The Reformation began in October 1517 when Martin Luther wrote his 95 theses. Luther was a well-educated son of a miner who earns the right as a middle class by working hard. Luther became a monk and while sitting in the tower outhouse he was inspired by Romans 1:17 The just shall live by faith alone. This encourages him to challenge the church by using this as his thesis for Luthers theology. In 1521 he was excommunicated but he became a national hero because even though his opinions were not new they gave people new hope. One of the first items he did was to say that the Roman Catholic Church was being an Italian church exploiting the Germans. Since Germany was eager to get rid of Rome they accept this idea. Second if the people quit making payments to Rome and took back their lands they had allot to gain. There were other reasons but as you can see this made the people eager to believe and following Luther. At first the lower classes were excited by Luthers rebellion against papal authority believing that has someone standing behind them. This made the lower class revolted against there lords and Luther who was discussed by this wrote Against the Murdering, Thieving Hordes of Peasants. So in the end the lower class came to hate him. Around the same time a man named Ulrich Zwingli who was a humanist and interpreted the bible by reason preach reform also. He differ from Luther as he was more humane he said heaven would welcome admirable Jews and heathen. His style of reform could have been more well known if he was not killed in the a battle in Switzerland. Along the same time came John Calvin, he studied law and scholasticism and rejected Catholicism. He wrote a book were he stated his views against them. He believed in a Trinitarian God, divinity of Christ, resurrection after death, in the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. In his Doctrine of the Elect which was held in high regards by his followers, he stated Since God kno...
