It's Complicated

Thomas Müntzer plays a rather interesting role in history. He is a complicated character, making strides in the reformation of the church and even larger strides for the ideas of Marxists. Little is known about his up bringing except that he was the son of a burgher (a member of the wealthy bourgeoisie). He was given a humanist education, becoming a linguist, learning Greek, Hebrew and Latin. Also, completing a course in Biblical theology. Müntzer later became a priest and during this time he became attracted to the works of Martin Luther.

            He studied the works of Luther and was said to have listened to his lectures. However, after all the teachings Müntzer viewed Luther’s ideology of “scripture alone”. With educational background Müntzer felt the need to come to his own conclusions on the interpretation of the Bible.  He took a more extremist view, regarding the passages in revelation.  The apocalyptic passage portrayed the classic struggle between the righteous and evil. It was difficult for him to separate the word from a spiritual and separate perspective, which could be attributed to part of the cause of the peasants revolt. He translated that struggle into the class struggle between the peasants and the wealthy. His revolutionary concept of the inevitable conquest of the anti - Christian earthly government and the thesis that the someone people themselves were the instruments of God and would have to execute this change. He believed that the peasants would lead the struggle against the enemies of the Holy Spirit in the last days, which he believed was the in mid 16th century. (Britannica) During the peasant revolt t he peasants had great faith in Müntzer and later assured his followers that in upcoming war that there would be a divine intervention and their lives would be spared. However, as history states, there was no divine intervention but instead a mass slaughter.

            Yes, this was very tragic but what really intrigued me is how Marxists view this a very crucial part in their history.  Marxists believed that after the apocalypse the world would become a proletariat state where the workers own and run everything. They saw the uprising and his ideologies a foreshadowing of their version of the future.  When East Germany became a communist state they told stories of how Müntzer was a hero, A tragic hero, tragic because of his death. He was a “part of history’s inevitable, inexorable move towards the East German State.” (PBS)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/explanation/muentzer.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/397713/Thomas-Muntzer

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=M%C3%BCntzer,_Thomas_(1488/9-1525)#1987_Update

             

On The Jews and Their Lies

The image above is the original title page of On the Jews and Their Lies, written by Martin Luther in 1543. From our course packet we learn that Martin Luther was prejudices against the Jews, and in this section he advises civil and authorities to treat the Jews harshly. I wonder if this started the anti-Judaism which cause people like Hitler to hate and blame everything on the Jews- for the next several centuries. In this book, Luther gives seven regulations that should happen to Jews, the first rule is: Let their synagogues or churches be set on fire (CP).

 Secondly, their homes should be likewise be broken down and destroyed. He even compares them to gypsies (CP). Thirdly, they should be deprived of their paper books and Talmuds in which such idolatry; lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught (CP). Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach anymore (CP). Fifthly, passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to the Jews (CP). Sixthly, they ought to be stopped from usury. All their cash and valuables of silver and gold ought to be taken from them (CP). Last but not least, let them earn their bread by the sweat of their noses as is enjoined upon Adam’s children (CP).  

Even though Luther’s proposals were made against the Jews as the CP states the authorities did not heed his proposals to raze synagogues and homes but some anti-Jewish measures were introduced. And this is where I was wondering about Hitler and his hatred for Jews. Does anyone know if Hitler was a Lutheran? 

Thomas Müntzer

Painting of Thomas Müntzer 

         Thomas Müntzer was born in 1489. He was a German theologist and pastor during the early Reformation-era. Like others during this time Müntzer took interest in the confrontation and criticism of the church by Martin Luther and jumped on the bandwagon. However, Martin Luthers' views and ideas did not go far enough for Müntzer. He rebelled Luther and his idea of infant baptism (as well as other things,  Müntzer views drew a very fine line between Luthers.) In 1521 Thomas Müntzer broke away from this and become one of the founders of the
 Anabaptist movement. The term Anabaptist come from the Greek term which means "one who baptizes over again". It was given this name because Anabaptist require people to make their own confessions of faith, which would go against any form of infant baptism. Although Thomas Müntzer was opposed to infant baptism much doubt  surfaces if he himself was ever "re-baptized" in his adult life.
          After fleeing Allstedt where he was a preacher, Thomas Müntzer then become apart of the uprising movement of the German Peasants' War. He led a group of about 8000 peasants at the battle of Frankenhauser in 1525. There Müntzer was utterly defeated, captured  imprisoned and then tortured for days. He then recanted and accepted the Roman Catholic mass before being beheaded on May 27 1525. 

Martin Luther's Family Life

  First of all I would like to apologize that the image is not on the blog because I am blogging on my phone, however, the hyperlink will connect you to the image. In this image by Gustov Spangenberg, Martin Luther is depicted with his family. I found this image intriguing because the typical image of Martin Luther is a portrait of him with a regal look to him. However, in this image he is show with his family playing music. This seems unusual to  me  because honestly I have never seen  a picture of Martin Luther participating in any activity.

  To me this image depicts not only Martin Luther but possible activities people would have taken part in in Germany in this time period. It appears that Martin Luther is playing a guitar of sorts while his family sings. I imagine they are singing hymns together, which seems like an odd past time to people in the 21st century but appears to be quite enjoyable to the Luther family. I wonder if this was possibly a regular hobby of the Luther's or, because this painter was not present in the time period, just the painters imagination.

https://iamachild.wordpress.com/tag/martin-luther/

The Law and the Gospel

Morality was a major issue in the reformation and became central to the Protestant views. Going back to the gospel for answers was a common theme during this time and morality was no exception.  In this image, which is an oil painting done by Cranach in 1529, we see how some of Luther's theological ideas.  The right side of this image represents living by the gospel while the left represents to opposite.   We can see on the right side of the image we see a man pointing to Jesus on the cross and trying to exemplify that you must have faith in God.  This is representative of the salvation by faith idea created by Luther.

On the left side Adam and Eve in combination with the man being forced into hell show what happens when one deviates from the Gospel and faith.  God is also depicted in this image in two different ways.  On the left side of the image he is looking down upon Adam and Eve passing judgment upon them.  Although on the right side of the image we see God showing mercy to the man.  This idea of God as passionate and merciful is another one of Luther's ideas that were central to his thesis.

A True Love Story

After living in a convent since the age of three, Katherine Von Bora, and several other nuns, were ready to leave the cloister after hearing about Luther’s Biblical teaching. When Luther received word of this, he encouraged a merchant friend, Merchant Kopp, to help them get out. While, Kopp was making a routine delivery to the convent he bundled 12 nuns into his wagon in empty fish barrels. Luther helped the nuns to find homes and a husbands. However, after two years Katherine still did not have a husband.      

It took some persuasion from family and friends, but Katherine agreed to marry Luther. She moved into his monastery and helped to bring some much needed order and structure into Luther’s everyday life. After the first year of marriage Luther wrote a friend, "There is a lot to get used to in the first year of marriage. One wakes up in the morning and finds a pair of pigtails on the pillow which were not there before." He must have liked the changes that his new wife brought into his life; he later exclaimed to a friend, "There is no bond on earth so sweet, nor any separation so bitter, as that which occurs in a good marriage."

She managed the finances, along with raising 6 children, mending a vegetable garden, orchard, fishpond and barnyard animals, so Luther’s mid could be free to thinking about his writings, teachings, and ministering. Luther would refer to her as the "morning star of Wittenberg" for all the work she was able to do. 

After Martin's death in 1546, she lived only six more years. Just long enough to see her all of children, except Magdalena who had died young, achieve positions of influence.

Sources: 

http://www.reformationtours.com/site/490868/page/204052

Katharina von Bora

In class we talked briefly about Katharina von Bora*, Luther’s wife, and what a kind of a person she might has been. Since movies often tend to overplay things in a certain way, I decided to look a little bit deeper into Katharina von Bora’s life and personality.

1526

           

          If we first look a the painting from Lucas Cranach the Elder, Katharina does indeed appear to be a little bit stiff and not really friendly. Cranach depicts her as a person who seems to be serious and tough – that is at least how I see the portrait. However, we should not interpret too much in one painting. Besides, Cranach also did other portraits of Katharina, in which her look is different (see below).

            So, who was Katharina von Bora then? Katharina von Bora was born in 1499. Since she was three years old she lived in a convent. When Martin Luther released his 95 theses, Katha was 18 years old. She and other nuns heard of Luther teaching and his opinion about convents and monasteries. As we already learned in class, she and other nuns fled the convent in empty fish barrels. Luther helped to quickly find new homes and husbands for the nuns - except for Katharina. The love between Katharina and Martin wasn’t at first sight at all. Luther actually wanted to marry Ave von Schönfeld, another nun of Katharina’s convent. It is not really clear why Luther finally married Katharina von Bora but he did so in 1525. And we know that he liked it even if he had to get used to the situation after his long life of celibacy and aloneness (he was 41 years old at the weeding, Katharina was 26 years old).

1528

            Katharina is always described as a competent manager of the family and the household. The sources tell that she rose up at four in the morning to fulfill her responsibilities. She took care of all the household duties, raised six children of her own and four orphans, and even managed the finances of the family. She helped to free Luther’s mind for his work of writing, teaching, and ministering. She also took care of the many guests who visited the Luther home quite often.

            In class we talked about Luther’s views on marriage and the role of women. Katharina von Bora definitely met his expectations. In letters to his friends he called her the "morning star of Wittenberg" or wrote about her: "My Katie is in all things so obliging and pleasing to me that I would not exchange my poverty for the riches of Croesus." Katharina had many important duties at the house (e.g. finances), she was taught in Bible studies from Martin himself and, moreover, she was the only woman who was allowed to participate at the table talks with Luther’s friends and other professors, students and pastors. With this in mind we can say that she definitely was a busy woman who probably also had a lot influence on her husband and maybe wasn’t as obedient as Luther tend to describe the role of wives in general.

*I am a little bit confused if her actual name was Katherine (as in Zophy) or Katharina von Bora. In some sources she is also referred to as Catherine. But since she was born in Germany, I would say her “real” name was Katharina (that is also how she is named in the German and the English Wikipedia).

Sources:

http://www.reformationtours.com/site/490868/page/204052

http://www.luther2017.de/20557/zupackend-und-streitbar-luthers-herr-kaethe

German Peasant Woodcut

After our discussion on peasant revolts during the reformation, I decided to research some of the various woodcuts regarding peasants and revolutions during this time.  As we have learned, Marxist ideas were common among peasants and related to many of the uprisings in the reformation.  This particular woodcut depicts the peasant war in Germany, by Frederick Engels.  As provided by the image, German peasants revolted against the higher government.  In class, we have discussed that peasants were often not featured in woodcuts after they started to revolt. This image is unique because it actually shows the peasants in battle during the uprising.  As we can see, some noblemen and possibly knights are fighting along with peasants.  This aspect links us back to our class discussion as to why it is in fact called a peasant revolt if various other men aided peasants in fighting.   Either way, peasant revolts were a significant issue surrounding the reformation and had an impact within various countries and the art that originated in them.

Relics in the past and present

            In the Catholic church of the 16th century relics were important pieces of the past. A relic was an item that had direct ties to someone from the past that was considered holy. The order of importance of the relics was Jesus, the virgin Mary, and then the disciples. People of the renaissance believed that these relics still had spiritual power and would make pilgrimages across Europe just to be able to see them. Being able to see these relics and pray to them counted towards the remission of these people's sins.

picture of people admiring relic of St. Francis

           

            This sort of thing still happens today. A year ago a relic of St. Francis Xavier went on a national tour. Within this tour the relic went to many churches and was accompanied by Jesuit Father Richard Shortall. He would talk about the saint's missionary achievement and said that's why they should seek the saints intercession and welcome his relic. So to this day people still believe that relics have some sort of power but more so agree that they are a great way to remember the pat achievements of the particular person.

http://www.catholicleader.com.au/news.php/top-stories/saintly-visit_83175

A Woman Against Luther

(This relief comes from a townhouse in Nuremberg, it was constructed between 1503-1532, no one is sure exactly when.)

Caritas Pirckheimer, the abbess of St. Clare’s Convent in Nuremberg led a relatively simple life. During her childhood, she received a humanist education and learned Latin. She joined the order of St. Clare when she was sixteen. The rise of the Reformation did not occur until much later in her life, she was in her mid-fifties at the time.

She stood against the Reformation, in the heart of a city that supported Luther and his ideas. Her strong stance against the Reformation came in part due to Luther’s preaching against Catholic buildings, especially monasteries. For Caritas this meant Luther and his speeches stood as a very real threat to her life and livelihood as an abbess. Through passive resistance and powerful friendships, she managed to keep the convent open, even though Nuremberg became a Lutheran city officially in 1525 (Zophy 183). One friendship that made her resistance possible came in the form of Philip Melanchthon. He respected the piety and education of the nuns at St. Clare’s as such he advised the city leaders to offer a more peaceful solution. Instead of being forced out, the nuns could not take new members, or receive their preachers, but otherwise could be left alone to their own work (Zophy 183). Yet by 1591, the abbey had ceased functioning, due to their inability to accept new members. 

General Facts come from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caritas_Pirckheimer