What is for dinner? How are you doing? What is on your mind. If you are new to Street Prophets please introduce yourself beyond the fold in a comment. This is an Open Thread / Coffee Hour and all topics of conversation are welcome. Today’s coffee Hour is brought to you by the Protestant Reformation and my speculations if it could inspire a twenty first century equivalent.
In the introduction, see part 1, we looked at the overview of this series. And in today's offering we will look at the Protestant Reformation’s influence on politics as described in the video, How the Reformation Shaped the Modern West, presented in part 1. So jump the fold for a brief summary of this section of the video.
This is an Open Thread / Coffee Hour and all topics of conversation are welcome. What is for dinner? How are you doing? What is on your mind. If you are new to Street Prophets please introduce yourself below in a comment.
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In the politics section of the video one of the key points made is that Luther moves beyond criticizing the corrupt nature of the current Pope and questions the whole system. And he suggests in his Ninety-Five Theses that the authority we should obey is the text, or Bible rather than the monarch or pope. Thus laying the ground work for constitutionalism.
And here we are over 500 years after Luther published his Theses and we have a U.S. Supreme Court corrupted by the Federalist Society that has taken the text of our Constitution and distorted it in a way that only benefits the top few percent.
So the question comes up what type of reformation is needed to fix the current situation we are in. This is a deep complex question. And is made even more complex by looking at some of the concurrent factors that assisted the Reformation. Such as the invention of the printing press. Luther may not of nailed his Theses to the door of a church, but printing presses distributed copies across Europe into the hands of tens of thousands that could also demand change to the current system.
Luther’s story, embellished with the nailing, is a hero's story and over the last few weeks I have been telling a version of it to my friends. And, it makes a good story. One person stands up against corrupt leaders and sparks a reformation of society that leads to the enlightenment and our current modern society.
As hinted at in part one of this series I think the Internet & Artificial Intelligence will play a similar roll in any new Reformation that the printing press played in Luther’s Reformation. Clearly, if the Internet & Artificial Intelligence are not factored into a modern reformation they will be used by corrupt leaders to return us to monarchical rule.
What are your thoughts on creating a twenty first century reformation?
In closing I asked Chat GPT-3.5 to tell me the story of Luther sparking the Reformation. The following is its reply:
The story of Martin Luther sparking the Reformation is a crucial chapter in the history of Christianity. In the early 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church held immense power and influence over religious, political, and social aspects of European life. The Church, however, was facing internal corruption and external challenges that would eventually lead to a major upheaval.
Martin Luther, born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, was a Catholic monk and scholar. He pursued a career in law but, following a near-death experience during a thunderstorm, he vowed to become a monk and devote himself to God. Luther joined the Augustinian order and immersed himself in theological studies.
As Luther delved into the Bible and theological writings, he became increasingly troubled by what he perceived as corruption within the Church, especially the sale of indulgences. Indulgences were documents sold by the Church that supposedly granted forgiveness for sins and reduced time in purgatory. The funds raised from these sales were often used to finance the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Luther's turning point came in 1517 when he drafted a document titled "Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which is now famously known as the Ninety-Five Theses. On October 31, 1517, Luther posted the Theses on the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, inviting scholars to debate the issues he raised. This event is often considered the symbolic beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
The Ninety-Five Theses criticized the sale of indulgences, questioned the Pope's authority to grant forgiveness, and emphasized the primacy of faith and scripture over Church tradition. Luther's intention was initially to spark academic discussion, but his ideas quickly spread beyond Wittenberg, thanks to the recent invention of the printing press, which facilitated the rapid reproduction and dissemination of his writings.
Luther's writings struck a chord with many who were discontent with the Church's practices and the hierarchy's perceived corruption. The movement gained momentum, attracting both intellectual and popular support. Luther's ideas were not merely theological; they also tapped into broader social and political discontent.
In 1520, Pope Leo X issued a papal bull threatening excommunication if Luther did not retract his views. Instead of recanting, Luther publicly burned the papal bull and other Church documents, signaling his defiance. In 1521, Luther was summoned to the Imperial Diet of Worms, where he was asked to recant his views. He famously declared, "Here I stand; I can do no other," refusing to retract unless convinced by scripture or reason. The Diet of Worms declared him a heretic, leading to his excommunication from the Catholic Church.
Despite his excommunication, Luther's ideas continued to gain traction. German princes sympathetic to his cause offered him protection, leading to the formation of the Lutheran movement. The Reformation spread across Europe, leading to the establishment of various Protestant denominations.
The events triggered by Luther's Ninety-Five Theses had profound and lasting effects on Christianity, reshaping the religious landscape of Europe and beyond. The Protestant Reformation not only resulted in the formation of new Christian denominations but also contributed to broader cultural, political, and social transformations in the centuries that followed.
From: Chat GPT- 3.5