Lutheranism began with Martin Luther, a German monk and professor of theology at Wittenberg, who is traditionally said to have posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door there. The theses attacked the sale of indulgences and raised broader questions about the authority of the papacy. Luther taught that people are saved by faith alone and that the Bible is the final authority for Christians, and he translated the New Testament into German. He was excommunicated in 1520 and condemned at the Diet of Worms in 1521, but his ideas were protected by German princes. The Augsburg Confession of 1530 became the central statement of the faith, and Lutheran churches became dominant in much of northern Germany and Scandinavia.
Before and after
- from 1516 to 1517Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–17
- 18 February 1516Birth of Mary I
- from 31 October 1517 to 1 January 1648Protestant Reformation
- 31 October 1517Ninety-five Theses
- 31 October 1517Origins of Lutheranism
- 10 November 1517Origins of Protestantism
- 1518Dancing Plague of 1518
- 1 January 1519Origins of Reformed Christianity
- 1519Construction of Château de Chambord
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 1500sMona Lisa
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
- 1563Construction of Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
- 1565Construction of Agra Fort
- 1622Publication of Othello
- from 17th century to 19th centuryAge of Enlightenment
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.