Martin Luther

MARTIN LUTHER: THE RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY
PROF. M. M. NINAN
A Roman Catholic indulgence, dated Dec. 19, 1521. The use of the printing press made possible the mass production
of form documents offering indulgences.
The Sale of Indulgences
shown in A Question to a Mintmaker,
woodcut by Jörg Breu the Elder of Augsburg, ca. 1530.
John Tetzel, a Dominican monk with an impressive personality, a gift of popular oratory, and the
repute of a successful indulgence preacher, was chosen by the archbishop as
general-subcommissary. In 1516, Johann Tetzel, a Dominican friar and papal commissioner for
indulgences, was sent to Germany by the Roman Catholic Church to sell indulgences to raise
money to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Johann Tetzel, was reported to have preached to
the faithful that the purchase of a letter of indulgence entailed the forgiveness of sins, which is
taught in the Roman Catholic theology which stated that faith alone, whether fiduciary or dogmatic,
cannot justify man; justification rather depends only on such faith as is active in charity and good
works (fides caritate formata). The benefits of good works could be obtained by donating money to
the church.
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