The Ideology of Luther Essays

The Ideology of Luther Essays The Ideology of Luther Essay The Ideology of Luther Essay There was widespread support for Luthers ideas in Germany because they appealed to all the classes, highlighting current weaknesses of the church that had been abhorred for years and developing complaints already noted by other dissidents. But more than that they proposed a change, a reform, which at the time was embraced with an enthusiasm, which could only have been because of a desire for change from the laity and a desire for economic and political gain from the Princes. Initially Luthers95 Thesis was not an attempt to rouse the people into a revolt, but to prompt an academic debate. However because of the provocative nature of the Thesis it attracted the attention of the German people who were well aware of the Churchs deficiencies. The increasingly literate middle class criticized Church doctrines and relics, anti-clericalism among the peasants were concerned with tithe and taxes (it is important to note here that because of The Holy Roman Empires lack of a central authority in Germany taxes to the Church were significantly higher than anywhere else) and the Princes resented the amount of land and power the Church and monasteries had in their provinces. The growing grievances felt by the people of Germany supplied Luther with an eager audience, so by 1518 Luthers Thesis had been translated into German, from the original Latin, and spread throughout Germany and Europe. The meeting at Augsburg in 1518 and the debate with Johannes Eck in 1519 only served to increase Luthers notoriety among the people of Germany and to cement Luthers belief in the misguided actions of the Catholic Church. One of the main reasons Luthers work was able to become popular across Germany in such a short space of time was the invention of the printing press in 1440. This led to a popularity of spiritual works and humanists were at the forefront of popular reading,Enchiridio