Eric Bennion

Lolene Blake (HIST 1100)

10/24/2014
Document Analysis Essay
During the 16th century, Europe was controlled by the Roman Catholic Church. The
church established its power early on in Common Era, and has since continued, to remain a
major religion in the world today. It is widely accepted that the height of the Roman Catholic
Churchs influence over the people of Europe was during the Dark Ages, a span of history that
lasted almost ten centuries, (500-1400). In order for there to be a societal change to this strong
tradition of Roman Catholicism, a drastic and new way of thinking had to take place. The
Renaissance marked this change, with humanists like Leonardo Di Vinci, Michelangelo, and
many others, that were courageous enough to challenge the social norm, and express
themselves in a way no one attempted to do since the fall of the Roman Empire. During the
Renaissance, people began to realize that there was more to life than simply waiting to die and
go to heaven, and this change in thinking would re-shape society, and eventually lead to the
Protestant Reformation, headed by a Catholic monk in Germany. Martin Luther, because of
events that took place during the Renaissance, began to question the churchs practices and
policies. Luther wrote Freedom of a Christian, which points out the disagreements he had with
the church, thus starting a new branch of Christianity; Protestantism.
Martin Luther, being a devout Catholic, decided to join the priesthood. Because of this,
he was one of the few people in Europe at this time who was literate, and more importantly,
had the privilege to read the Bible, as only clergymen were allowed to do so. He had different

interpretations of scripture and practices of the church, especially regarding the selling of
indulgences, which consisted of payments to the church in order to guarantee paradise, or help
a family member that had passed away, who was trapped in purgatory. A thing to consider is
that it was never Luthers goal to break away from the church, he simply wanted to change
some of the practices, like the selling of indulgences and the requirement for monks to remain
celibate. The traditions of the established church however, were too strong, and the only way
he could make a strong statement was to compose a list of 95 Thesis, or issues he had with
the churchs practices, and literally nail it to a cathedral door. This action resulted in his
excommunication, and formation of the Lutheran faith, a new branch of Christianity.
One topic Luther brings up in Freedom of a Christian, has to do with the smells and
bells of the Catholic Church. During this time, there were many people that were uneducated,
and were very easily persuaded and manipulated. Examples of this exist in burning witches at
the stake, persecuting Jews for the horrors of the Black Death, and countless others. The
Catholic Church used this to their advantage, and through the use of blaring organs, and
magnificent cathedrals, were able to gain support among those uneducated members of
society. All the traditions, rituals, and some might say flamboyance of the church appealed
greatly to the poor and uneducated. It gave them hope for a better future, even if it was for
another life. Luther disagreed with this practice of the Church, and wrote, It does not help the
soul if the body is adorned with sacred robes of priests or dwells in sacred places or is occupied
with sacred duties or prays, or fasts (25) In saying this, Luther was trying to show that there is
no necessity for the grand cathedrals, or holy relics, that were such a big part of Catholicism
during this time. In writing this, he hoped to point out that clergymen and people in the laity,

though holding different offices in the church, could still obtain the same amount of
righteousness, and that in his opinion, God only cared about your personal relationship to Him.
Another example of a fundamental principal that Luther questioned about the Roman
Catholic Church, is that in order for one to go to heaven, it was required of them to have faith in
Jesus Christ, and do good works unto other men; applying the faith they had and following
Christs example. Martin Luther had a different opinion concerning salvation. In Freedom of a
Christian, he writes, As the soul needs only the Word of God for its life and righteousness, so it
justified by faith alone and not any works (25). This quote shows Luthers view on salvation,
and that good works are not necessarily required in order for one to go to heaven, but rather,
just faith in Christ. He saw that in the Catholic Church, while a monk, that a lot of people were
simply doing good works, but didnt really have faith in their religion. Luther wanted to reverse
this, and place faith in Christ as the highest priority of a Christian, which would most likely
result in doing good works. This part of the writing applies to anyone at the time who claimed
to be a Christian. Clergy and laity alike were being asked by Luther in a non direct, non
confrontational way to measure their faith, and the sincerity of it.
Some people of the Catholic Church, tried to keep their followers by accusing Luther of
being unreligious, and of trying to lead faithful members of the laity astray. Whether this is
because the Church was deeply concerned about the Protestant Reformation and the practices
being brought forth, or they simply wanted to keep collecting indulgences and tithes is to be
left unsaid, but Luther made sure to address this criticism in Freedom of a Christian. It reads,
One thing is necessary for Christain life, righteousness, and freedom. That one thing is the

most holy Word of God, the gospel of Christ (25). He goes on to quote the same scriptures
used in Catholic Mass, showing that one, he truly is a man of God, and two, that its the same
religion, just interpreted differently. Because he was able to relate it to the Roman Catholic
Church, he wasnt persecuted too heavily, because if the Church did so, it would in turn, be
contradicting itself.
Another event that the world can thank Martin Luther for, is the translation of the Bible
from Latin into German. In doing so, the average farm worker, though most were still illiterate,
could begin to learn and develop their own testimonies and interpretations of the book. The
translation into a vernacular of the people was one of the most impactful events in the
Protestant Reformation, and still today. The Roman Catholic Church thought that the
Reformation would eventually subside, but it never did. Other religions sprouted because of
this, and the Church of Rome, although still one of the worlds largest religions, lost its
monopoly on the heart of Europeans.
In conclusion, Freedom of a Christian, by Martin Luther, is a very important document in
world history. In it, Luther pointed out many of the Catholic Churchs questionable doctrines,
the most impactful regarding salvation. For centuries, the Catholic Church had a stronghold on
the people of Europe, and was able to manipulate them into doing dubious things, like selling
indulgences. Luther felt as though faith, and faith alone, would bring about salvation, and that
good works werent necessary. Martin Luther is one of the most influential people in all of
history, because of his courage to stand up for what he believed was right. He was able to get
his point across effectively, without upsetting too many people, (Freedom of a Christian was

addressed to the Pope). The information found in the document is well thought out, and its no
surprise Luther had a great following. He was able to appeal to the people, and help them
realize the wrongdoings or mistreatment of power that existed in the Catholic Church. In
Freedom of a Christian, Luther balanced the attack on the Church of Rome perfectly with the
promise of hope, attainable by the everyday person.

Works Cited

Lualdi, Katharine J. Sources of the Making of the West. Boston: Bedford/Martins, 2009. 25-26. Print.

Reflection
In writing this essay, I have learned how to effectively use a primary document, as Freedom of a
Christian is. It was really interesting to read and analyze a paper that Martin Luther wrote
himself. For me, it helped me understand him better, and he became more than just a name in
the history books. During such an influential point in humanitys history, and being a major
player in it, I think it is important to try and understand the significance of this document by
Luther.