Martin Luther was born in an incredibly difficult time, and it was the tense transition period between the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. During this period of progress, outdated methods were becoming disfavored and new innovations and means of change were arising at a rapid pace. Around this time there was also a rise in change in political and ideological systems, one being humanism, due to the many geographical discoveries made at this time as well as advances in communications such as printing . The rise of humanism led Luther to create a new way of researching and studying the Bible, which involved returning to ancient texts of the Bible, going against traditional scholarly views, and initiate the resistance of the Church. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay he is believed to be in purgatory (a place of purification after death to gain access to heaven). Luther concluded that Christians are not saved by their own efforts, but rather by their faith, which would put him in an incredibly hot spot with the Church, as this idea went strongly against their core teachings. He challenged the statement that to enter heaven you must follow every element of the Catholic Church exactly and dedicate your life to the Catholic Church or you will be rejected. He referenced the Bible and showed that faith towards religion is powerful enough and it will initiate God's plan for you. He then wrote the 95 Theses, a book dedicated to highlighting the injustices granted through “indulgences” and papal abuses. The 95 theses strongly encouraged two main ideas; that the Bible is the central religious authority and that humans reach the pinnacle of salvation through their faith and not through their actions for the Roman Catholic Church. In 1519, after trying to convince other citizens of his discoveries, Martin Luther decided to create a series of informative pamphlets published through printing, under the names On Christian Liberty, On the Liberty of the Christian Man , To the Christian. Nobility and on the Babylonian captivity of the Church. The printing press and the transition to the modern era allowed these works to become easily accessible throughout Europe, reprinted more than 14 times, with at least 1,000 copies printed each time. John Wycliff's reform movement heavily influenced the beginning of the movement following Martin Luther, after his Bible was translated into English to spread his reform ideals. In addition to this, Martin Luther also chose to display his 95 theses on the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This action was indeed the spark that ignited the start of the Protestant Reformation, as it opened a new way of perceiving ideology within the Church and challenged injustices when the people deemed it necessary. This was incredibly rare in those days because it was very risky to challenge authority figures and, even with the new wave of changes awaiting them, it could have serious consequences. The Church's early response to Martin Luther and the 95 These theses aimed to maintain public power and control and publicly asserted that this would not work to turn the Church into a heresy. All those who supported this movement of selling unbiblical indulgences were excommunicated, meaning they were immediately excluded from any participation or involvement of any kind within the Catholic Church. This once again had consequences.