The printing press had a great influence on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and without the use of this technology Martin Luther would not have been nearly as successful in his challenging of the Catholic Church.
The printing press had a great influence on the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and without the use of this technology Martin Luther would not have been nearly as successful in his challenging of the Catholic Church. The printing press in the early 1500s paved the way for Luther and the Reformation and assisted him in more ways than just the publication of his works. The printing press was used for the publication of propaganda against Rome and also provided the publication of notices alerting the people to debates and rallies held by the Augustinian monk. There are other factors that assisted the influence of the printing press in this movement including the large increase in literacy levels and the support that Luther received from his followers.
The printing press played an imperative role in the Protestant Reformation, as it was used as a media that produced thousands of Luther’s works which were in turn distributed throughout Germany and stretching as far as Lyons and Meaux. Dickens states that without the involvement of the printing press, the Reformation, or any revolution of this extent, could not be achieved. The printing press has often gone unnoticed or given less credit than it deserves in its role in the Reformation. Eisenstein said of the publishers in Strasbourg, “[they] did much more than mirror the Reform; they prepared its way, they secured its results”. The printing press did not only produce copies of Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, but also Bibles and reproductions of sections of the Bible written in the vernacular so that everyone had the Word of God available to them. The German translation of the Bible sold in vast numbers throughout the sixteenth century and Luther’s first edition of the New Testament, printed in 1522, was completely sold within the first ten weeks of sale. Luther’s other works which were easier to understand were sold in even greater numbers than his translation of the Bible. People all over Germany were gaining access to Luther’s teachings, thus increasing the movement against the Catholic Church. The introduction to the American edition of Luther’s Works states that the series is “a selection of works that have proved their importance for the faith, life, and history of the Christian church”. The power of the printing press was so immense that Luther himself did not expect the response that was received, “I was not pleased by the fact that they were spread abroad…I could not forsee what would be the effect of such badly stated theses”. This statement shows the full capacity of the printing press and how its strength was not at all anticipated in this movement.
