Oct. 31 marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation. Historians peg its beginning to Martin Luther’s distribution of his 95 Theses, a protest against the sale of a spiritual commodity known as indulgences. The Reformation split Western Christianity between Roman Catholics and Protestants and launched new doctrinal understandings of Christianity. Depending on whom you ask, the Reformation has also been credited with, or blamed for, having roles in the development of much of the modern world — including the rise of democracy, capitalism and America and eruptions in religious warfare and intolerance.
Read our coverage of the Reformation at 500 here:
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses explained, in 95 parts — Martin Luther may or may not have swung a hammer — regardless of what you’ve seen in the movies or Sunday School illustrations... No matter: Here’s the start of the Reformation in 95 easy pieces.
Indulgences still offered, but not for sale — While Luther and his followers ultimately broke with Catholicism over a wide range of disputes, he might be surprised to see how the practice of indulgences has changed.
As Protestants mark their birthday, Catholics join in — How things have changed... It was around 1960, the Rev. Thomas Schaefer recalled, when he innocently told his classmates at his Catholic elementary school that he and his family had gone to a neighbor’s wedding at a Protestant church. The nuns at the school called in his mother to tell them they shouldn’t have set foot in such a place. But his mother, who was ecumenical before it was cool, “made it clear to the sisters that our friends are our friends, and we will be part of their lives.”
Portraits of reformation a public display of meaningful messages — Public art project inspired by Luther’s bearing witness in a public place is not a platform to convert others - “We’re trying to recapture that he started a conversation about change,” be it change brought about by cancer, adoption, jail, addiction, mental illness, poverty, divorce (their own or their parents’) or fleeing as refugees. The content is personal, not preachy.
Munhall service to help bridge divisions between Catholics, Lutherans — The domed, incense-filled sanctuary reverberated with prayers intoned in centuries-old Byzantine chant and, less typically, with an a cappella rendering of the Lutheran anthem, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” Hundreds of Catholics and Lutherans sang and prayed together, a sign of the dramatic improvement in relations over the past 50 years. “For those who have eyes to see, this is already a miracle, a gift of unity given to us by the Holy Spirit,” said Bishop Kurt Kusserow.
Czech priest who was pivotal in Protestant history is remembered — Six-hundred years ago, at a Catholic church council in the lakeside German city of Constance, a defiant Czech priest named Jan Hus was stripped of his clerical robes and handed over to his executioners. The fires of July 6, 1415 have branded religious, political and military history ever since.
First Published: October 27, 2017, 3:00 p.m.
Updated: October 27, 2017, 3:06 p.m.
