Martin Luther, The Hero of the Reformation: 1483-1546

1898. A study of the life of Martin Luther, German religious reformer. Luther was an Augustinian monk and the professor of biblical exegesis at Wittenberg, where in 1517 he posted his critique of the Roman Catholic Church's practices, the Ninety-Five Theses, which are usually regarded as the original document of the Reformation. From that point on, he found himself at the center of a violent religious upheaval in Germany. His main assertion was that man is justified by faith alone, and not by works. This belief led him to propose the abolition of many church rituals and the Pope's authority.