Reformation Day: 4 facts to know about the other Oct. 31 holiday
1. 95 theses
Reformation Day marks the anniversary of when Augustinian monk Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or questions and propositions for debate, to a church door in Wittenberg, located in modern-day Germany.
Luther took issue with the Roman Catholic Church's teaching that salvation came through faith and good works rather than faith alone.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Also a concern for him was the widespread practice of indulgences, in which people gave money to the Church in return for forgiveness of sins.
"The 95 theses were quickly distributed throughout Germany and then made their way to Rome. In 1518, Luther was summoned to Augsburg, a city in southern Germany, to defend his opinions before an imperial diet (assembly)," noted History.
"A debate lasting three days between Luther and Cardinal Thomas Cajetan produced no agreement. Cajetan defended the Church's use of indulgences, but Luther refused to recant and returned to Wittenberg."
Soon enough, the movement spread throughout Europe, causing both violent upheavals, sweeping cultural change, and theological debates that continue to the present day.
