Sample Header Ad - 728x90

Did Martin Luther believe the Church needed to be reformed before the Great Schism of 1054AD, or after?

15 votes
2 answers
8425 views
I think its safe to say that Martin Luther, being one of the fathers of Protestantism, was primarily at odds with the *Roman* Church. He posted his 95 theses to confront what he thought to be corruption that centered around Roman Catholic indulgences. Later on he became convinced that the Pope was the Anti-Christ. > Nevertheless, since few know this glory of baptism and the > blessedness of Christian liberty, and cannot know them because of the > tyranny of the pope, I for one will walk away from it all and redeem > my conscience by bringing this charge against the pope and all his > papists: Unless they will abolish their laws and traditions, and > restore to Christ's churches their liberty and have it taught among > them, they are guilty of all the souls that perish under this > miserable captivity, and the papacy is truly the kingdom of Babylon, > yes, the kingdom of the real **Antichrist**! For who is " **the man of sin**" > and "**the son of perdition**" but he that with his doctrines and his laws > increases sins and the perdition of souls in the Church, while he sits > in the Church as if he were God? All this the papal tyranny has > fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, these many centuries. It has > extinguished faith, obscured the sacraments and oppressed the Gospel. > (*Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Page 536, chapter 3* - emphasis added) From what I understand, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are basically the same doctrinally, with the exception of a few points, such as the Filioque, Papal Supremacy, etc. I also understand it to be true that it is an historical fact that, before the Great Schism, there was only *one* Church consisting of both the "Eastern lung" and the "Western lung." My question is this: Did Luther believe that the Church needed to be doctrinally reformed even before the Great Schism? **If not then why didn't he just embrace Eastern Orthodoxy, and in turn direct his "reforming" constituents toward the East?** I haven't read *all* of Luther's works to know whether or not he conscientiously protested Rome exclusively, or the sacramental lineage of the unified East/West Fathers and ecumenical councils of the early Church *altogether*.
Asked by user5286
Sep 6, 2013, 05:25 AM
Last activity: Apr 13, 2016, 09:42 PM