Blogging the Augsburg Confession--Preface, Part 1

In 1519 King Charles of Spain was elected^[1] Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Taking office at the age of nineteen, he was confronted by an empire divided. Two years before, an upstart monk named Martin Luther had challenged the authority of the church.

For in 1517 Luther had written The Ninety-Five Theses, which condemned the sale of indulgences, a practice whereby the church sold forgiveness of sins for money. Originally written in Latin, the Theses were quickly translated and distributed throughout Europe, thereby sparking a firestorm of rebellion against the papacy. It started as a protest against abuses, but soon everything taught by the church was open to question.

The Pope did not appreciate this challenge to his authority (and income). In 1521 he excommunicated Luther and his followers, condemning them as heretics. Emperor Charles V, a loyal Roman Catholic, declared Luther to be an outlaw and condemned him and his followers to death.