Luther and the Protestant Reformation: Crash Course World History #218

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In which John Green teaches you about the Protestant Reformation. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, pretty much everyone in Europe was a Roman Catholic. Not to get all “great man,” but Martin Luther changed all that. Martin Luther didn’t like the corruption he saw in the church, especially the sale of indulgences, so he left the church and started his own. And it caught on! And it really did kind of change the world. The changes increased literacy and education, and some even say the Protestant Reformation was the beginning of Capitalism in Europe.

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25 Comments

  1. Myth 7: A person used to be able to buy indulgences.

    One never could “buy” indulgences. The financial scandal surrounding indulgences that gave Martin Luther an excuse for his heterodoxy, involved indulgences in which the giving of alms to some charitable fund or foundation was used as the occasion to grant the indulgence. There was no outright selling of indulgences. The Catholic Encyclopedia states: “Among the good works which might be encouraged by being made the condition of an indulgence, almsgiving would naturally hold a conspicuous place. . . . To give money to God or to the poor is a praiseworthy act, and, when it is done from right motives, it will surely not go unrewarded.”

    Being able to explain these seven myths will be a large step in helping others to understand indulgences. But, there are still questions to be asked:

  2. 0:05 Even atheists should appreciate Luther, or rather the knock-on effects of his movement. He drastically weakened the Catholic church which would have put up far more resistance to the subsequent centuries of enlightenment had the reformation not taken place. It's possible that atheists would have had to wait another few centuries to be smug without fear of repercussions!

  3. Most historians have Luther traveling (on foot) to Rome in 1510 or 1511, not 1505. He went with another more senior member of the Augustinian monastery to handle some local church business.

  4. 1) Catholicism, "dominant" i.e. the only Christians other than heretics since the first century, not the fourth. 2) church owned 1/3 of the land – yes, and generously allowed tenant farmers to tend the land and make a living. 3) if the line "the just shall live by faith" is in the Bible, why is it quoted from Bainton? 4) agreed Tetzel was incorrect 5) agreed, it's not clear if Luther actually nailed the 95 theses to the church door 6) the priesthood of all believers is solid Catholic teaching, but it does not mean the same kind of priesthood conferred in priestly ordination 7) completely skipped over the concept that the German princes wanted to grab the Church-owned property for themselves – the main reason for Luther's staying power. GTG

  5. on the way to the fourth gradeWould it be a second or third class book No way or now a president is in place my oldie stands still please don't be fooled all the books say She came so we did not hear not !

  6. The official title of the Pope of Rome is VICARIUS FILII DEI,(the man who stands in the place of GOD's son,)each letter has a numeric value & it totals=666…ITALIKA EKKLESIA,(ITALIAN CHURCH,)IN GREEK IS=666…LATEINOS,(LATIN SPEAKING MAN OR CHURCH,)IN GREEK IS=666…& ROMITI,(THE ROMAN MAN,)IN HEBREW IS=666…SO LUTHER & ALL OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS WERE RIGHT…

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