In ancient times, Martin Luther was known for being a missionary who brought a Christian understanding of salvation and righteousness. Being an extremist Christian, Luther set the basis for Christians to understand how to be closer to God by being righteous in their deeds and having strong faith in the Almighty. Scholars have had mixed reactions to Luther’s way of thinking terming him radical. Luther had a profound impact on various fields, including politics, religion, and the economy. When it comes to his actions in medieval Europe, Mullett wants to find out what he was doing and why.
Due to the controversial nature of Luther’s decisions and doings, there was a need to understand Luther’s life history. Mullett seeks to clarify and justify the emergence of modern protestant churches rather than just the Roman Catholics. The thunder and lightning that struck near Luther changed his perception, giving him a feeling of discernment to know more about God (Mullett, 1986). Using Mullett’s interpretation of Luther’s reasoning, he claims that Luther became a monk so that he could reflect on his own life and cultivate his faith in God. Luther was attempting to realize a lifelong ambition: becoming a professor of theology. Contrary to his expectations, Luther realized that the church was not as holy as he thought it was; there was much hypocrisy. The spiritual leaders in the monastery, such as the pope, seemed to be taking advantage of the congregants. Mullet further explains why Luther started questioning some of the teachings of the Bible and how the Roman Catholic church interpreted them.
Luther questioned the church’s teachings that, at some point, made him believe that getting to heaven was through material giving rather than an individual’s spiritual wellbeing. The fact that the church taught Christians that the only authentic way to heaven was through the construction of the church and that it reduced one’s sins on earth, thus guaranteeing them entry to heaven, disturbed Luther. In his research, Michael clarified why eventually, Luther started to translate the Bible into different languages within ancient Europe, which later spread across the world (Mullet, 1986). The readings in Romans 1:17 that say that just actions and faith were the only way to heaven gave Luther hope of guarding his spirituality. Luther described the catholic teachings as a misinterpreted concept to exploit the congregates. The Bible translation was to enable ordinary Christians to read it on their own instead of relying on the false teachings of the clergy.
Luther criticized the spiritual leaders and the political class for exploiting congregates by misusing the word of God. Mullet (2002) argues that Luther turned against the Roman Catholic Church and protested against its doctrine, intending to reform the church. The sale of indulgences was another technique of spiritual exploitation; the clergy persuaded people to donate to the church or participate in charity activities to minimize the time spent in purgatory. Through the writings of his 95 theses, Martin Luther was able to inspire the Protestant Reformation. By expressing his dissatisfaction with the church’s use of exploitation, Martin Luther incited the Reformation. Opponents of the sale of indulgences reacted angrily to his counter-argument. Protestant churches worldwide have sprung up due to his actions and others who held similar beliefs.
In conclusion, Mullet uses his works to persuade the modern church and Christians that not all church teachings are biblically sound. He convinces Christians of the importance of Protestantism, which has contributed to the decline in reliance on a single church, the Roman Catholic Church. The critics who have manifested themselves in writing recognize the critical nature of raising questions regarding spiritual subjects to avoid being brainwashed.
The term crusade, as used by the three historians whose primary sources serve as the foundation for this analysis, refers to the conflict between Christian and Muslim religious groups over the holy land of Jerusalem. Both groups of religious dived had a strong desire to take control of the territory and the city of Jerusalem. The strong beliefs about the city which was the land where Jesus was born led to the crusade invasion. The first crusade as presented by John France was such an important event in the history of both Christians and non-Christians. The crusade brought with it so many consequences positive and negative that affected lives across all borders, especially that of Christians and Muslims. The massacre and bloody murder of innocent people portrayed how deadly the war was that resulted to the fall of Jerusalem.
Two different but related descriptions of the events during the Christian Knights’ invasion of Jerusalem are presented in the two different but comparable versions chronicling the fall of Jerusalem. Fulcher of Chartres and John France’s narration slightly differs from that of Ibn al-Athir account of the happenings due to their spiritual background. Ibn al-Athir terms the Franks as merciless who never showed mercy to children and women. Athir further argues that Franks invasion was to preserve the dominancy of the catholic church, though that was never achieved. They all however agree that the interest of the holy land was the cause of brutal murder and loss of life. Many men, women, and children perished during the siege in Fulcher of Chartres, Ibn al-Athirs and Johns accounts.
However, in analyzing the three primary sources, it is important to remember that both of these sources were written at different eras in history hence leading to the distortion of the information presented by different scholars. Ancient scholars have firsthand information on the fall of Jerusalem as compared to modern researchers. According to Fulcher of Chartres, Ibn al-Athir’s source is more depressing than Fulcher’s. Reading both accounts can teach historians a lot about the feelings and experiences of individuals living in the territory since each author has a unique perspective. Muslim reactions and responses are shown in today’s happenings on how they view the westerns. Every tale of the First Crusade will be unique, yet with many parallels between the accounts of the various territories that were plagued.
According to France’s account, Pope Urban II’s address at Clermont-Ferrand in 1095 was the spark that fueled the First Crusade when he called for Jerusalem’s liberation in his speech. His narration seeks to reject both sources that the assault on Jerusalem took place and many people lost their lives. France’s account did not see the pain and devastation felt by Muslims but rather concentrated on the possession of Jerusalem by the Franks (Christians). France’s point of view, however, contradicts that of Ibn al-Athir who claims that the crusades and the fall of Jerusalem are the reason behind the hatred between Muslims and Christians. Even though the motivation for the takeover is different, France considers the two sources equal as a result of their spiritual alienations and religious interest at heart. Since religious differences were the root cause of the war, it is normal for each party to fight while safeguarding their interest.
Reference
Mullett, M. (1986). Luther. Taylor & Francis.