Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world. According to the statistics offered by the Lutheran World Federation, there are close to sixty-six million Lutherans worldwide. It was founded by Martin Luther, a German monk, who observed some obvious contradictions between the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church of his time. He also was concerned with many abuses within the Catholic Church. His goal was reform of the church. He did not initially want separation from it. When it was realized that it was going to be impossible, the Lutheran movement was begun. .
Martin Luther was from Wittenberg, Germany. He was a monk and a professor of theology. He taught that salvation was a result of grace of God and faith in Christ. He stressed not only these concepts, but also the authority of the scripture alone. He began to teach that the rituals and works the church ordered were unnecessary and a hindrance to salvation. He rejected the concepts of the role of priests, celibacy among priests, purgatory, transubstantiation, and the Latin Bible. He promoted the scriptures be made available or all people in their own languages. In 1517, he posted his infamous Ninety-Five Theses, which were against the practices of indulgences by the church, on the door of Wittenberg University. He hoped this would lead to reform of the church. It lead instead to him being excommunicated and receiving numerous threats on his life. What was initially began as an academic debate escalated into a separation between the Roman Catholic Church and the people who accepted Luthers reforms. He continued throughout his life to teach his ideas. Lutheran was the term the group that agreed with his philosophies adopted.
Lutheranism began to spread quickly throughout Germany. This quick growth was assisted by a sense of rising nationalism in Germany. Many were opposed to sending their wealth to Rome.