Blood on their hands
Martin Luther condemned the German Peasants' War in 1525 through his violent pamphlet Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants, urging nobility to mercilessly crush the rebellion.
Reasons for Condemnation
Fear of Chaos:
Luther viewed his religious reform as a spiritual movement, not a social or political revolution, and believed the uprising plunged society into lawless chaos.
Divine Order:
He taught that secular rulers and governing authorities were ordained by God, making rebellion a mortal sin regardless of how unjust the rulers were.
Broken Oaths:
Luther accused the peasants of violating Christian love, breaking sworn oaths of loyalty, and falsely using the Gospel to justify theft and violence.
The Impact
The Call to Violence:
Luther famously instructed the princes to "smite, slay, and stab" the rebels whom he compared to mad dogs.
The Death Toll:
The nobility used his harsh rhetoric to justify a brutal crackdown, leading to the slaughter of over 100,000 peasants.
Alienation:
The fierce betrayal permanently distanced common laborers from mainstream Lutheranism.
Reasons for Condemnation
Fear of Chaos:
Luther viewed his religious reform as a spiritual movement, not a social or political revolution, and believed the uprising plunged society into lawless chaos.
Divine Order:
He taught that secular rulers and governing authorities were ordained by God, making rebellion a mortal sin regardless of how unjust the rulers were.
Broken Oaths:
Luther accused the peasants of violating Christian love, breaking sworn oaths of loyalty, and falsely using the Gospel to justify theft and violence.
The Impact
The Call to Violence:
Luther famously instructed the princes to "smite, slay, and stab" the rebels whom he compared to mad dogs.
The Death Toll:
The nobility used his harsh rhetoric to justify a brutal crackdown, leading to the slaughter of over 100,000 peasants.
Alienation:
The fierce betrayal permanently distanced common laborers from mainstream Lutheranism.
31-35, F