Turning Point

Throughout written history, vast changes in social, political, and economic establishments have been sparked by extraordinary people or conditions. Often, these changes mark a turning point in the progress of civilization as new ideas are formed, new governments raised, or new discoveries put to use in the interest of progress. Whether these pivotal moments in history may be due to a single nonconforming person or a vast, radical multitude, each turning point has certain specific influences and outcomes which shaped the world for innumerable years.

On of history's most major changes occurred in the 1500s, through the work of a man named Martin Luther. A devout German monk, Martin Luther eventually sparked one of the most major religious reformations in history. However, while Martin Luther's actions were the flame to the proverbial powder-keg, there were numerous influences leading up to his actions. Since long before Luther's time, many Catholic popes had grown increasingly concerned with financial and or political issues, as opposed to spiritual ones. Understandable, this undermined the faith of many in the Catholic church's leadership. In addition to the declining religious conduct of the various popes, clergy of lower rank began to abuse their privileges, or outright ignore many of the church's teachings and requirements. Nationalism, too, was on the rise throughout Europe; as people became more and more concerned with the affairs of their countries rather than those of the church. The Popes began to lose their sway on Europe's people. Lastly, the invention of Gutenberg's printing press allowed the spread of revolutionary and nonconformist ideals which would previously have been quashed by the Catholic church. One of the most widely protested acts of the Catholic church was the sale of indulgences. This practice allowed sinners to repent by simply paying their way out of their wrongdoing, rather than performing a pious act. Many people viewed this as greedy, dishonest, and even blasphemous, and among these people was the cleric Martin Luther. Luther was finally pushed to take action against the church by the acts of a man named John Tetzel. Affiliated with the church, Tetzel was an indulgence salesman, and represented much of what Martin Luther saw as corrupt and wrong in the church. In a blatant act of rebellion, Luther posted his famous "95 Theses" on the doors of a church in Wittenberg. These theses contained criticisms and condemnations of all that Luther saw as sacrilegious and wrong within the church. While Luther was excommunicated and declared as a heretic by the Catholic church, this did not stop the spread of his ideas. Across Germany, more and more people began to follow Martin Luther's teachings and distance themselves from Roman Catholicism, eventually coming to be known as Lutherans. As divides grew further and further, more reformations were sparked; Henry VIII worked to form the Anglican church within England, while John Calvin began the order of Calvinism within Switzerland. The Roman Catholic Church, in turn, began their own catholic-counter reformation in order to attempt to reinstate Roman Catholicism as the primary European religion. Looking back, it is apparent that