Tentative Response: Corruption of the Catholic Church

1.  Luther inveighs against the Church granting 'indulgences' in return for good works, for example helping build a cathedral. Indulgences can be described as 'the remission of punishment (as in purgatory) due for sins. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution." What's wrong with that? How can this be said to 'spark the Reformation'?

             Leading up to the Protestant Reformation around the early 16th century, Christianity  as a successful, widespread, institutionalized religion, began to take advantage of its power within European society, policy, and economy. The Catholic Church and Pope realized the possibilities of monetary profitability by the religious doctrine related to absolution of sin. The control and power that the Church had in those times further facilitated its ability to manifest "indulgences" as a novel form of remaining pure and religiously devout. Martin Luther identified the corruption within this artificial practice as an opportunity for the Church to gain profit, similar to that of a modern business. Hans J. Hillerbrand quotes Martin Brecht's biography of Luther when discussing how people during the period of the early Renaissance could pay a specific amount of money to the Church depending on their social class as a quick and amenable way to clear the monetary debt of their sins (23). 

             This concept forces a shift in the focus in the minds of the Church's followers. Rather than care about doing good and the spirituality behind Catholicism, people are convinced that they can buy their way into heaven through these "indulgences". Although this may allow the Church to expand and appeal heaven-seekers, Luther explains how it creates a false illusion of Christianity as a whole, with these "indulgences" as "[assurances] of salvation" (26). 

              I don't know how accurate this analogy is, but when seat belts were made, it was automatically assumed people would be safer in case of a car crash. However, statistics showed that after seat belts were implemented in cars, the rate of car crashes increased and in fact, more people were injured. Because people felt that their car was safer, they were more carefree with their driving. Similarly, I believe this is what Luther feared. Before people became out-of-hand believing that "this grace of indulgence is said to be so powerful that no sin is too large not to be forgiven," Luther wanted to revert Christianity back to the foundations of "piety and charity" and "to teach the gospel and the love of Christ" (26).

             Luther attempted to place of power the Church back in the pages of Gospel. This task 'sparked the Reformation' because it confronted the greatest power of the time with an unpopular idea denied by the ignorance of those wealthy, heaven-seekers. Ignorance plagued the mind of the Church's following, pulling in those with the weakest faith, but the most money. Refocusing on the "true path" and teachings of Christ is re-forming the doctrine of Christianity.