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Ninety-five Theses

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The famous 'Theses Doors' at Schlosskirche in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther is said to have posted his 95 Theses in 1517.

The Ninety-five Theses

The Ninety-five Theses is a list of ideas written by Martin Luther in 1517. Luther was a teacher at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. He wrote these ideas for a special discussion called a disputation.

Luther was worried about how some church leaders were handling something called indulgences. Indulgences were special papers that some church leaders sold. This made many people upset, and Luther wanted to talk about these concerns openly.

The ideas in the Ninety-five Theses later helped start something called the Protestant Reformation. This was a time when many people began to question some rules of the Catholic Church, leading to the creation of Protestantism.

People remember Luther for wanting to talk about important ideas in a calm way. His list of ideas helped start big changes in Europe. Today, October 31, 1517, is celebrated as Reformation Day in some places.

Images

A historical painting showing Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses, an important moment in the Protestant Reformation.
Historical woodcut showing a scene of indulgence selling in a church, from an old German book.
The first page of the Basel pamphlet edition of the Ninety-five Theses, a famous religious document written by Martin Luther in 1517.
A historical woodcut showing Martin Luther writing the 95 Theses on a church door, an important event in the German Reformation.
Historical illustration depicting a religious theme from old art.

Related articles

Martin Luther
Reformation
Catholic Church
Protestantism

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