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Why were Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses so important?

Martin Luther (1483–1546) is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation (a revolution against the Roman Catholic Church) when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Castle Church at Wittenberg in Saxony, Germany, on October 31, 1517. The Ninety-Five Theses are important because they directly challenged the authority of the pope (the head of the Roman Catholic Church) and questioned the practices of the Catholic Church. A German monk and professor of theology (study of religion), Luther used the theses (arguments or assertions) to condemn the corruption of the church, especially the sale of indulgences (pardons that were granted by the church) by priests and bishops. Luther had already been preaching that Christians are saved from sin by having faith in God and not simply by doing good works. In 1518 he continued to defend his beliefs...

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