy for all-night vigils, funeral masses and burials.<…>and printed some of them in this little book,<…>but they provided them with other texts in order to sing the article about the resurrection, and not purgatory with its torments and satisfaction for sins, in which the dead cannot rest and find peace. The chants and notes themselves [of the Catholics] are worth a lot, and it would be a pity if all this was wasted. However, non-Christian and absurd texts or words should go away.

The question of how great is Luther's personal contribution to music Protestant Church, has been repeatedly revised over the centuries and remains debatable. Some church songs written by Luther with the active participation of Johann Walter were included in the first collection of four-voice choral arrangements, The Book of Spiritual Chants (Wittenberg, 1524) [* 4]. In his preface (see the facsimile quoted)[* 5] Luther wrote:

The fact that the singing of spiritual songs is a good and godly deed is obvious to every Christian, because it is not only an example of the prophets and kings old testament(who praised God with songs and instrumental music, poetry and all kinds of stringed instruments), but the special custom of psalmody was known to all of Christianity from the very beginning.<…>So to begin with, to encourage those who can do it better, I, along with a few others [authors], have compiled some spiritual songs.<…>They are set to four voices[* 6] because I really wanted young people (who will have to learn music and other true arts one way or another) to have something with which they could put away love serenades and lustful songs (bul lieder und fleyschliche gesenge) and learn something useful instead of them, and, moreover, to combine the good with the pleasantness so desired by the young.

The chorales that tradition ascribes to Luther were included in other first collections of (monophonic) Protestant church songs, which were published in the same year 1524 in Nuremberg and Erfurt [* 7].

The most famous chorales composed by Luther himself are "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" ("Our Lord is a stronghold", composed between 1527 and 1529) and "Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her" ("I descend from the heights of heaven"; in In 1535 he composed poems, putting them under the Szpilman melody "Ich komm' aus fremden Landen her"; in 1539 he composed his own melody to accompany the poems). In total, Luther is now credited with composing about 30 chorales. Striving for simplicity and accessibility of worship, Luther established a new communal singing strictly diatonic, with a minimum chant (he used mainly syllabics) - as opposed to Gregorian chant, in which there is a lot of lush melismatics, requiring the professionalism of the singers. Mass and officium services (primarily Vespers with Magnificat), inherited from Catholics, were sung both in standard Latin texts and in German. At the same time, Luther abolished the funeral mass and other magnificent rituals that were practiced by Catholics in worship for the dead.

The most important works for understanding Luther's liturgical reform are the "Formula of the Mass" ("Formula missae", 1523) and "The German Mass" ("Deutsche Messe", 1525-1526). They give 2 liturgical forms (in Latin and German), which were not mutually exclusive: Latin chants could be combined with German choral within one service. Worship entirely in German was practiced in small towns and villages. In large cities with Latin schools and universities, a macaronic Protestant mass was the norm.

Luther did not object to the use of musical instruments in the church, especially the organ.

Luther in art

• "Luther" (Luther, USA-Canada, 1973)
• "Martin Luther" (Martin Luther, Germany, 1983)
• "Luther" (Luther; in the Russian box office "Passion for Luther", Germany, 2003). As Martin Luther - Joseph Fiennes

In a sketch by the British comedy troupe Monty Python, a character named Martin Luther was the head coach of the German football team, whose players represented other famous German philosophers.

The biography of Martin Luther served as the plot for the progressive rock musician Neil Morse's concept album Sola Scriptura.

Compositions

• Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516)
• 95 Theses on Indulgences (1517)
• To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (1520)
• On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
• Letter to Mülpfort (1520)
• Open letter to Pope Leo X (1520), 6 September.
• On the freedom of a Christian
• Against the accursed bull of the Antichrist
• On the Bondage of the Will (1525)
• Large and Small Catechism (1529)
• Letter of transfer (1530)
• Praise of Music (German translation) (1538)
• Of the Jews and Their Lies (1543)

Editions of Luther's writings

• Luther Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe. 65 bde. Weimar: Bohlau, 1883-1993 (the best edition of Luther's writings, considered normative by students of Luther's legacy).
• Luther's Work. American Edition. 55 vls. St. Louis, 1955-1986 (English translation of Luther's writings; unfinished edition).
• Luther M. The time of silence has passed. Selected works 1520-1526. - Kharkov, 1994.
• Luther M. Translation of the Bible. 1534. reissued 1935
• Luther M. Selected Works. - St. Petersburg, 1997.
• Luther M. 95 theses. - St. Petersburg: Rose of the World, 2002.
• Martin Luther - reformer, preacher, teacher / Olga Kurilo. - ROW. - 238 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-204-00098-4

Video

Luther - Luther (2003)

Martin Luther (1529)

Lucas Cranach. Hans and Margaret Luther

Luther in Worms: "On this I stand...".

Bugenhagen preaching at Luther's funeral

Martin Luther burns the bull. Woodcut, 1557

Preface by Martin Luther to the first collection of Protestant chant, the so-called "Wittenberg Songbook" (1524)

Autograph of Martin Luther's famous church song "Ein" feste Burg"

Martin Luther. Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder 1526

Postage stamp of the GDR

Name: Martin Luther

Date and place of birth: 1483, Ausleben, Saxony

Date and place of death: 1546, ibid.

Occupation: theologian, politician, initiator of the Reformation

A brief biography of the German theologian and publicist Martin Luther outlines the main facts from the life of the main opponent of the Catholic Church.

The beginning of the way

Martin Luther was born into a Saxon peasant family who was able to earn a small fortune. Having found work in a mine, and then, having moved to the city, Hans Luther sent Martin to a Catholic school (1497). After 4 years, the father defines Martin at the University of Erfurt.

In 1505, the future reformer received a master's degree in arts. He begins to study jurisprudence. However, unexpectedly for those around him, Luther leaves for the Augustinian monastery.

Monk from Erfurt

According to legend, such an act was caused by the confusion of the spirit, during a terrible thunderstorm. Having received the dignity, Martin becomes a teacher at the University of Wittenberg. He lectures and studies on his own at the same time, hoping to get a doctorate in theology. A trip to Rome caused a real shock for the stern German monk: he faced the depravity and greed of the fathers of the Catholic Church.

The Beginning of the Reformation

But even after returning from eternal city» Luther remains a follower of Catholicism. He believes in the possibility of an internal rebirth of the Roman Church, studies the Bible, and writes theological works. The turning point was the appearance of a pardoner in Wittenberg. The absolution of sins in specie moves Luther to publish the Theses. In them, the theologian openly opposes the existing canons of Catholicism.

Excommunication

95 abstracts travel all over Germany in a few weeks. Luther denounces the vices of the church, denies the infallibility of the Pope. In 1519, he was anathematized by the head of Catholicism, Pope Leo X. The rebellious monk burns a bull (a document announcing excommunication) and publishes an appeal to the German nobles. The fight against the Roman Church was declared by him to be the business of the entire German nation.

The German Emperor issues the Edict of Worms condemning Luther as a heretic. Luther is in danger of being killed by any zealous Catholic. The Elector of Saxony staged the kidnapping of a recalcitrant monk. Martin Luther takes refuge in the castle, where he spends a long time. In the shelter, he translates the Bible into German.

new era

However, Martin Luther's theses and speeches fell on fertile ground. The socio-economic development of Europe was hampered by the global dominance of the Catholic Church. Luther found a considerable number of followers and support from the bourgeoisie. The Reformation movement was picked up in many German states, and subsequently spread throughout Europe.

The renewal initiated by Luther split the united Roman church. This was the beginning of the era of capitalism. Protestants, for whom work and enrichment became "God's grace", gave impetus to the development of the exact sciences and entrepreneurship. And the European countries where new church occupied a dominant position, quickly became one of the leading world powers.

• Martin Luther was the first to put up a Christmas tree in his house;
• Adolf Hitler had sympathy for Luther: the National Socialists proclaimed the so-called Kristallnacht as Luther's birthday;
• He helped several nuns escape from the monastery, one of whom later became his wife;
• Together with Adenauer and Marx, according to polls, he was among the three great Germans;
• He made the Bible accessible for reading by translating it into German.

Martin Luther (German: Martin Luther). Born November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony - died February 18, 1546. Christian theologian, initiator of the Reformation, leading translator of the Bible into German. One of the directions of Protestantism is named after him.

Martin Luther was born into the family of Hans Luther (1459-1530), a former peasant who moved to Eisleben (Saxony) in the hope of a better life. There he took up mining in the copper mines. After the birth of Martin, the family moved to the mountain town of Mansfeld, where his father became a wealthy burgher.

In 1497, the parents sent the 14-year-old Martin to the Franciscan school in Marburg. At that time, Luther and his friends earned their bread by singing under the windows of the pious inhabitants.

In 1501, by decision of his parents, Luther entered the university in Erfurt. The fact is that in those days the burghers sought to give their sons a higher legal education. But he was preceded by a course in the Seven Liberal Arts.

In 1505, Luther received a master's degree in liberal arts and began to study jurisprudence. In the same period, against the will of his father, he entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt.

There are several explanations for this unexpected decision. One refers to the oppressed state of Luther as a result of "consciousness of his sinfulness." According to another, one day Luther was caught in a severe thunderstorm and was so frightened that he took a vow of monasticism. The third refers to the excessive severity of parental education, which Luther could not stand. The reason must be sought, apparently, in Luther's entourage and in the fermentation of minds that existed then in the burgher environment. Apparently, Luther's decision was to be influenced by his acquaintance with the members of the humanist circle.

Luther later wrote that his monastic life was very difficult. Nevertheless, he was an exemplary monk and carefully followed all the instructions. Luther entered the Augustinian order in Erfurt. The year before, John Staupitz, later a friend of Martin, had received the position of vicar of the Order.

In 1506, Luther took the monastic vows, and in 1507 he was ordained a priest.

In 1508 Luther was sent to teach at the new University of Wittenberg. There he first became acquainted with the works of Blessed Augustine. Among his students was, in particular, Erasmus Alberus. Luther taught and studied at the same time to earn his doctorate in theology.

In 1511, Luther was sent to Rome on business for the order. The trip made an indelible impression on the young theologian. It was there that he first encountered and saw firsthand the depravity of the Roman Catholic clergy.

In 1512 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Luther then took over as professor of theology in place of Staupitz.

Luther constantly felt himself in a state of suspension and incredible weakness in relation to God, and these experiences played a significant role in shaping his views.

In 1509, Luther taught a course on the "Sentences" of Peter Lombard, in 1513-1515 on the Psalms, 1515-1516 on the Epistle to the Romans, in 1516-1518 on the Epistles to the Galatians and the Hebrews. Luther was a painstaking student of the Bible, and in addition to his duties as a teacher, he was the caretaker of 11 monasteries and preached in the church.

Luther said that he was constantly in a state of feeling sin. Having experienced a spiritual crisis, Luther discovered for himself a different understanding of the Epistles of St. Paul. He wrote: "I understood that we receive divine righteousness as a consequence of faith in God itself and thanks to it, thus the merciful Lord justifies us by the consequence of faith itself." At this thought, Luther, as he said, felt that he was born again and through the open gates he entered into paradise.

The idea that a believer is justified by his faith in God's mercy was developed by Luther in 1515-1519.

On October 18, 1517, Pope Leo X issues a bull of absolution and the sale of indulgences in order to "Promote the construction of the church of St. Peter and the Salvation of the Souls of Christendom".

Luther bursts into criticism of the role of the church in salvation, which is expressed on October 31, 1517 in 95 theses.

The theses were also sent to the Bishop of Brandenburg and the Archbishop of Mainz. It is worth adding that there were protests against the papacy before. However, they were of a different nature. The humanist-led anti-indulgences approached the problem from a human point of view. Luther criticized dogmas, that is, the Christian aspect of teaching.

The rumor about the theses spreads with lightning speed and Luther is summoned to court in 1519 and, having softened, to the Leipzig dispute, where he appears, despite the fate of Jan Hus, and in the dispute expresses doubt about the righteousness and infallibility of the Catholic papacy. Then Pope Leo X anathematizes Luther; in 1520, Pietro of the House of Accolti drew up a curse bull (in 2008 it was announced that the Catholic Church plans to "rehabilitate" him). Luther publicly burns the papal bull Exsurge Domine excommunicating him from the church in the courtyard of the University of Wittenberg, and in his address “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation” declares that the fight against papal dominance is the business of the entire German nation.

Emperor Charles V summoned Luther to the Diet of Worms, where Luther showed great fortitude. He declared: “Since Your Majesty and you, sovereigns, wish to hear a simple answer, I will answer directly and simply. Unless I am convinced by the evidence of Holy Scripture and clear arguments of reason - for I do not recognize the authority of either popes or councils, since they contradict each other - my conscience is bound by the Word of God. I cannot and do not want to renounce anything, because it is not good and unsafe to act against conscience. God help me. Amen". In the most early editions his speech, the words were added: “I stand on this and cannot do otherwise,” although they are not in the notes made directly at the meeting of the Sejm.

Luther was released from Worms, according to the imperial safe-conduct, but a month later, in May 1521, the Edict of Worms followed, condemning Luther as a heretic. On the way back, Luther was captured at night by the knights of Elector Frederick of Saxony and hidden in the Wartburg castle; for some time he was considered dead. Luther hid in the castle from 1520 to 1521. There, the devil allegedly appears to him, but Luther (together with like-minded people) starts translating the Bible into German. Kaspar Kruziger, professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, helped him edit this translation.

In 1525, 42-year-old Luther ties the knot with 26-year-old former nun Katharina von Bora. They had six children in their marriage.

During the Peasants' War of 1524-1526, Luther sharply criticized the rebels, writing "Against the murderous and plundering hordes of peasants", where he called the massacre of the instigators of unrest a charitable deed.

In 1529, Luther draws up the Large and Small Catechisms, which were put at the forefront of the Book of Concord.

Luther did not participate in the work of the Augsburg Reichstag in 1530; the positions of the Protestants were represented by Melanchthon.

Luther repeatedly appeared in Jena. It is known that in March 1532 he stayed incognito at the Black Bear Hotel. Two years later he preached in the city church of St. Michael against staunch opponents of the reformation. After the founding of "Salan" in 1537, which later became a university, Luther received ample opportunity here to preach and call for the renewal of the church.

Luther's follower Georg Röhrer (1492-1557) edited Luther's works during his visits to the University and the library. As a result, Luther's Jena Bible was published, which is currently in the city's museum.

In 1546, Johann Friedrich I commissioned the master Heinrich Ziegler of Erfurt to make a statue for Luther's tomb in Wittenberg. It was supposed to use a wooden statue created by Lucas Cranach the Elder as the original. The existing bronze plaque ended up in storage at the Weimar castle for two decades. In 1571, the middle son of Johann Friedrich donated it to the university.

The last years of Luther's life were overshadowed by chronic ailments. He died at Eisleben on 18 February 1546.

The fundamental principles of achieving salvation according to Luther's teachings: sola fide, sola gratia et sola Scriptura (only faith, only grace and only Scripture).

Luther declared untenable the Catholic dogma that the church and the clergy are necessary mediators between God and man.

The only way to save a soul for a Christian is faith given to him directly by God (Gal. 3:11 “The righteous shall live by faith”, and also Eph. 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is the gift of God” ). Luther declared his rejection of the authority of papal decrees and epistles and called for the Bible, rather than the institutional church, to be regarded as the main source of Christian truth. The anthropological component of the teaching Luther formulated as "Christian freedom": the freedom of the soul does not depend on external circumstances, but solely on the will of God.

One of the central and popular provisions of Luther's views is the concept of "calling" (German: Berufung). In contrast to the Catholic teaching on the opposition of the worldly and the spiritual, Luther believed that God's grace is realized in the professional field in worldly life. God predestines people for this or that kind of activity, investing in them various talents or abilities, and it is the duty of a person to work diligently, fulfilling his calling. In the eyes of God there is no work noble or contemptible.

The concept of "calling" appears in Luther in the process of translating a fragment of the Bible into German (Sirach 11:20-21): "keep in your work (calling)".

The main purpose of the theses was to show that priests are not mediators between God and man, they should only guide the flock and be an example of true Christians. “Man saves his soul not through the Church, but through faith,” wrote Luther. He opposed the dogma of the divinity of the person of the pope, which was vividly demonstrated in Luther's discussion with the famous theologian Johann Eck in 1519.

Refuting the divinity of the pope, Luther referred to the Greek, that is, Orthodox, church, which is also considered Christian and dispenses with the pope and his unlimited powers. Luther affirmed the inerrancy of Holy Scripture, and questioned the authority of Holy Tradition and councils.

According to Luther, "the dead know nothing" (Eccl. 9:5). Calvin counters this in his first theological work, The Dream of Souls (1534).

According to Max Weber, the Lutheran preaching not only gave impetus to the Reformation, but served as a turning point in the birth of capitalism and defined the spirit of the New Age.

Luther also entered the history of German social thought as a cultural figure - as a reformer of education, language, and music. In 2003, according to the results of public opinion polls, Luther became the second great German in German history. He not only experienced the influence of the Renaissance culture, but in the interests of combating the "papists" sought to use folk culture and did a lot to develop it. Of great importance was Luther's translation into German of the Bible (1522-1542), in which he managed to establish the norms of a common German national language. In his last work, he was actively assisted by his devoted friend and colleague Johann-Kaspar Aquila.

Concerning Luther's anti-Semitism ("On the Jews and Their Lies") there are different points of view. Some believe that anti-Semitism was a personal position of Luther, which did not affect his theology in any way and was only an expression of the spirit of the times. Others, such as Daniel Gruber, call Luther a "holocaust theologian", believing that the private opinion of the founding father of the denomination could not but influence the minds of fledgling believers and could contribute to the spread of Nazism among the Lutherans of Germany.

At the beginning of his preaching activity, Luther was free from anti-Semitism. He even wrote in 1523 the pamphlet "Jesus Christ was born a Jew."

Luther condemned the Jews as carriers of Judaism for their denial of the Trinity, so he called for their expulsion and destruction of the synagogues, which subsequently aroused the sympathy of Hitler and his supporters. It is no coincidence that the Nazis designated the so-called Kristallnacht as a celebration of Luther's birthday.

Writings of Martin Luther:

Berleburg bible
Lectures on the Epistle to the Romans (1515-1516)
95 Theses on Indulgences (1517)
To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation (1520)
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520)
Letter to Mülpfort (1520)
Open letter to Pope Leo X (1520), 6 September.
On the freedom of a Christian
Against the accursed bull of the Antichrist
Speech at the Reichstag of Worms on 18 April 1521
On the Bondage of the Will (1525)
Large and Small Catechism (1529)
Letter of transfer (1530)
Praise of Music (German translation) (1538)
Of the Jews and Their Lies (1543)