From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
The
Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as
The Ninety-Five Theses, was written by
Martin Luther and is widely regarded as the primary catalyst for the
Protestant Reformation. Luther used these theses to display his displeasure with the Church's sale of
indulgences, and this ultimately gave birth to
Protestantism. Luther's popularity encouraged others to share their doubt with the Church and protest its medieval ways; it especially challenged the teachings of the Church on the nature of
penance, the
authority of the
pope and the usefulness of indulgences. They sparked a
theological debate that would result in the
Reformation and the birth of the
Lutheran,
Reformed, and
Anabaptist traditions within
Christianity.