October 31, 1517

the long version

This new book by religion scholar Martin Marty, released in time for the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, shows how Martin Luthers insights still speak to the church today about reconciliation, repentance and the need for "a change of heart." Included are the 95 Theses of Martin Luther. "The one thing that opens these pages relates to and, in fact, is the first of ninety-five theses that were proposed five hundred years ago by Martin Luther.... Here is that first thesis, as it was voiced by that influential monk in Germany half a millennium ago: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, Repent (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. So, simply put, this book is about repentance as a worthy theme for believers to keep in mind if and as they commemorate events of five hundred years ago, events that still shape many features of their lives." Martin Marty On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 theses about Christian faith on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Saxony, and launched the Protestant Reformation. In the document, Luther asserted that salvation was effected by God's grace alone, approached by faith alone. Marty argues that Luther's theses has now become the means of building a bridge for Catholics and Lutherans to work with each other.