Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation
Quick Summary
The "Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" was a manifesto written by Martin Luther in 1520. It urged German secular rulers to reform the Roman Catholic Church, arguing that church leaders were not beyond accountability and that papal claims to interpretive authority were unfounded. Luther believed that all Christians could read the Bible for themselves, as grace was available without mediation. This work was a significant step in the Protestant Reformation, challenging the established religious and political order of the time.12
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GermanyThe Reformation of Germany…pamphlet he published that year, Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, urged the empire’s secular rulers to reform a church that would not set its own house in order. Popes and prelates are not sacrosanct, he argued; they may be brought to justice. As every Christian can…
Read More…pamphlet he published that year, Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, urged the empire’s secular rulers to reform a church that would not set its own house in order. Popes and prelates are not sacrosanct, he argued; they may be brought to justice. As every Christian can…
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ProtestantismLuther’s manifestoHis Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation called upon the ruling class in Germany, including the emperor, in whom Luther had not yet lost confidence, to reform the church externally by returning it to apostolic poverty and simplicity. This appeal to the civil…
Read MoreHis Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation called upon the ruling class in Germany, including the emperor, in whom Luther had not yet lost confidence, to reform the church externally by returning it to apostolic poverty and simplicity. This appeal to the civil…
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