Unit 1 Ch 5 : Print Culture and the Modern World — Social Studies STD 10 — Question

Martin Luther was a great religious reformer. He was highly critical of the excesses of the Roman Catholic Church. He wanted people to know about these excesses. In 1517, he wrote a book titled Ninety-Five Theses. In this book he criticised many of the practices and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church. A printed copy of this was posted on a church door in Wittenberg. It challenged the church to debate his ideas. Luther's writings were immediately reproduced in large numbers and read widely. This brought about a division within the church and ultimately the Protestant Reformation began. Luther's translation of the New Testament sold 5,000 copies within a few weeks and a second edition appeared within three months.Luther was deeply grateful to the print. It was only due to the print that new ideas based on reason and intellect spread which led to the Protestant Reformation.