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Definition:
In Christian tradition, an indulgence has been something a person could acquire as
part of an effort to eliminate or lessen temporal punishments for their sins. The
sale of indulgences was one of the things which incited Martin Luther to begin his
efforts at reformation.
An indulgence is basically a "get out of sin" card - but not for free because you have to pay for it with cash. Indulgences could be purchased either for oneself or on behalf of others, especially the deceased. Many believed that souls caught in purgatory could get to heave quicker if indulgences were purchased, and this placed a great deal of pressure on people.
This belief was encouraged by the church and the Dominican Johann Tetzel (1465-1519) was an important promoter of their effectiveness. He was sent to German by Leo X and became know for the catchy slogan "as soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."
This ran counter to Luther's new understanding of salvation, which was that it is a free gift of God, not something which could be earned through good works, much less purchased with money. Luther began his public efforts at reforming the Catholic Church when he posted his "95 theses" on a church door in Wittenberg On October 31, 1517. These statements objected to what he regarded as a number of corruptions of the Church which had accumulated over the centuries.
Luther's ideas also struck a nerve with Germans and the growing sense of German nationalism - this was exploited by those who owned one of the new printing press. It was through the mass replication of his writings that Luther's ideas were spread so far, so fast - an important factor in the development and power of the Reformation.
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Related Resources:
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