Martin Luther as an Augustinian Monk
For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church was the unquestioned leader of Christians living in Western Europe. Because of its dominant position, the Church was resistant to change and was not tolerant of criticism of its actions and practices.
Eventually, some theologians, such as Martin Luther, began to question different Church beliefs and found that the Church was not open to reform. By openly challenging the Catholic Church and its leaders, these theologians started the Protestant Reformation. Ultimately, the Protestant Reformation resulted in the creation of new political and economic institutions, and the diminished power of the Catholic Church.
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