Lutheran Reformation: Challenging the Sub-cultures of Catholicism

Abstract

This paper focuses on Luther’s contribution towards the renewal of sub-cultures of the Catholic Church of the medieval times. These sub-cultures prompted a voracious desire for wealth, high taxation, the worship of relics, indulgences and superfluous popular pilgrimages. These also paved the way to a non-biblical culture in the church leading to a moral collapse. The biblical meaning was turned into temporal leanings and the church lost the liberative message of her master. Due to the evolution of these sub-cultures the ecclesiastical leadership became corrupt. Hence, Luther was no accident. He was timely and prophetic vis-a-vis the sub-cultural ethos of the era. He challenged the status quo culturally and structurally. He not only brought a new ideology to the prevailing society but also insisted upon opting for a renewal of the then theological culture, which would replace the then prevalent harmful sub-cultures. This renewal was brought about by introducing a new culture of Scripture and tradition and by insisting upon a collective conscience of the people.