He was a priest, theologian, teacher, hymn-writer and deemed the founder of Protestantism, born Martin Luder in Eisleben, Germany. His family moved to Mansfeld in 1484 and his father, who was a copper miner that had risen in rank to becoming a mine owner, was determined that his son became a lawyer. He sent him to schools in Mansfeld and Magdeburg which were run by a group called Brethren of the Common Life.
In 1498 he attended school in Eisenach and once he was 18 he entered the University of Furfur where he played the lute and was nicknamed “the philosopher”. Once he had received his BA he went on to enroll in law school in accordance with his father’s wishes.
In 1505 he was out in a storm and a lightning bolt struck nearby and he was so terrified he shouted, “Help St. Anna, I’ll become a monk”. He then left law school, leaving his father furious at wasted education, and entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt. He devoted himself to a monastic life of fasting, pilgrimage, extremely long periods in prayer, and constant confession. His superior wanted to distract him from these excesses and suggested he follow an academic career and so in 1507 he was ordained a priest and began to teach theology at the University of Wittenberg.
He was famed for his religious teaching of the psalms and his publications, such as his 1517 95 Theses which he nailed to the doors of the Wittenberg church and are said to have been pivotal in the start of the Reformation as well as unavoidably putting him in conflict with the Catholic Church. They were also one of the first in history to be turned out on a printing press and spread throughout Germany and Europe.
In 1521 he was declared a virtual heretic and was called to the Imperial Diet of Worms by invitation of several princes. Although he was allowed safe passage after his appearance there, he was declared an outlaw and was taken to Wartburg in secret, where he stayed until the Reformation began to gain strength.
His writings about the Jews were often debated and he translated the Bible into German, which made it more accessible to the people. An advocate of “the development of congregational singing within Christianity”, his hymns became an inspiration and among his best-known are “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and “Von Himmel Hoch”.
He died of a heart attack in Eisleben in 1546 when he was 62 years old.
From Heaven High I Come To You recordings
Leroy Anderson and His Orchestra
Decca B0003552-02 (CD: A Leroy Anderson Christmas)
Sources:
- http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/martin-luther.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther
- http://www.luther.de/en/worms.html
- http://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/about_driv.html