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Do not fill this in! ==Early life and education== ===Birth and early life<!--'Hans Luther (15th century)' redirects here-->=== [[File:Hans and Margarethe Luther, by Lucas Cranach the Elder.jpg|thumb|left|Portraits of Luther's parents, Hans and Margarethe Luther, by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]] in 1527]] [[File:Augustinerkloster Erfurt 19-05-2011 DSCF6253.jpg|thumb|left|In July 1505, Luther entered [[St. Augustine's Monastery (Erfurt)|St. Augustine's Monastery]] in [[Erfurt]]]] [[File:Lutherhaus, Wittenberg.jpg|thumb|Luther's residence at the [[University of Wittenberg]], where he began teaching [[theology]] in 1508]] [[File:Lucas Cranach the Elder - Martin Luther, Bust in Three-Quarter View - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright|A 1520 engraving of Luther as a [[friar]] with a [[tonsure]]]] Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther)<ref name=Marty1>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 1.</ref> and his wife Margarethe (née Lindemann) in [[Eisleben]], [[House of Mansfeld|County of Mansfeld]], in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Luther was [[Baptism|baptized]] the next morning on the feast day of [[Martin of Tours]]. In 1484, his family moved to [[Mansfeld]], where his father was a leaseholder of copper mines and smelters<ref name=Brecht3>[[Martin Brecht|Brecht, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. tr. James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985–93, 1:3–5.</ref> and served as one of four citizen representatives on the local council; in 1492, he was elected as a town councilor.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Martin-Luther | title=Martin Luther | Biography, Reformation, Works, & Facts| date=17 May 2023}}</ref><ref name=Marty1/> The religious scholar [[Martin E. Marty|Martin Marty]] describes Luther's mother as a hard-working woman of "trading-class stock and middling means", contrary to Luther's enemies, who labeled her a whore and bath attendant.<ref name=Marty1/> He had several brothers and sisters and is known to have been close to one of them, Jacob.<ref name=Marty3>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 3.</ref> ===Education=== Hans Luther, Martin's father, was ambitious for himself and his family. He was determined to see Martin, his eldest son, become a lawyer. He sent Martin to Latin schools in Mansfeld, then [[Magdeburg]] in 1497, where he attended the [[Brethren of the Common Life]], a school operated by a [[laity|lay group]], and [[Eisenach]] in 1498.<ref name=RuppEB>[[Gordon Rupp|Rupp, Ernst Gordon]]. "Martin Luther," ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', accessed 2006.</ref> The three schools focused on the so-called "[[trivium]]": grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Luther later compared his education there to [[purgatory]] and [[hell]].<ref name=Marty2>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, pp. 2–3.</ref> In 1501, at age 17, Martin entered the [[University of Erfurt]], which he later described as a beerhouse and whorehouse.<ref name=Marty4>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 4.</ref> He was made to awaken at 4 a.m. for "a day of rote learning and often wearying spiritual exercises."<ref name=Marty4/> He received his master's degree in 1505.<ref name=Marty5>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 5.</ref> In accordance with his father's wishes, Luther enrolled in law but dropped out almost immediately, believing that law was an uncertain profession.<ref name=Marty5/> Luther instead sought assurances about life and was drawn to theology and philosophy, expressing interest in [[Aristotle]], [[William of Ockham]], and [[Gabriel Biel]].<ref name=Marty5/> He was deeply influenced by two tutors, [[Bartholomaeus Arnoldi]] von Usingen and Jodocus Trutfetter, who taught him to be suspicious of even the greatest thinkers<ref name=Marty5/> and to test everything himself by experience.<ref name=Marty6>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 6.</ref> Philosophy proved to be unsatisfying to Luther because it offered assurance about the use of [[reason]] but none about loving [[God]], which Luther believed was more important. Reason could not lead men to God, Luther felt, and he thereafter developed a love-hate relationship with Aristotle over Aristotle's emphasis on reason.<ref name=Marty6/> For Luther, reason could be used to question men and institutions, but not God. Human beings could learn about God only through divine [[revelation]], he believed, leading him to view [[Religious text|scripture]] as increasingly important.<ref name=Marty6/> On 2 July 1505, while Luther was returning to university on horseback following a trip home, a [[lightning]] bolt struck near him during a thunderstorm. He later told his father that he was terrified of death and divine judgment, and he cried out, "Help! [[Saint Anne|Saint Anna]], I will become a monk!"<ref name=Brecht48>Brecht, Martin. ''Martin Luther''. tr. James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985–93, 1:48.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Google Books Archive of Martin Luther: His road to Reformation, 1483–1521 (By Martin Brecht)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hH6nI6Q6qBIC&q=Martin%20Luther%3A%20His%20road%20to%20Reformation%2C%201483-1521%20%20By%20Martin%20Brecht%20Help%20me%20saint%20Anne%20I%20will%20become%20a%20monk&pg=PA48|access-date=14 May 2015|isbn=978-1-4514-1414-1|last1=Brecht|first1=Martin|year=1985| publisher=Fortress Press }}</ref> He came to view his cry for help as a vow that he could never break. He withdrew from the university, sold his books, and entered [[St. Augustine's Monastery (Erfurt)|St. Augustine's Monastery]] in [[Erfurt]] on 17 July 1505.<ref>Schwiebert, E.G. ''Luther and His Times''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, 136.</ref> One friend blamed the decision on Luther's sadness over the deaths of two friends. Luther himself seemed saddened by the move. Those who attended a farewell supper walked him to the door of the Black Cloister. "This day you see me, and then, not ever again," he said.<ref name=Marty6/> His father was furious over what he saw as a waste of Luther's education.<ref name=Marty7>[[Martin E. Marty|Marty, Martin]]. ''Martin Luther''. Viking Penguin, 2004, p. 7.</ref> ===Monastic life=== [[File:Portrait of Martin Luther as an Augustinian Monk.jpg|thumb|upright|A posthumous portrait of Luther as an [[Order of St. Augustine|Augustinian]] friar]] Luther dedicated himself to the [[Rule of Saint Augustine|Augustinian order]], devoting himself to [[fasting]], long hours in [[prayer]], [[pilgrimage]], and frequent [[Confession (religion)|confession]].<ref name=Bainton40>Bainton, Roland. ''Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther''. New York: Penguin, 1995, 40–42.</ref> Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailer and hangman of my poor soul."<ref name=Kittelson79>Kittelson, James. ''Luther The Reformer''. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishing House, 1986, 79.</ref> [[Johann von Staupitz]], his superior, concluded that Luther needed more work to distract him from excessive introspection and ordered him to pursue an academic career. On 3 April 1507, Jerome Schultz, the [[Prince-Bishopric of Brandenburg|Bishop of Brandenburg]], ordained Luther in [[Erfurt Cathedral]]. The following year, in 1508, Luther began teaching [[theology]] at the [[University of Wittenberg]].<ref name=Bainton44>Bainton, Roland. ''Here I Stand: a Life of Martin Luther''. New York: Penguin, 1995, 44–45.</ref> He received two bachelor's degrees, one in biblical studies on 9 March 1508, and another in the ''[[Sentences]]'' by [[Peter Lombard]] in 1509.<ref name=Brecht93>Brecht, Martin. ''Martin Luther''. tr. James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985–93, 1:93.</ref> On 19 October 1512, he was awarded his [[Doctor of Theology]]. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page