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Ninety-five Theses

Martin Luther · 1517

Luther's 1517 list of propositions attacking the sale of indulgences, the document that sparked the Reformation.

Luther wrote and circulated the Theses, the act that launched the controversy that became the Reformation.

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Printed 1517 broadsheet page of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, in black letter type with red paragraph marks and a title header at top. Dense two-column Latin text, numbered theses, and a date near the bottom.
Martin Luther, Ninety-five Theses, 1517.

About this source

What it is

A printed broadsheet of 95 propositions written by Martin Luther in 1517, debating the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church. It was sent to Archbishop Albert of Mainz and soon printed in several German cities.

Why it matters

Luther wrote the Theses as material for an academic debate, not as a declaration of rebellion. But thanks to the printing press, his criticism of indulgence sellers like Johann Tetzel spread far beyond Wittenberg within weeks, turning a scholarly dispute into a public controversy that became the Protestant Reformation.

Look closer

  • Why might a document meant for academic debate have spread so quickly to ordinary people?
  • What does the printed format tell you about why the Theses had such wide impact?
  • What questions about faith and money is Luther raising here?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Luther on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Luther Bible

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