2011 HSC Studies of Religion
Exam solutions
Question 2 — Christianity (15 marks)
(a)
Outline the contribution of ONE significant person or school of thought other
than Jesus to the development and expression of Christianity.
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Martin Luther 1483 -1546 was a Christian theologian and Augustinian monk whose
teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of
Protestant and other Christian traditions, his reforms had far reaching effect on the
whole of Christianity. He decried the Roman Church’s corruption in 1517, by nailing
his 95 ‘Theses of Contention’ to the Wittenberg Church door, as a result of this
Luther, was exiled after the Diet of Worms. Luther also translated the Bible into
German allowing greater access to its teachings.
(b) Summarise the impact of the significant person or school of thought chosen in
part (a)
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In 1517, Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, these theses
confronted the Roman Catholic church, challenging the church of heresy. This was
considered then first step in the great Christian schism known as the reformation.
Luther's prime motivation was the selling of indulgences by a Dominican priest
named John Tetzel. Luther's theology challenged the infallibility of the Pope by
declaring that it was the Bible which was the only infallible source of authority. Luther
impacted on the church significantly; his life work enforced the split between the
Catholic Church and the protestant movement thus changing the history of
Christianity forever.
(c)
Christianity has always sought to reconnect the faith to its founding roots.
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To what extent does the statement apply to the impact of the significant
person or school of thought chosen in part (a)?
Martin Luther’s teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced
the doctrines of the Protestant and other Christian denominations. Luther was
convinced that the Church had lost sight of its central truths. As a student at
university Luther immersed himself in the teachings of the Scripture and the early
church, this early scholarship formed the opinions that were to later shape his
theological teachings. Focusing on atonement and morality, Luther’s ideas were
formed and these reflections led him to question traditional church teachings. Luther
summed up his ideas in the 95 theses which he controversially pinned to the church
door at Wittenberg. Luther was horrified by the notion of selling indulgences and he
accused the Roman Catholic Church of heresy, believing that the church should
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return to the original teachings as expounded in the Gospel stating, "Unless I am
convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I
can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against
conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."
Luther believed that the Bible should be accessible to all people and he was
the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the vernacular of the German
people. Luther also wrote many books including one that explained the epistles
attempting to bring Christianity back to its founding roots as St Paul had done before
him. Justification by faith alone (sola fide) was Martin Luther's great spiritual and
theological breakthrough, by this he meant that salvation occurs not through good
works but through faith and a belief in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Lutheranism advocated a canon of justification "by grace alone through faith alone
because of Christ alone" which was contrary to the Catholic view of "faith formed by
love", or "faith and works". Martin Luther’s influence on Christianity was
immeasurable; he sought to return to the most basic teachings of the Christian
church by relating his work back to Jesus Christ, the Gospels and the Epistles of St
Paul. The Protest churches including Lutheranism had their roots in the work of
Martin Luther who sought to reform the Western Church to a more scriptural
foundation.
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