During the 15th century, people saw acts of nature, as acts of God. Luther found himself traveling in the forest when suddenly he was caught in a windy storm with thunder and lightning. Luther prayed to God that night stating that if his life was spared, he would become a monk. Within days, Luther had reached an Augustinian monastery, casting off law school and the expectations of his father. Luther’s father was furious as he would receive no grandchildren due to the churches policy of celibacy among monks. Luther fasted for days and beat himself upon arriving at the monastery as he believed it would be pleasing to God. Luther would confess every single sin he could think during confession, sometimes spending hours when others only spent mere moments. Luther constantly vocalized that he did not feel saved or cleansed of his sins and that the things he was being told to do, were not bringing him any closer to God.

After 2 years of preparation, Luther was ordained, celebrating his first mass in 1507. Luther soon after walked 1300 kilometers across the alps to Rome, Italy. Luther expected a wise and pious city, but instead he found disillusionment, a city ripe with depravity of the Holy Spirit. After returning from Rome, Luther’s distress and angst grew.

A traveling fryer named Johann Tetzel (pronounced “yo-han”) offered to shortcut the process of purgatory by offering pieces of paper referred to as “indulgences” which would absolve the purchaser of any sin. These indulgences were believed to be more effective than traditional confession as confession made Catholic’s stay within purgatory for an undetermined period of time whilst paying for the sins committed during their lifetime. Pope Leo X was responsible for”