Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses

by Martin Luther, Stephen J. Nichols (introduced and annotated)

To combat abuses in the church of his day, a young German monk drafted nearly one hundred propositions for public debate. Martin Luther posted these theses on the church door in Wittenberg, an action that helped to give birth to the Reformation.

Many people have heard of the Ninety-Five Theses , but few have read it. Yet it is a crucial text--a bold and stirring challenge to one of the largest political and ecclesiastical machines this world has ever seen. This complete reproduction includes an introduction and extensive annotations to explain the context and meaning of a short, simple work that changed the course of history.

Genres: Religion, History, Theology, Classics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Christianity

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1517

About the author

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a German monk, theologian, university professor and church reformer whose ideas inspired the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization.

Luther's theology challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the only infallible source of religious authority and that all baptized Christians under Jesus are a spiritual priesthood. According to Luther, salvation was a free gift of God, received only by true repentance and faith in Jesus as the Messiah, a faith given by God and unmediated by the church.

Luther's confrontation with Charles V at the Diet of Worms over freedom of conscience in 1521 and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor resulted in his being declared an outlaw of the state as he had been excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. Because of the perceived unity of the medieval Church with the secular rulers of western Europe, the widespread acceptance of Luther's doctrines and popular vindication of his thinking on individual liberties were both phenomenal and unprecedented.

His translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible to ordinary people, had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. It furthered the development of a standard version of the German language, added several principles to the art of translation, and influenced the translation of the English King James Bible. His hymns inspired the development of congregational singing within Christianity. His marriage to Katharina von Bora set a model for the practice of clerical marriage within Protestantism.

Much scholarly debate has concentrated on Luther's writings about the Jews. His statements that Jews' homes should be destroyed, their synagogues burned, money confiscated and liberty curtailed were revived and used in propaganda by the Nazis in 1933–45. As a result of this and his revolutionary theological views, his legacy remains controversial.

Reviews

[فؤاد · Rating 3 out of 5]

مارتین لوتر اصلاحگر بزرگ دینی، پانصد سال قبل، علیه مفاسد کلیسای کاتولیک شورید. از جمله این مفاسد، آن بود که کشیشان کاتولیک از مردم برای بازسازی اماکن مقدّس واتیکان اعانه جمع می کردند و در مقابل "آمرزش نامه"هایی به آن ها می دادند، مبنی بر این که این فرد به واسطۀ این اعانه از گناهان پاک شده، و به این ترتیب با پول می شد رستگاری خود و درگذشتگان را خرید. در چهار بند زیر (و بندهای دیگر) اعلامیه نود و پنج مادّه ای، مارتین لوتر با عبارات زیبایی علیه این آمرزش نامه ها موضع می گیرد و دین حقیقی را معرفی می کند.

۴۰ - گناهکاری که به راستی پشیمان شده، جویای مجازات گناهان خود است و عاشقانه تن به تاوان می دهد، در حالی که کثرت آمرزش نامه ها، وجدان افراد را تضعیف می کند.

۴۳ - به مسیحیان باید آموخت که کسی که به بینوایان کمک می کند یا به افراد نیازمند پول قرض می دهد، کارش بهتر از کار کسانی است که مبادرت به خرید آمرزش نامه ها می کنند.

۴۴- این بدان سبب است که عشق با کارهایی که از سر عشق صورت گرفته رشد می کند و آدمی فرد بهتری می شود، در حالی که با آمرزش نامه ها نه تنها فرد بهتری نمی شود، بلکه از مجازات اعمال خود می گریزد.

۴۵ - به مسیحیان باید آموخت که آن کس که نیازمندی را می بیند اما با بی اعتنایی از او می گذرد، اما برای آمرزش نامه پول می دهد، تنها خداوند را به غضب می آورد.

۶۷ - آمرزش نامه ها كه سوداگران آنها را به عنوان بزرگ ترين لطف ها مى ستايند، در واقع ابزارهاىی براى پول جمع كردنند.

۸۶ - از آنجا كه در آمد كنونى پاپ از ثروت ثروتمندترين افراد بيشتر است، چرا او نبايد اين كليساى سنت پيتر را به جاى پول مؤمنانِ مستمند، با پول خود بسازد؟




لینک ترجمه اعلامیه 95 ماده ای:
http://rasekhoon.net/article/show/186...

[C. Çevik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çevirisini kısa bir sürede yaptım, ancak konuyu ve metni uzun bir süre boyunca kafamda tartıştığımı söyleyebilirim. Hıristiyanlığın reform dönemi tarihin en ilginç olaylarına tanıklık etmiştir, eşi benzeri olmayan bir hareketliliktir. Reform dönemindeki tartışmalar sadece Hıristiyanlığın değil, seküler dünyanın birçok değer ve hükümleri üzerinde de etkili olmuştur. İç içe geçmiş olan, birbirleriyle çelişkili birçok fikir kimileyin benimsenmiş, kimileyin reddedilmiştir. Kalvin örneğinde olduğu gibi, Luther örneğinde de Hıristiyan bireyin özgürlüğü ilkelere dönmekle kalmıyor, insan doğasının kaçınılmaz bir niteliği olarak özgürlük esarete dönüşüyor. İkisi birbirinin doğal sonucudur.

Doksan Beş Tez'i okuyup değerlendirirken, Katolisizmin konformizmine dikkat edilmesini öneririm. Benim naçizane fikrim, insanlık tarihi konformizm tarihidir, her şey gibi dinleri de daha konforlu hale getirmeye çalışmışız ve çalışıyoruz, reform sürecinde de bunu görüyoruz, Katolisizmin temel ilkelerle çelişen endüljans gibi sonradan Kilise iktidarını perçinleyen uygulamalarına karşı çıkıp sadece Kutsal Kitap ve Tanrı'ya dönmeyi önermek başta batılı alt etmek anlamında mantıklı gelir, ancak ölüm gerçeğiyle yüzleşmekte zorluk çeken insanların terapi ihtiyacını karşılayan uygulamalarla dinin dinamizm kazandığını ve tarih boyunca dinsel dönüşümlerin bu şekilde gerçekleştiğini düşününce batıl ile temel ilkeler arasında tercih yapmanın zorluğu ortaya çıkar. Mühim bir açmaz. Ben çeviriyi yaparken, öncesinde ve sonrasında bu konuya odaklandım. Paylaşayım dedim.

İyi okumalar

[Alp Turgut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reformu başlatarak dünya tarihine yön veren Martin Luther’in "Doksan Beş Tez"ini okuyucuya sunması sebebiyle lütuf olarak tanımlayacağım eser kesinlikle okunması gereken yapıtlardan biri. Yozlaşan kiliselerin endüljans yani bağışlama yetkisiyle para kazanmaya başladığı bu dönemde defalarca susturulmaya çalışan Keşiş Luther’in düşüncelerini ortaya koyuş biçimine hayran kalmamak elde değil. Din adamı olmasına rağmen yapılan yanlışın önünde durarak kiliselerin geri adım atmasını sağlayan Luther’in yazdıkları 1500’lü yıllarda neler yaşandığına ışık tutarken günümüzde de aynı şeyleri yaşıyor olmamız sebebiyle okuyucu da şaşkınlık yaratıyor. Her edebiyat ve sanat severin mutlaka kitaplığında bulunması gereken eserlerden.

07.03.2018
İstanbul, Türkiye

Alp Turgut

http://www.filmdoktoru.com/kitap-labo...

[poorvi cowkur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Luther's 95 thesis was an outspoken opposition against the immoral activities of the Catholic Church. These were times when the Church was steeped in corruption and when innocent people's faith was exploited for money hoarding, all in the name of religion.The corruption of the Church merits a book of itself and I suggest you do some research of your own on the subject and my recommendation would be the 'Vicar Of Christ' by Walter F. Murphy, which is an amazing work on the history of the Catholic Church and the papacy.
In Luther's time salvation was promised to, not the penitent and devout, but to the rich and corrupt who could buy their way to heaven.The pope was the head of the canon law and exerted his dominion, not only on the living, but also reserved penitence to the dead and it was truly believed that getting pardon from the church could ensure one's salvation. Martin Luther opposes this view by stating that the dead are freed from all canonical laws and no one can enter heaven by letters of pardon, but rather, by belief in god and practicing good deeds.He urges the people to come back to the Gospels, the true word of god,and put their faith in Jesus Christ and not on the blessings and hollow pardons of the church.He cautions the people to be wary of the many corrupt practices and of the people who spread such talk and to find their strength in the word of God.
It is amazing to wonder what courage it took for Martin Luther to write these thesis in times when, even a single word against the pope or the Orthodox Church was considered blasphemous and punishable by death.This work sent shock-waves through the Church and posed a real threat to their core beliefs and practices.The Church knew that if people started following Luther, then their unquestionable belief in the Church would be challenged and this would put the Catholic Church in a very precarious position.It was to mark the beginning of a long ensuing battle between the Catholics and the Protestants.

[Baris Ozyurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"86. Yine, 'Niçin serveti, zengin Crassus'un servetinden daha büyük olan Papa, biricik Aziz Petrus Bazilikası'nı kendi parasıyla değil de, inançlı fakirlerin parasıyla inşa ediyor?' "(s.23)

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Din adamlarının içinde, din adı altında yapılan kokuşmuşlukları ilk çıkaranlardan birinin tezleri. Elbet okunması gereken çalışmalardan. Ne o zamanlarda ne de şimdi işe yarayacak ya da birilerinin bu kokuşmuş sistemi yıkmasına sebebiyet vermeyecek elbet. Fakat yine de bir ümit tadında, bazılarının bir şeyler için uğraştığını görmek adına eşsiz bir başlangıç.

[Laura Leilani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I was expecting. These thesis caused a schism in the church. They caused an ongoing bloodbath that went on for decades. This was huge! The nailing of these thesis were one of the monumental moments of civilization. I had pictured Martin Luther shouting and waving his hammer about as he nailed them to the door. I had pictured the thesis as:
1) Pope is a liar!
I expected each thesis to show biblically that the Catholic church was not based on the Bible.
but they were nothing like that. Not at all. I had to read them 4 times to be sure I was understanding what Luther was trying to say. I was shocked.

Luther's only beef was with the sale of indulgences. That's it. His arguments were common sense and not antagonistic towards the pope or the church. He seemed rather polite in his arguments. Such as how the pope would surely prefer you to do good works instead of buying indulgences. Give your money to the poor rather than to the pope, who is already rich. The pope would rather have your prayers than your money.

I was disappointed that Luther didn't really sock it to the corrupt church, but considering the after effects of these polite thesis, he was wise to keep it toned down.

What is scary/sad/ confusing is the great Sir Thomas More wrote a scathing rebuttal to these thesis. How is it possible to refute arguments like these?

[Fed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the statements that Martin included in his 95 affirmations puts it all in perspective; it is unbelievable the state of degradation in which the Catholic Church had fallen during those years. Clearly, from the statements that Martin wrote on his theses, the Catholic Church had become a business where salvation was a matter of money and power, and the Pope along with the entire clergy were corrupted. In fact, the C. Church, by playing on the ignorance of people, started requesting “gifts” for the remission of sins and for salvation, and of course, as one can imagine; the bigger the gift, the greater the pardon. - Completely the opposite of Jesus' teachings; salvation is free and gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I could go on all day talking about how the Catholic Church was corrupted, anti-biblical and anathema to the Truth. But, instead, I will leave it to other readers to form their own opinions regarding the Church at that time. However, I will say that having had the chance to study this historical period of time in depth from the European perspective, reading Martin’s words gave me a more complete picture of this Christian man who became a revolutionary for standing up for the truth.

History teaches us that many times corruption, hegemony and evil, continue to get worse until someone takes a stand against what is wrong. Martin did just that; he did not succumb to the corruption and power of the Church, but took a stand. I am sure that it would have been easier to comply with the Churches’ rules and be like everyone else. What a man of integrity!

It is thanks to individuals like Martin, and Rose Parks (1955) that we have certain freedoms in thought, speech, belief, and existence today, and we should not forget how blessed we are for that.

I would encourage all Christians to read these theses.

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Luther's 95 Theses was a hydrogen bomb hurled straight at the Papacy. Written right at the time that the Gutenberg printing press was enabling the massive dissemination of dangerous ideas, this short but incendiary argument against the abuses of the Church and its cynical hucksterism turned a minor theologian that Pope Leo once casually dismissed as a drunken German into a lightning rod revolutionary whose excommunication was guaranteed.

When Luther wrote it, the Church was spending the money of its parishioners on lavishness with the gusto of the later robber barons and Hollywood hedonists. The popes were sexing it up with similar elan. Church-sanctioned salesmen were rolling wagons from town to town hawking indulgences promising absolution as casually as selling ice cream.

Luther knew all this was a sham, and his 95 theses point-by-point laid out why. I'm not a fan of religion -- Christian Catholicism, Protestantism or otherwise -- or even a fan of Luther, per se, but the man was brave and his argument provocative, and its place in history is important enough to at least give a quick read.

(KevinR@Ky 2016)

[John Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

As mentioned in the introduction by Stephen Nichols, a lot of people reference and talk about this work but have not read it. Glad I finally did! Luther’s courage and passion for the gospel being the true treasure of the church is inspiring and reflects the true heart of a king within the courts of God’s house.

Though the work was written during an immature stage in his theology of church polity, and you could see other doctrines like purgatory that he clearly still clung to, it is encouraging to hear that he later corrected these errors in his later exposition of the Theses titled “Explanations.”

Christian, read the Ninety-Five Theses and uncover the treasure troves of the foundation of Protestantism, and be encouraged to have this spirit of Reformation as you live in your own context. Semper Reformanda!

[Brother Brandon]

Luther's main issue here is the indulgences or "letters of pardon". They are getting more attention than the Gospel in preaching, giving people false confidence in their salvation, wrongly attributing power to human church authorities that only God has, "giving" absolution without real contrition and discrediting the salvific work of Christ.

Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon. (#36)

Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon. (#37)

Christians are to be taught that the pope’s pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God (#49).

The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it (#52).

Interestingly, at least in this piece written in 1517, Luther doesn't really have any substantial denouncements for the papacy (although he hopes to show that their authority is tempered by God's authority). He also assumes that purgatory exists so that souls' "love would increase" (#17). In other words, Luther is unsurprisingly working reform inside the mediaeval Catholic social imaginary.

[John Gallagher]

Interesting that the Orthodox Church is in agreement with about 90 of Luther's 95 Theses. The only rejections come from Luther trying to adjust the doctrine of Purgatory, which is a belief, like all theological developments, that Orthodoxy never adopted to begin with.

In an alternate universe where Orthodoxy was the faith of the West, the Reformation never would have happened. The tension between Apostolic Succession and Gospel Truth wouldn't have existed. Luther would not have been forced to rationalize the failure of Christ’s promise to "guide the Church in all truth", nor would he have needed to redefine "the Church" as invisible and not a Christs physical body on earth in order to explain how 'the gates of hell' had not prevailed.

Still need to read more, obviously this is written while Luther is negatively addressing Catholicism with hope of reforming the church, rather than writing positively for the formation of a new Protestant doctrine that will re create the church after he deemed the ancient church dead. I'm sure he was aware of Orthodoxy in some sense and I want to find if or what he had to say about it.

[Connor Vizon]

In all my years as a follower of Christ going to both Catholic mass and Protestant services, it’s high time i finally read this in its entirety

“The Reformation wasn’t exactly a success in the fact that we haven’t had a unified church since then” -Pastor Thomas Nelson, like four hours ago

is what spurred the read, and he’s the first pastor that i’ve heard openly say that sentiment

[Efe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doksan Beş Tez, aslında bir kitap değil. Doksan beş cümle ya da paragraftan oluşan, birkaç sayfalık, çok kısa bir metin. Aynı yayınevinin başka eserleri için de belirttiğim üzere, kitap boyutuna eriştirmek için yapılan (Latince tam metin dahil) eklemelerle bir kitaba dönüştürülmüş. Google'dan aratarak bu yazıyı çok rahatlıkla bulup okuyabilirsiniz, ille de kitabı satın almanıza gerek yok.

Doksan beş tezin her biri, esasen her iki tarafça tartışmaya açılması istenen görüşlerden oluşuyor. Bir başka deyişle içinde bu tartışmalar yok, sadece tartışılacak konular var. Hal böyleyken bu kitabı okumak başlı başına bir anlam ifade etmiyor. Kaldı ki, temel bir kural olarak, eleştiriyi anlamak için eleştirilenin ne olduğunu önceden bilmek gerekiyor. Katolik uygulaması hakkında bilginiz yoksa bu kitap da size bir şey öğretmeyecektir. Çok çok "evet, endüljans dağıtmak akla aykırı bir şey zaten" diyebilirsiniz. Çevirmenin Martin Luther hakkında yazdığı önsöz, doksan beş tezin kendisinden daha öğretici. Sanırım bunu söylemem kafi gelecektir içerik hakkında.

[Katelyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin had good points. 🤔

[Jonathan]

Luther’s initial theses cut at an important tool of papal power—the papal indulgences. The church had the monopoly on the commodity of forgiveness, and its sale via indulgences was a significant source of revenue for the papacy. Luther marshals reasons against the legitimacy of indulgences by stressing the exclusivity of God’s ability to forgive (Theses 5, 6). The pope is not only powerless to forgive, Luther argued, but he is also powerless to grant assurance via letters of pardon, even though he were to “stake his soul upon it” (Thesis 52). Luther also argues that, in the case of indulgences purchased on behalf of souls already in purgatory, it cannot be known for certain whether they are actually penitent (Theses 10-20). Some, in fact might not want to be released from purgatory (Thesis 29)! People who assume they are forgiven because they have purchased indulgences, Luther asserts, are “condemned eternally, together with their teachers” (Thesis 32).
Another way in which Luther challenges papal power is by (rightly) attributing the sale of papal indulgences to the greed of the clerics, rather than to their genuine desire for souls to be forgiven of their sins (Thesis 27). Instead of receiving money to forgive people, the pope should instead intercede on their behalf (Theses 26, 48).
Luther further attacks papal power by setting up ethical expectations for him—expectations which he obviously did not fulfill. He stated that if the pope knew what the pardon-preachers were charging, he would sooner let St. Peter’s church burn to the ground then let this practice continue. It was clear to most that the pope’s priorities were not thus ordered. Perhaps most scathing is Luther’s question, “Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love?”

Luther does not question the belief in purgatory (Thesis 10, et al). He also takes for granted official positions of priesthood as men who are God’s vicars. Further, even at the height of his denunciation of the sale of indulgences, he inserts a concession that the “remission and participation which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised,” thereby granting legitimacy to these offices and their functions (Thesis 38). Luther’s reference to Mary as “the Mother of God” also smells strongly of Roman Catholicism.

The Theses were revolutionary in their day primarily because they directly and reasonably challenged the greatest religious force in the world. During a time in which tradition was elevated above the word of God, Luther heightens the importance of Scripture by railing against the practice of spending more sermon time on pardons than on actually preaching the Word (Thesis ). It is also likely that no one before had spoken so boldly about the rank materialism of the church, which valued money above the Gospel (Thesis 62-65).

The Theses were sufficient to spark the Protestant Reformation because they provided a publicly written rallying point for those who already felt the moral disgust and doctrinal disagreement with the Roman Catholic Church. It was a manifesto of sorts, providing a series of statements concerning how true Christians should believe and behave. The currents of history were already swirling toward this revolution; by publishing the points of difference, this document became the clear voice for the ideas and sentiments of the reformers.

[KC McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many know of Luther's 95 Theses, but few have read them. I decided to read them and I was shocked at how bold he was! Through this book, I learned about the history as to why Luther posted his theses and the impact that it made. He was remarkably bold.


These are some of my favorite: 3, 23, 24, 27, 28, 32, 43, 44, 45, 53, 54, 62, 86


My favorite:

Thesis 62

The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

[Fiction Aficionado · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource for those wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the document and the ideas that set the Reformation in motion. I knew the basic facts: Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, and he was protesting against certain practices and teachings that had arisen within the Catholic Church, such as indulgences and purgatory. This book has given me a greater understanding of the specifics, and in the words of Martin Luther himself, no less!

However it’s not only useful for its historical insight. The Bible itself says there is nothing new under the sun, and as I read through this book I was struck by the fact that, although Luther was addressing specific practices of the time, many of his supporting arguments are just as relevant to us today as they were to the church 500 years ago. What is true penitence? In what (or whom) do we place our hope—works or faith? The excerpts here often highlighted to me that we still share the same weaknesses and tendencies as those Luther originally addressed, even if they manifest in different ways in our modern world.

Each ‘chapter’ (one for each thesis point) is relatively short, so this is an ideal resource for those who are looking for something that can be taken in and digested in small bites. I actually think that is the more profitable way to read this as the translation, while eminently readable, is still scholarly in style, and the substance of Luther’s arguments is worth reflecting on.

The one thing I would say is that I would have preferred a more definite distinction between the words of each of Luther’s theses and the excerpts that followed. It took me a couple of chapters to realise that the first line in each chapter was actually the thesis point, and the text that followed was the excerpt taken from Luther’s other writings. However, that is a very minor detail. I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of why Luther felt it necessary to stand up to the church leaders of his day.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Alexis Kirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, umm…I’m not sure if this book made me more confused or not. 😆 I think it would have made more sense if I had read straight through all 95 theses instead of reading them as being isolated from all the others. I think it was good but the style of writing was extremely hard for me to comprehend and understand. (1500s writing is not the easiest thing to understand) I do think I got something out of it but I’m not sure what. Over all if you’re not used to reading anything from the 1500s I would suggest just reading the 95 theses themselves instead.

[Luke Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the bullet points, so easy to read and follow his thought process. I realize now why many considered this to be the spark that ignited the protestant reformation. A big chunk of it was condemning or challenging the practice of indulgences, but he also went after the pope several times. It was no doubt offensive to the papal authority, even though he did support some doctrine that he and the other reformers would later oppose.

[Jackson Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hallmark text of the Protestant Reformation is a searing criticism of Rome’s corruption and parsimony. Salvation is not to be attained through indulgence letters, but through Christ’s work on the cross. Semper Reformanda!

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

31 October 1517. A man would use a hammer and nail to post a paper on the side door of the Castle Church of Wittenberg, to alert the parish.

Penned in Latin as Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum (‘95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences’), his offering was intended to quick discussion within the Church.

But it struck a nerve.

Martin Luther was the name ….

When Luther nailed a sheet of paper to the church door of a small university town on 31 October 1517, he set off a progression that changed the Western world for ever.

Whether Luther used a nail or a pot of glue will probably never be known for sure, but it is certain that he sent the theses to Archbishop Albrecht, the most important churchman in all Germany, on 31 October.

The supplementary letter had a tone of outstanding self-confidence, even of egotism.

After an submissive opening, it utterly condemned the archbishop’s lack of care for his flock and threatened that if Albrecht did not take action, then ‘someone may rise and, by means of publications, silence those preachers’ who were selling indulgences which promised the buyers time off Purgatory.

Luther wrote a similar letter to his immediate superior, the bishop of Brandenburg, and, more than the posting of the theses in a backwater like Wittenberg, these letters were the provocation which ensured a response.

One of Luther’s talents, evident even then, was his ability to stage an event, to do something stunning that would get him noticed.

‘Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it,’ he began, ‘the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter.’ Then Luther proceeded to list his 95 theses, one by one.

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance…’

His ideas spread like wildfire.

His attack on the Church soon convulsed Germany, divided Europe and polarised people’s beliefs. His opinions triggered decades of religious persecution, social unrest and war. And in the long run, his ideas paradoxically helped break the grip of religion in every sphere of life.

His litany attacked officials at all levels of the Catholic Church, alleging a stew of clerical corruption and abuses that included nepotism, usury and the sale of indulgences (defined by the Church as ‘remissions of temporal punishment, especially purgatorial atonement, due for sins after absolution’).

It also questioned some core Catholic practices and beliefs.

Luther sent copies of his thesis to his bishop and the archbishop who was in charge of the indulgence sales. The fact that many Church officials had resorted to selling indulgences as a means of obtaining financial support made it a touchy subject for anyone to raise, even indirectly.

Luther brazenly alleged that the practice violated the original intention of confession and penance, and rattled off other embarrassing criticisms as well.

Within a few months his diatribe was being translated into a number of languages and circulated across Europe. Luther’s document sparked the schism within Western Christianity that became known as the Protestant Reformation

But the man who started the Reformation was deeply flawed. He was a religious fundamentalist, a Jew-hater and a political reactionary.

He was a fervent believer who was tormented by doubt, a brilliant writer who shaped the German language and a vicious and foul-mouthed polemicist.

He was a married ex-monk who liberated sexuality from the disgrace of peccadillo, but also a man who insisted that women should know their place.

For him the Devil was not just a figure of speech but a very real and physical presence.

For Protestants this document is almost an article of faith that the Reformation began when Martin Luther, the shy monk, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517, the eve of All Saints’ Day, and set in motion a religious revolution that shattered Western Christendom.

For Luther’s closest collaborator Philipp Melanchthon, to whom we owe the trenchant description of the event, the posting of the theses advanced the restoration of the ‘light of the gospel’. Luther himself liked to celebrate the moment as the beginning of the Reformation, and drank a toast to it with friends later in life.

One of the most important pieces of paper ever to be written by man!!

[Roberto · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Enough has been said previously about cross and punishments. Rarely do you hear a sermon about it today."

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When I first have read the "95 Theses...", which looked like a theological pamphlet, it reminded me of the glossed mottos of the early Iberic medieval literature. It seemed that at least some of those 95 mottos should, somehow, be developed ("glossed") in a more comprehensive and didact way. It must have also occurred to Luther, who, by the end of 1518 (just one year after the publication of the Theses), wrote these Explanations in answer to he being summoned to Rome.

Although this book have intended to clarify his theological views, in any moment it appears to be an apology for his previously stated opinions. Luther makes sure that his point of view is well-fundamented, displaying his extensive knowledge about both the Holy Book and of the Church's canon and history. Sadly, his argumentative style is somewhat repetitive, exhaustive and it looks like, by the half of the book, that even him is tired of insisting in those few nevralgic points of the Indulgences.

[Illiterate · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only of historical interest. (The Reformation and Counter Reformation were ignorant, intolerant, cruel.)

[Kadir Kılıç · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Luther'in Doksan Beş Tez'ini okudum. Reform Hareketi'nin nasıl doğduğunu ve Martin Luther'i uzun bir süredir merak ediyordum, Martin Luther'in tezlerinin yer aldığı bu kitabın dilimize çevrildiğini öğrenince merak ettiğim şeyleri öğrenmek için bundan daha iyi bir kaynak olmayacağını düşünerek bu kitabı okudum.

Kitabın başında aynı zamanda kitabın çevirmeni de olan Cengiz hocanın yazdığı bir önsöz yer alıyor. Bu önsözde Luther'in ve Reform Hareketi'nin geçmişi kısaca özetlenmiş, buradaki bilgiler bu konular hakkında hiçbir şey bilmeyen birisinin bile kitabı rahatça okuyup anlayabilmesi için hazırlandığından oldukça doyurucuydu.

Tezleri okuduktan sonra bu tezlerin halk tarafından okunması amacıyla kilise kapısına çivilendiği anlatısının ne kadar gerçekten uzak olduğu anlaşılıyor; çünkü tezler akademik bir dille ve Latince olarak yazılmış. Eğer Luther halkın okumasını isteseydi hem Almanca olarak kaleme alırdı hem de halkın anlayabileceği bir seviyede yazardı tezlerini. Buradan Luther'in ilk etapta bir devrim gibi bir şey yapmaya çalışmadığını ve kilisedeki sorunların kilise içinde çözülmesine inandığı sonucunu çıkarabiliriz.

Tezlerin halk tarafından anlaşılamayacağından bahsettim; ama bu kitapta anlaşılması güç kısımlar sonnotta açıklandığı için bizlerin tezleri anlamamak gibi bir sıkıntımız söz konusu değil.

Kitabın çevirisinde ve editörlüğünde herhangi bir sıkıntı yoktu. Ayrıca kitapta orjinal metne de yer verilmesi çok güzel olmuş.

[Skylar Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose it was about time I finally read this. Short, interesting, and to the point. (It did have to fit on a door, after all.) I was surprised to find that, although Luther was concerned with indulgence dealers swindling people out of their money, he was even more concerned with ordinary Christians believing they could get off so easily: “True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated…Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell; and thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.” It seems that the problem for Luther wasn’t so much that priests were benefitting financially from the common man’s fear of purgatory, as that they weren’t putting enough fear of purgatory into the common man.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise little 12-page booklet containing Luther's 95 bullet-points preaching against particular facets of the catholic church. Namely, paying money to the church to not only absolve you of your sins, but also to give the pope certain powers such as the ability to reduce your time spent in purgatory.
It should be noted that the pope as well as the church used this scam as a fund-raiser to renovate St. Peter's Basilica.
Truth be told, this read is only so-so for me, but I posthumously give Luther an extra star for publicly standing up to a bunch of scam artists.
By the way, I know during this era in history we were just getting of the middle ages, but still, how stupid could people have been to believe this?

[Joseph Inzirillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for something that gave me insight into Lutheranism. What I have here is a rant. The rant may have valid reasoning, especially for the time, for the misuse of the church and specifically the actions of the Pope. Luther was an interesting man as far as I can see and believed adamantly in change.

Still, I will have to read the Book of Concord to really get a better understanding of his version of the church.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite frankly, should be read to help form your own view on what you believe.

IT's also an important historical piece.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of it is light-touch Popery, but it is still an interesting read. The editor provides a useful introduction and has some good explanatory notes.