Question

iii. document analysis partner activity directions: find a partner to work with. each of you will read one of the documents below and answer the questions for that document. after you answer the questions, share your information with your partner. instrucciones: encuentre un socio con quien trabajar. cada uno de ustedes leerá uno de los documentos a continuación y responderá las preguntas de ese documento. después de responder las preguntas, comparta tu información con tu compañero. document a: the introduction to the 95 theses (modified) as a young man, martin luther became increasingly bothered by the practice of granting sinners indulgences to buy their way out of punishment for their sins. in 1517, luther decided to write up his criticisms of indulgences and to send them to the archbishop of mainz. luthers criticisms, known as the 95 theses against indulgences, eventually made their way to the pope, who responded by attacking luther and eventually excommunicating him from the catholic church. the passage below is an excerpt from the letter luther sent to the archbishop of mainz with the 95 theses. the grace of god be with you in all its fullness and power! spare me, most reverend father in christ and most illustrious prince, that i, the dregs of humanity, have so much boldness that i have dared to think of writing a letter to someone of your sublimity.... papal indulgences for the building of st. peters are circulating under your most distinguished name. i do not bring accusation against the outcries of the preachers, which i have not heard, so much as i grieve over the wholly false impressions which the people have conceived from the indulgences. the unhappy souls believe that if they have purchased letters of indulgence they are sure of their salvation. source: martin luthers letter to the archbishop of mainz, 1517. document a: luther in 1517 1. (sourcing) when was this document written? what was luthers purpose in writing it? 2. (close reading) how would you describe luthers tone in this document? 3. (close reading) according to this document, why did luther challenge the catholic church?

Explanation:

1. The document is sourced as Martin Luther's letter to the Archbishop of Mainz in 1517. His purpose was to express his concerns about the false impressions people had regarding papal indulgences and the belief that purchasing them ensured salvation.
2. Luther's tone is respectful yet critical. He starts with deference to the Archbishop but then proceeds to critique the practice of indulgences.
3. Luther challenged the Catholic Church because he was troubled by the false beliefs that had arisen from the circulation of papal indulgences for building St. Peter's, where people wrongly thought buying indulgences guaranteed their salvation.

Answer:

1. Written in 1517. Purpose: To express concerns about false impressions of indulgences and salvation.
2. Respectful yet critical.
3. Because of the false beliefs among people that buying indulgences ensured salvation.