| 1526 Age 42 |
January - Luther publishes the German Mass under the title of Deutsche Messe Und Ordnung Gottis Dientis (German Mass and Order of the Divine Service). For aesthetic reasons he continues to use the Latin Mass published in the Formula Missae.
Spring - Luther writes Whether Soldiers Too Can Be Saved
June 7 - Hans (John) Luther II is born to Martin and Katherine
August - The First Imperial Diet of Speyer makes Protestant reforms legal. Local sovereigns are able to decide how much they want the reforms within their territory. The Diet suspends the Edict of Worms. Especially in Saxony and Hesse, new forms of church organization begin to emerge. |
Luther in 1526 painting
by
Lucas Cranach |
| 1527 Age 43 |
Spring - Luther publishes the Smart Songbook
Spring - Luther begins to suffer from heart problems and dizziness (possibly Meniere's disease) in addition to his perennial digestive and intestinal difficulties.
April - Luther writes Whether these Words: This is My Body
July - Luther writes "A Mighty Fortress is our God". By mid summer, he is suffering from depression. His ill health plagues him. He feels powerless to help those of his followers who are suffering for their faith and may be suffering from survivor's guilt.
August 2 - The black death strikes Wittenberg. Elector John evacuates the university to Jena, but Luther decides to stay in Wittenberg and minister to the plague victims. His son Hans contracts the plague but lives.
November - Luther writes Whether one May Flee from a Deadly Plague
December 1 - Elizabeth Luther is born to Martin and Katherine. She is born sickly, possibly because of Katherine's exposure to the black death while pregnant.
By the end of 1527, Saxony was, for all practical purposes, entirely Protestant |
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| 1528 Age 44 |
Luther travels and evaluates the Protestant clergy
March 28 - Luther writes Confession and the Lord's Supper
May 4 - Elizabeth Luther, Martin and Katherine's daughter, dies
June - Luther encourages Protestant rulers to banish rather than execute Ana baptists in their territory. |
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| 1529 Age 45 |
February 21 - The Second Diet of Speyer (held through April 22) sets aside the first Diet's judgment. The Catholics believe it to be a fair compromise. It garners protest from the Protestants. (From that protest comes the word "Protestant.")
Spring - Luther writes On War Against the Turk
March - Luther publishes the Small Catechism
May 4 - Luther publishes the Large CatechismMagdalena Luther is born to Martin and Katherine
May 5 - The Marburg Colloquy begins. Luther meets with Ulrich Zwingli in Marburg. German and Swiss theologians try to hammer out a theological statement they both can agree on, hoping for unity between the Protestants. (through October 4) (see Heinrich Bullinger's account of the Colloquy) |
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| 1530 Age 46 |
Spring - Luther writes Exhortation to All Clergy Assembled at Augsburg
April 8 - The Diet of Augsburg convenes. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V summons the German Lutheran nobility to Augsburg to account for their "Lutheran" views. They present the emperor with Philip Melanchthon's Augsburg Confession.
April 16 - Luther arrives at the Coburg Veste (citadel), where he resides during the diet of Augsburg. (He is under the ban of the Empire and is not welcome at the official meeting, four days' journey away.) He receives periodic updates from Melanchthon and other Protestant participants.
May 1 - Hans Luther, Martin's father, dies while Luther is at Coburg.
June 20 - The first meeting of the Diet of Augsburg is held. The meeting had been delayed because the emperor had not been able to reach Augsburg in time for the convocation
June 25 - The Augsburg Confession is read before the imperial diet. It is a deliberately moderate Lutheran confession of faith containing both doctrine and a list of ecclesiastical abuses that demand remedy. Over the course of the next three months, Roman theologians issue a refutation, the Confutatio Pontificia.
September 8 - Luther publishes An Open Letter on Translating
October - Luther and Melanchthonmeet with political leaders in Torgau. The electoral advisors persuade Luther to leave the question of armed revolt against the emperor to political leaders. Luther begins to rethink his views on the relationship of church and state.
November 19 - The Diet of Augsburg ends. The participants are unable to achieve a compromise. Charles V gives the Protestants until April of 1531 to submit to his and the Catholic Church's authority. He then declares that the they have been defeated. The Augsburg Confession becomes an authoritative profession of Lutheran faith. |
Philip Melanchthon |
| 1531 Age 47 |
February - Luther writes Warning to his Beloved Germans, discussing the rightness of armed resistance to the emperor. He leaves the choice to take up arms to the Protestant rulers.
Spring - Luther and his co-translators finish translating the Psalms
Spring - Margaretta Luther (Martin's mother) dies
March 29 - The Smalkaldian Alliance (also known as the Smalkaldic League)is formed. It is a protective alliance of Protestant princes under the leadership of Saxony and Hesse, formed to protect against Catholic attack.
November 9 - Martin Luther, Jr. is born to Martin and Katherine |
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| 1532 Age 48 |
The Religious Peace of Nürnberg grants German Protestants free exercise of religion until further notice. |
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| 1533 Age 49 |
January - Luther writes About Private Mass and Ordination
January - Luther helps reform the theology faculty at the University of Wittenberg.
January 29 - Paul Luther is born to Martin and Katherine |
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| 1534 Age 50 |
Spring - Luther publishes the first edition of the German Bible. He continues to work on revisions for the rest of his life.
December 17 - Margarethe Luther is born to Martin and Katherine |
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| 1535 Age 51 |
Spring - Luther becomes dean of the theological faculty at Wittenberg
Spring - Luther lectures on Genesis (through 1545).
Summer - Luther publishes his Commentary on Galatians
November 7 - Luther negotiates with nuncio Pietro Vergerio at Wittenberg Castle about Protestant participation in the papal council |
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| 1536 Age 52 |
January 14 - Luther writes The Disputation Concerning Man.
Luther writes The Disputation Concerning Justification.
March 21 - Wittenberg Concord. A conference of Lutheran and Zwinglian theologians meet at Luther's house. The achieve some compromise but very little understanding or respect for each other.
Summer - Luther helps reorganize the Wittenberg University curriculum.
Fall - Luther allows for the possibility of executing Anabaptists who disrupt the public order and refuse to stay in banishment.
December 1 - Luther publishes the Schmalkaldic Articles |
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| 1537 Age 53 |
February 9 - The Bundestag at Schmalkald begins (and runs through February 20). Luther attends but is very ill.
February 23 - Luther issues the Schmalkaldic Articles, as a statement of Lutheran doctrine. |
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