The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of
Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses,
were written by Martin Luther in 1517 and are widely regarded as the primary
catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Luther used these theses to display his
displeasure with some of the Church's clergy's abuses, most notably the sale of
indulgences; this ultimately gave birth to Lutheranism. Luther's popularity
encouraged others to share their doubts about the Church and to protest against
its 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 various Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist denominations within
Christianity.
— Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
