The ultimate criticism of papal indulgences

The other day, while teaching a class, one of my students mentioned that they were learning about a famous religious figure. He stated that he had learned about the renowned German monk and professor of theology, Martin Luther (1483–1546). This comment caught my attention, as it had been some time since I last read Luther’s most famous work — the 95 Theses. Intrigued, I decided to revisit Luther and reflect on his historical significance.

The legend begins on October 31st, 1517, when Luther allegedly nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Similar to the “shot heard ‘round the world,” this act of nailing the Theses is often seen as the spark that ignited the Protestant Reformation — a movement aimed at reforming the Catholic Church. Though many will have never heard of this story, most of us are familiar with Luther’s 95 Theses, whether through school, the media, or perhaps even growing up in a Lutheran church. Regardless, this story is unique and fundamental to the history of religion in the west.

So… what exactly were the 95 Theses?

Luther’s main concern was the Roman Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences — essentially, a “get-out-of-hell” card for a price. According to Catholic doctrine, when a person dies, their soul goes to purgatory, a waiting place where a soul waits until being judged by God. The Church sold these papal indulgences, which were believed to reduce the time one would spend in purgatory, allowing for a more peaceful, less harsh judgement in the afterlife.

In many ways, this practice mirrors how money is often at the center of modern churches today, where leaders encourage donations, claiming that those who give money will receive blessings and purity for their souls. A modern parallel might be televangelist and church leader Joel Osteen, who uses donations from followers to fund his multiple multi-million dollar homes. Though they were not buying private jets and yachts, the Catholic Church of Luther’s time used funds from indulgence sales to finance the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Luther found the Church’s authority to forgive sins in exchange for money absurd. In response, he wrote his 95 Theses to challenge this practice. Rather than reviewing all of the theses, I will focus on five that I find to be particularly significant.

Thesis 1:

When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

The first thesis references a quote from Jesus Christ: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” However, at the time of Luther’s writing, the Catholic Church largely treated repentance as a sacrament — a formal process involving confession, indulgences, and prescribed rituals. Luther begins the 95 Theses forcefully, asserting that repentance is not a one-time formal act, but a lifelong, personal journey between an individual and God.

Thesis 27:

They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory.

The twenty-seventh thesis is quite memorable due to it directly mocking a popular saying by indulgence sellers. German priest, Johann Tetzel, reportedly exclaimed: “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs.” Tetzel, and all other indulgence sellers, promoted the idea that if one were to purchase an indulgence, they would be able to free a loved one’s soul from purgatory. This thesis emphasizes that salvation is erroneously reduced to money.

Thesis 36:

Any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without indulgence letters.

The thirty-sixth thesis is concerned with true repentance. Luther challenges the Church’s practice of selling indulgences by arguing that when one truly repents, they have “a right to full remission,” indicating that turning away from sin and embracing God is sufficient to obtain forgiveness. This thesis highlights how God alone is who is able to forgive sins — and that the Church does not have the authority to forgive sins.

Thesis 50:

Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the indulgence preachers, he would rather that the basilica of St. Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin, flesh, and bones of his sheep.

The fiftieth thesis argues that if the Pope truly understood the harm caused by indulgence preachers — particularly how they exploit people’s fear — he would put an end to the practice entirely. Luther suggests that, if the pope fully grasped the unethical nature of funding St. Peter’s Basilica through manipulation, he would rather see the Church burned down instead of the church being built on the backs of faithful believers who had been deceived.

Thesis 94:

Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their head, through penalties, death, and hell.

The ninety-fourth thesis urges Christians to reject papal indulgences and to follow Christ amidst all struggles. Luther understands that following Christ requires sacrifice and hardship; this view is in opposition to simple indulgences one can buy to spare themselves from internal struggle. Rather than finding loopholes, Luther believes that Christians must be authentic in their relationship with God.

Luther’s 95 Theses are relatively straightforward, and while he may have nailed them to the door of the Wittenberg Church in 1517, his tone was sincere. However, by 1520, Pope Leo X demanded that Luther denounce his own writings, and when Luther refused, he was formally excommunicated in 1521. That same year at the Diet of Worms — a formal assembly of the Holy Roman Empire held in Worms, Germany — Emperor Charles V publicly denounced Luther.

Despite this hatred and opposition, Luther maintained his belief. Luther never wavered in preaching what he believed to be true — even by the time of his death. Regardless of one’s religious perspective, Luther stands out as a compelling historical figure — one well worth studying.