Why was Martin Luther so popular by 1521?

Authors Avatar

Why was Luther so popular by 1521?

By 1521, Martin Luther’s popularity was considered such a threat to the unity of the Church, that he was condemned a heretic by the Pope and declared an outlaw by Charles V at the Diet of Worms. In the years leading up to this, a variety of factors combined to cause “nine out of ten” Germans to support Luther’s cause, according to Papal Legate Aleander.  Alongside Luther’s ideas and ability to express them, Germany’s political circumstances and issues such as discontent with Rome and the Catholic Church must also be considered.

   It could be assumed that Luther’s popularity was due to his theological ideas, yet it is unlikely that much of the population fully understood his theories. The majority were uneducated, and unable to read, therefore Luther’s theses were likely only to be read and understood by a small number of intellectuals. That is not to say that his beliefs were entirely irrelevant to his popularity, as many of these were misinterpreted to correspond with the demands of the peasants. This was evident in the peasant revolt which was encouraged by Luther’s theory of spiritual equality, mistakenly taken to mean that all people should be equal resulting in rebellion of the peasants against landowners. Furthermore, his concept of sola fida, justification by faith alone, appeared to offer an easier route to heaven than arduous penance. By this it could be argued that Luther’s ideas were partially a contribution to his success, but they were not the most significant factor, especially since many of the peasants demands consisted of far more than just Reformist ideas.

   The resentment of certain aspects of the church by the laity could be seen as a contributing factor for Luther success. However, in general the peasants were content with the practises of the church. They did not doubt the church’s theology or the authenticity of the popular sacramentals; these were based on superstition, such as the belief that a good harvest is guaranteed if one crumbles the consecrated wafer on their land, and maintained wide scale popularity. Despite this there were reasons for discontent amongst the laity, such as the high taxes paid to the church. The requirement to give ten percent of their income or produce to the church was clearly a reason for some dissatisfaction, and the cause of economic hardship during 1510-20. Furthermore, the frequently absentee priests concerned the peasants, who worried about the need for the sacraments or sacramentals to be performed. Evidently these grievances were necessary for Luther’s popularity, as if everyone were completely satisfied with the existing church Luther would surely have been seen as an unnecessary disruption. However, as these minor grievances were not enough to cause any large scale revolt in themselves there must be additional explanations for Luther’s success.

Join now!

   The grievances of the educated and intellectuals concerning the church were a further reason for Luther’s popularity. As with the peasants, the majority were content with many aspects of the church. Much of what Luther argued against was popular even amongst the elite; Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony was an avid collector of religious relics, the value of which as means of avoiding purgatory was greatly disputed by Luther. Despite this, there were certain issues that troubled the upper class. Employers were annoyed by the amount of festa ferianda celebrated by the peasants, allowing them great amounts of ...

This is a preview of the whole essay