Questions & Answers

Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. Disturbed by the claims made for indulgences (the Roman Catholic Church's grants, for a price, of release from temporal punishment due for sins), Luther wanted to debate the issue of indulgences publicly. The 95 Theses were intended to be discussion points for that debate in which Luther wanted to take a stand against the sale of indulgences. The theses were written in Latin because the debate was intended for a learned audience of clergy and professors. They were soon translated into German, however, and quickly spread across Germany. Although the posting of the 95 Theses is generally considered to be the beginning of the Reformation, these theses are an early work of Luther and do not fully reflect his later positions on other theological issues.