Luther Snr

Most of us are pretty aware of the existence and exploits of Martin Luther King Jnr. The visionary, Nobel Peace Prize-winning Baptist minister has been immortalised in history for his efforts in breaking down racial segregation paving the way for equality in the United States.

As it turns out, MLK Jnr. isn't the only Martin Luther to have had a dramatic influence on the world as we know it, for in the early 16th century lived a man by such a name, who's existence I only became aware of earlier today.

Martin Luther was a German theologist and priest, who basically called out the Catholic Church on a lot of their bullshit, leading to the Protestant Reformation and the emergence of Lutheranism, now a major branch of Western Christianity.

In essence, Luther challenged the Church on a number of practices, most notably that of indulgences - which was a centuries-old practice whereby the the faithful could essentially buy their way into heaven by sacrificing their material wealth (gold etc) to the Pope, via his collectors. By the Middle Ages, these indulgences accounted for a significant portion of the Church's revenue, so Luther's challenge on their legitimacy as a means for atoning one's sins and honouring their faith ruffled more than a few feathers, including those of Pope Leo X, who effectively excommunicated him from the Catholic Church. This excommunication was still in effect at the time of our pal Luther's death in 1546.

That's what I learned today.