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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Reformation

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When Martin Luther’s sermon was first preached, it was already four years into the Reformation. The Reformation was a 16th Century movement led by Luther, a then Theology Professor. Luther, known as the man behind the Reformation, was not the first person to preach these ideas; but the first to have them acted upon due to his large audience. Although the Reformation began in Germany, it quickly swept through all of Western Europe. The audience for Luther’s sermon was Erfurt, Germany. Only those who disagreed with the Catholic Church followed Luther’s practice. Upon further analysis of the sermon, the main message proved to be that one can have faith without following the Pope. If you have faith in God, that is all you need for your soul to be saved. “…we should not build upon human law or works, but rather have true faith in the one who is …show more content…

Sources from thee Pierpont Morgan Library New York/Art Resources NY.

The following pamphlet being analysed was released during the same period Luther’s sermon was preached. As the expansion of the Reformation continued, visual propaganda was commonly used to spread the message. Due to the invention of the printing press, Lucas Cranach – a German Renaissance painter , was able to create a pamphlet to communicate the idea’s of the Reformation. This particular document displays pictures of the Pope vs. Jesus. The message in this pamphlet proves that the Pope isn’t following Jesus’ teachings, and depicts that the Pope is purely power hungry. The message is expressed clearly, once again using polemical visuals. This type of document is especially appealing to those who were illiterate, due to the fact it was not common to be able to read in this era. The audience was mainly Germany, although spread throughout Western Europe due to the invention of the printing press. Those who didn’t

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