Luther and the "New Media"

One of the things we emphasize in this class is how the Protestant Reformation was the product of a particular social, cultural, and political context instead of a sudden realization that the Catholic Church was corrupt. Luther's significance is not that he was the first religious reformer (he was not) but in the fact that he was the first reformer to achieve notable success.

Part of the historical context of the Reformation was the advent of the printing press. Although Guttenberg's invention appeared several decades before Luther's 95 theses, Luther and his inner circle were masters at exploiting the possibilities of this revolutionary invention. This article from The Economist is a good introduction to how Luther used the power of the press to spread his ideas.