Biography of Martin Luther :: Protestant Reformation World History Essays

Biography of Martin Luther Martin Luther , who was born in 1483,remains in history known as on of the few unique forces that changed the world fundamentally by force of will and by his ideas. The people who support him call him the â€Å"Protestant hero, a freedom fighter, and a wise insightful church leader.† But there are many people who do not like and the names they call him are a â€Å"heretic, an apostate, and a profane ecclesiastical terrorist.† Often Luther called himself a simple monk or a simple Christian. He was glad that a straight-forward stand of sense of right and wrong had turned him into one of the most talked about people of his time. Little did he know that, that simple Christian and that simple stand for what is right and what is wrong changed the course of World History. I will explain Martin Luther in four main parts of his life. First, his early years; second, Luther’s struggle to find peace and his discovery of grace; third, his problems with the sell of indulg ences; and finally, Luther’s death and legacy. First of all, Martin Luther’s early years of his life. Martin Luther was born to Hans and Margaretta Luther on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. He was baptized on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours , of which he was named of. His father owned and worked a copper mine in the nearby town of Mansfeld. Having come from peasantry, his father was determined to see his son rise up to civil service and bring more honor to the family. To achieve this goal Hans sent Martin Luther to schools in Mansfeld, Magdeburg, and Eisenach. When he was seventeen, in 1501, he entered the University of Erfurt. There he received a Bachelors degree in 1502 and a masters degree in 1505. Trying to fulfill his fathers wishes he enrolled in the law school of that university. Little did he know that all that was about to change. While riding a horse during a thunderstorm in the summer of 1505 a lightning bolt struck near him while returning to school. Being in a terrified state he cried out, â €Å"Help, St. Anne I’ll become a monk † Luther was spared his life and so he kept his promise and entered the monastery at his law school.