January: A Time For Reformation

In January of 1518 Martin Luther’s “95 Thesis”, an attack on the sale of Indulgences by the Catholic Church, was translated and distributed through a revolutionary technology – the printing press. Martin Luther captured the spirit of the moment with his thesis. The publication of this tract, gave voice to the sentiments of a heretofore-silent majority in Northern Europe.

In the segment below Dr. David Neiman discusses printing and the immense impact this invention had on society.

http://youtu.be/C08VAYvg0Y8

In 1518, the stage was set. Resentment against Rome was growing and a new sense of nationalism was arising. The spark created by the 95 Thesis combined with the super-oxygenated atmosphere created by the printing press, allowed this man’s fire to explode into public consciousness.

http://youtu.be/Cj2lRAh4eY8

That was Dr. David Neiman on the Protestant Reformation. The preceding segments are part of a series of lectures called “The Church and The Jews”.

An audio version of this blog is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/context/id941293995?mt=2

CONTEXT is a blog devoted to providing historical background to the situation in the Middle East. The history has been provided through video and audio recordings of my late father, Dr. David Neiman –an expert on the history of the ancient near east and the relationship between the Church and the Jews. He based his theses on historical records, linguistics and a deep understanding of the Bible and its origins. Dr. Neiman was a member of the theology department at Boston College and taught there for 25 years.