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Luther at the Diet of Worms, by Anton
von Werner, 1877
The Diet of Worms 1521 (German:
Reichstag zu Worms, [ˈʁaɪçstaːk tsuː ˈvɔɐms]) was an imperial diet
(assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire held at the Heylshof Garden in Worms,
then an Imperial Free City of the Empire. An imperial
diet was a formal deliberative assembly of the whole Empire. This one is most
memorable for the Edict of Worms (Wormser Edikt), which addressed
Martin
Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation. It was conducted
from 28 January to 26 May 1521, with the Emperor Charles V presiding.
Other imperial diets took place at Worms in the
years 829, 926, 1076, 1122, 1495, and 1545, but unless plainly qualified,
the term "Diet of Worms" usually refers to the assembly of 1521.
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The Ninety-five Theses or Disputation
on the Power of Indulgences are a list of propositions for an academic disputation
written in 1517 by Martin Luther, professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany, that
started the Reformation, a schism in the Catholic
Church which profoundly changed Europe. They advance Luther's positions
against what he saw as abusive practices by preachers selling plenary indulgences,
which were certificates believed to reduce the temporal punishment for sins committed by the purchasers themselves
or their loved ones in purgatory. In the Theses, Luther claimed that the repentance required by Christ in order
for sins to be forgiven involves inner spiritual repentance rather than merely
external sacramental confession. He argued that
indulgences led Christians to avoid true repentance and sorrow for sin,
believing that they can forgo it by purchasing an indulgence. They also,
according to Luther, discourage Christians from giving to the poor and
performing other acts of mercy, believing that indulgence certificates were
more spiritually valuable. Though Luther claimed that his positions on
indulgences accorded with those of the pope,
the Theses challenge a fourteenth-century papal bull
stating that the pope could use the treasury
of merit and the good deeds of past saints to forgive temporal punishment
for sins. The Theses are framed as propositions to be argued in debate
rather than necessarily representing Luther's opinions, but Luther later
clarified his views in the Explanations of the Disputation Concerning the
Value of Indulgences.
Luther sent the Theses enclosed with a
letter to Albert of Brandenburg, the Archbishop of Mainz, on 31 October 1517, a date
now considered the start of the Reformation and commemorated annually as Reformation
Day. Luther may have also posted the Theses on the door of All Saints' Church and other
churches in Wittenberg in accordance with University custom on 31 October or in
mid-November. The Theses were quickly reprinted, translated, and
distributed throughout Germany and Europe. They initiated a pamphlet
war with indulgence preacher Johann
Tetzel, which spread Luther's fame even further. Luther's ecclesiastical
superiors had him tried for heresy, which culminated in his excommunication in 1521. Though
the Theses were the start of the Reformation, Luther did not consider
indulgences to be as important as other theological matters which would divide
the church, such as justification by faith and the bondage of the will. His breakthrough on
these issues would come later, and he did not see the writing of the Theses
as the point at which his beliefs diverged from those of Rome.
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5 Common
Misconceptions of Reformation Day
by
*Editor’s
Note: This is a guest contribution from Tim LeCroy who blogs at pastortimlecroy.com.
For
many people the date October 31 is significant not only for being the Eve of
All Saints (All Hallows Eve, Halloween) but as the day in 1517 when Martin
Luther nailed his 95 theses
to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenburg. These theses were a list of arguments against the abuses
of the papacy as it was in the early 16th century, largely centering on the
sale of indulgences by the Roman Church. The 95 theses were quickly copied and distributed
with the emerging printing press, and soon became a manifesto of sorts for the
reform of the church in Europe.
to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenburg. These theses were a list of arguments against the abuses
of the papacy as it was in the early 16th century, largely centering on the
sale of indulgences by the Roman Church. The 95 theses were quickly copied and distributed
with the emerging printing press, and soon became a manifesto of sorts for the
reform of the church in Europe.
The
500th anniversary of this event is quickly approaching.
Because
of this many people are talking about the Reformation and interest in
Reformation events and theologies is swelling. Along with this interest and
discussion comes several of the myths or misconceptions about the Reformation
that have been perpetuated over the years.
As
a historical theologian I am not only interested in these misconceptions for
accuracy’s sake (though I do care about accuracy) but also because I believe
that holding to faulty conceptions about the Reformation does harm to the
actual intentions and aims of the Protestant Reformers.
For
this reason, I am going to briefly address 5 of these misconceptions and
discuss why correcting them is important.
1. Nailing the 95 Theses
to the Church Door Was an Act of Protest
We
have likely seen the images.
The
defiant young Luther in his billowing monastic robes, brandishing his hammer,
brazenly nailing his protest to the door of the institution that he was fed up
with. But this isn’t what happened.
By
late 1517 Luther certainly had issues with the Church, and especially with the
sale of indulgences that was being preached in German lands by Tetzel, but his
theology of justification was not yet fully formed and he had no intention yet
of starting off a firestorm of reformation. What he did want to do was start a
local theological reform emanating from the university he taught at along the
lines of what he was reading in the writings of Augustine.
So
when he nailed his theses to the door, he was instigating a formal academic
theological discussion, or disputatio
(disputation). He nailed it to the door of the church because that’s where you
put notices. It was like a bulletin board. He was calling for an academic
exercise, not necessarily trying to kick off a widespread church reform, even
if God eventually used it for that end.
Why
does this matter?
For
one it helps us to see just how hungry the entire continent was for reform.
Luther’s theses happened to hit a nerve. They went viral. But often, just like
today, things go viral that we wouldn’t expect or could foresee. Who would
think that a syllabus posted on an academic bulletin board would be what God
would use to start the reform?
But
that’s what happened. It wasn’t the first university that God used to reform
the church, and it wouldn’t be the last.
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Luther at the Diet of Worms, by Anton
von Werner, 1877
The Diet of Worms 1521 (German:
Reichstag zu Worms, [ˈʁaɪçstaːk tsuː ˈvɔɐms]) was an imperial diet
(assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire held at the Heylshof Garden in Worms,
then an Imperial Free City of the Empire. An imperial
diet was a formal deliberative assembly of the whole Empire. This one is most
memorable for the Edict of Worms (Wormser Edikt), which addressed
Martin
Luther and the effects of the Protestant Reformation. It was conducted
from 28 January to 26 May 1521, with the Emperor Charles V presiding.
Other imperial diets took place at Worms in the
years 829, 926, 1076, 1122, 1495, and 1545, but unless plainly qualified,
the term "Diet of Worms" usually refers to the assembly of 1521.
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2. That the Reformation
Commenced Immediately After the Nailing
First
of all, the Reformation was already underway!
Zwingli
had already been preaching the gospel and reforming the church for several
years before he heard of Luther. And for Luther, it would take 3 or 4 years
before his ideas were fully formed and he started calling for widespread reform
in his writings and subsequently began receiving condemnation for them by papal
opponents. No one woke up on All Saints Day in 1517 thinking that the
Reformation had started. One could argue that a more significant date for the
beginning of the Reformation would be the Diet of Worms in 1521 and Luther’s
subsequent exile. Before that, things were largely academic. After the Diet,
things got real. But whatever moment we choose, the nailing of the theses has
been invested with meaning well beyond warrant.
Why
does this matter?
It
matters for a number of reasons.
First
of all, it leads us to discount the reforming movements that were started by
earlier leaders like John Wycliffe (14th c.) and Jan Hus (15th c.). It also
leads us to neglect the fact that the Reformation was a widespread grassroots
movement that would have likely happened independent of Luther.
Furthermore,
Luther’s ideas were not even fully formed in 1517, as you can see for yourself
by reading his early treatises on the sacraments. The real call for reform by
Luther begins in 1520 and takes off in 1521 after his exile.
Before
this, not much reform had really taken place. Liturgical reforms didn’t take
place until 1523. Luther was still living as a monk in 1524, and didn’t marry
until 1525. Zwingli had already beaten him to that by a year.
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We honor the Reformers, but our confidence is
not in them. Our confidence is in Christ. —R.C. Sproul
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3. That Luther Was the
First Reformer
I’ve
kind of already busted this myth. Luther was not the first or only reformer of
the Church.
Reform
has always been a key element of church life going well back to the first
millennium. Ambrose (4th c.) and Augustine (5th c.) were reformers. Benedict
(6th c.) and Gregory the Great (7th c.) were reformers. The Carolingians
(8th-9th c.) were reformers. Bernard of Clairvaux (12th c.) was a reformer.
Gregory VII (11th c.) , Innocent III (13th c.) and St. Francis of Assisi (13th
c.) were all reformers. They all faced significant issues in the Church that
need to change and they addressed them through a combination of moral,
missional, theological, and ecclesiological reforms.
But
even closer to the time of Luther, he wasn’t the first or only. John Wycliffe
had been writing about similar issues in England from the 14th century. Jan
Huss had a very similiar program of reform in Prague in the 15th century. Ulrich
Zwingli was already at work in the Swiss Churches and Martin Bucer in the
Western German churches.
Luther
stands in as one of these great reformers, and while the most influential and
important, he was by no means the first or the only.
Why
does this matter?
Again,
we do ourselves a disservice in our appreciation and study of the Reformation
if we do not also heed the events and theologies of the other reformers. Luther
was building on Augustine. Hus was building on Wycliffe. Bucer had heard Luther
speak, but was already well on his way. Zwingli was spurred on through study of
Augustine and of the Bible. We need to both give credit to all these reformers
and study their ways and means. It will help us in our modern day need to
continue reforming the church and to address the issues of our day.
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The Reformers
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4. That Luther Did it All
on His Own
Luther
was a towering personality. And he was a great theologian and leader. But he
needed lots of help along the way.
We
might tend to think that it was the merit of his message that caused his
success and the success of the Reformation, but that would again be a
misconception.
There’s
little separating the teachings and reforming actions of Hus and Luther. Yet
the reason why Luther succeeded when Hus didn’t was that Luther had strong
military and political support from his local rulers. Frederick of Saxony was
interested in humanism and church reform from the 1480s. He founded the
University of Wittenberg to that end and invited Luther and Melancthon to come
teach there. When Luther was under threat from his excommunication, Frederick
hid Luther and protected his life during his exile. He funded Luther’s
translation of the New Testament into German. He and other German princes
continued to support his reforms and caused them to be able to take place. The
German Reformation probably doesn’t take place, at least as we know it, without
Frederick of Saxony.
The
same can be said of Zwingli in Zurich, Cranmer in England, Knox in Scotland,
and Calvin in Geneva. Without the support of their local rulers, none of it
ever happens.
Hus
was burned at the stake and his reform was quashed because of a lack of
political support. By God’s providence Luther got what Hus didn’t. But we
shouldn’t think that Luther was a better man because he succeeded. He got by
with a lot of help from his friends.
Why
does this matter?
This
helps us see the grassroots nature of the Reformation. It was a groundswell,
bottom up movement. The papacy was incapable at the time of reforming even
though there had been calls to reform for over 100 years. The leadership was
corrupt. Luther in many ways served as a mascot and leader for the Reform, but
it would not have happened without the enthusiastic support of so many.
When
the leadership is against you and threatening you with death, it shifts the
movement underground. But underground movements can be the most powerful. As
soon as you forbid something, everyone wants to have it. That’s what happened
during the Reformation.
This
is also why Calvin addressed King Francis of France with his prefatory address
in his Institutes. It may not make much
sense to us now because of our strict separation between church and state, but
Calvin knew if he could gain the King of France as a convert, the church in
France could be reformed.
. It may not make much
sense to us now because of our strict separation between church and state, but
Calvin knew if he could gain the King of France as a convert, the church in
France could be reformed.
In
fact, the only places where the Reformation flourished were places where local
rulers supported it in some way. Governments can have a major effect on the flourishing
or suppressing of the faith.
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Imagine going to church and never hearing the
gospel. That’s why the Reformation’s a big deal. —Stephen Nichols
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5. That the Reformers
Intended to Split From the Catholic Church
This
is the most important and often most misunderstood aspect of the Reformation.
The
Protestant Reformers, Luther included, wanted to reform the Church, not split
from the church.
That
means that they wanted to remain Catholic and reform the Catholic Church. This
was their goal at the outset and remained the goal well into the 16th century.
Even Calvin holds out hope for a general council that would meet to reform and
reunify the church. There were many who hoped that Trent would be that council,
but alas, it was not able to be that. Its hardline approach drove a wedge
between them and the Protesting churches, and still functions as a dividing
wall to this day.
Furthermore,
we should not see it as the Protestants splitting from the Catholic Church and
forming a new church, with the old church remaining being the Catholic Church.
Rather,
we should see both the Protestant and the Roman Catholic traditions as heirs of
the Western Catholic church, both having formerly been a part of it and split
from it by dividing from each other. The Reformers argued this extensively, and
they did not shy away from calling themselves “Catholic.”
The
Reformation was very local. In local areas (cities, regions, countries) it
wasn’t as if the local churches split and some of them were now protestant. No,
in local areas, all the churches continued on as they had for 1,000 years. Some
were reformed according to the tenets of the Protestant Reformation. Others
were reformed according to the program that Trent laid down. Regardless, both
church traditions, Protestant and Roman Catholic, are properly heirs of the
Catholic Church.
Why does this matter?
It
matters because Protestant churches need to see themselves as the heirs of the
Ancient and Medieval Church.
When
we look back in history, we need to understand that it is “us” that we are
reading about, not somebody else. Augustine belongs to “us” as much as he
belongs to Roman Catholics. Francis belongs to “us”. Anselm, Bonaventure, and
Thomas belong to us. That’s our family and our tradition. We need to realize
that and reacquaint ourselves with the riches of the theological tradition that
is ours. The Protestant Reformers did not reject the past.
Luther
engaged to reform the German church according to the Bible and the teachings of
Augustine. Calvin loved Augustine and greatly appreciated Bernard, Anselm, and
Chrysostom. The Reformation was not a rejection of the past, but actually a
return to the truth of the early traditions of the Church. Ad fontes (to the sources),
meant not only to go back to the Bible, but to return to the Church Fathers.
As
Protestants, we need to hear this. We need to embrace our rich family story. We
need to sit at the feet of our Fathers and Mothers.
We
are the Catholic Church.
Tim LeCroy is Lead Pastor of Christ Our King
Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Columbia, MO and teaches Ancient and Medieval
Church History at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He has a PhD in
Historical Theology from Saint Louis University and has works published on the
Church Fathers and Medieval Theology. He is husband to Rachel and father of two
little girls. He blogs at pastortimlecroy.com.
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