Indulgences, the Tetzel Mission, and the Ninety-Five Theses
The sale of indulgences had become a routine method for raising church funds.
Johann Tetzel’s indulgence campaign in 1517 used aggressive marketing, claiming indulgences could free souls from purgatory.
Luther objected not only to the corruption of indulgence sales but also to the underlying theology, since it implied salvation could be bought.
On 31 October 1517, Luther published the Ninety-Five Theses in Wittenberg, which quickly spread across Europe due to the printing press.
The Theses were intended as an academic debate but became a manifesto for reform.
Luther said the pope had no real power over purgatory. If he actually did, then why wouldn’t he just let everyone out out of kindness, instead of charging people money for it?
Response from the Church
In 1520, Pope Leo X issued the bull Exsurge Domine, threatening Luther with excommunication if he did not recant.
Luther publicly burned the papal bull, an act of defiance that marked his break from Rome.
In 1521, Charles V summoned Luther to the Diet of Worms, where he refused to recant unless convinced by Scripture and reason.
The Edict of Worms declared Luther an outlaw, but he was protected by Frederick the Wise, allowing his ideas to survive and grow.
Charles V, distracted by wars against France and the Ottomans, was unable to crush the movement decisively.
The Diet of Worms was an imperial assembly, or "diet," held in 1521 in the city of Worms, Germany, during which Holy Roman Emperor Charles V demanded that Martin Luther recant his writings. Luther refused to disavow his beliefs, leading to his excommunication from the Catholic Church and a pivotal moment for the Protestant Reformation.
Luther’s Three Critical Tracts (1520)
Unlock the rest of this chapter with aFreeaccount
Nice try, unfortunately this paywall isn't as easy to bypass as you think. Want to help devleop the site? Join the team at https://revisiondojo.com/join-us. exercitation voluptate cillum ullamco excepteur sint officia do tempor Lorem irure minim Lorem elit id voluptate reprehenderit voluptate laboris in nostrud qui non Lorem nostrud laborum culpa sit occaecat reprehenderit
Definition
Paywall
(on a website) an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site.
anim nostrud sit dolore minim proident quis fugiat velit et eiusmod nulla quis nulla mollit dolor sunt culpa aliqua
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Note
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam quis nostrud exercitation.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident
Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.
Tip
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum.
End of article
Want a cheatsheet?
View a summary cheatsheet for Section 6: Aspects of the Reformation (c1500–1563)
Flashcards
Remember key concepts with flashcards
20 flashcards
What was the routine method for raising church funds?
Lesson
Recap your knowledge with an interactive lesson
8 minute activity
Note
The sale of indulgences was a controversial practice in the Catholic Church during the early 16th century. Indulgences were essentially certificates that promised the reduction of punishment for sins, either for the purchaser or their loved ones in purgatory.
The Church used indulgences as a major source of income, funding projects like the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar, became infamous for his aggressive sales tactics, claiming that indulgences could free souls from purgatory
Many people believed that buying indulgences was a way to secure their salvation
Analogy
Think of indulgences like a 'get out of jail free' card in Monopoly, but instead of a game, it was about reducing time in purgatory.
Example
Tetzel's famous slogan was: 'As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs.'