How did Martin Luther's action reform the Church?

Answer 1

Martin Luther did not lead a "reform" against the Catholic Church, although he started out to. What he ended up doing was leading a revolt against the Catholic Church, tearing innumerable people away from Christ's saving sacraments, due entirely to politics of some German princes.

Answer 2

The Western Church in the early 16th century included a lot of corruption. It was effectively controlled by the noble houses of Europe and Christianity was at a premium. Luther was particularly angered by the practice (never official) of selling indulgences to pay for the rebuilding of St Peter's in Rome and wrote a condemnation of it. It would probably all have ended there, but for his bishop's decision to make an example of him and mediaeval politics.

Luther was an Augustinian friar and theologian, living under vows of obedience. His theses on indulgences were originally intended to be a scholarly letter, in Latin, to his bishop, Albert of Mainz. However, his friends translated them into German and published them. Luther was called to account and excommunicated. Luther found himself inadvertently head of a new branch of Christianity and this was used by some members of the German nobility to gain power and wealth at the expense of those who supported mainstream Christianity.

It was not Luther's intention at the time to found a new religion. He simply wanted the Church to clean up its act. However, once thrust into that position he quickly abandoned the concept of an authoritative Church and instead looked to The Bible for his authority.

Following the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, Lutherans generally agreed that all of Luther's objections had been met. However, a rapprochement between the two Churches is not possible because of differences in how the will of God manifests itself.

Answer 3

Luther did not reform the Church but his actions forced the Catholic Church to reform itself.