want to help me with some in depth, but interesting stuff about Martin Luther? (PLEASE!!?)?

Question

So if Erasmus had ideas that influenced Luther, but how did this happen... was Luther in contact with Erasmus... or did he read one of his books (if so which one)?

also, was Luther a conservative?

Answer 1

To me the intriguing part of Martin Luther's background is the event of July 2, 1505 when a lightning bolt struck near him as he was returning to university after a trip home. He was 22 at the time and interpreted this as a sign from God. Few of us get such a clear message, and in those days when electricity and lightning were not understood, this would indeed have seemed like a divine "spark."
Erasmus was the scholar of the age in Europe. He was about 15 years older than Luther, and he lived in the Netherlands. Luther dared not travel where any Catholic authorities could get their hands on him since they (the Catholic Church) would certainly have killed him if at all possible. Luther was protected by German princes but safe only in their lands. Luther and Erasmus communicated by letters. Handwritten letters were very common between scholars in this age. Both would have written in Latin. Remember that Luther was highly educated, a doctor of theology. He could read and write Latin, Greek, and of course German. One of the most important things he did was translate the bible into German. Translating the bible into a language that people might read (other than Catholic priests) was an offense punished by death in those days. The Catholic Church had a lucrative monopoly on Christ's message which only they could impart to the people
- often doctored up to add that Christ wants you to give money to the Church.
Luther was conservative in the sense that he wanted to bring the Church back to what Christ had intended (in his opinion and the opinion of his many followers). He felt the Pope and Church leaders had become far to libertine in their ways - preaching celibacy and having mistresses and illegitimate children openly in Rome. Their selling forgiveness of sins for money was base commercial use of religious power to Luther. Just read the first dozen of the 95 theses he posted on the Wittemburg church door this time of year in 1517.
High Church positions in Rome were being bought and sold
without a shred of honest Christianity in the early 1500s.
The Pope from 1492 - 1503 had been Rodrigo Borgia, openly the father of Cesare and Lucretia Borgia. How on earth could he preach celibacy among the clergy when everyone knew he had children with mistresses? The Pope at the time of Luther's break with the Church was a high living, big spending, luxury minded Medici - basically a merchant and banker. Luther would have said that he was the conservative and these popes were the libertines.
Luther did marry (a nun) and have children, but he did so within marriage like everyone else (except for Catholic priests supposedly). Lutheran ministers were allowed to marry - according to Luther.

Answer 2

The printing press (1451) made books accessible to everyone and Luther obtains the writings of Erasmus. He did communicate with Erasmus at first, but when Erasmus did not side with him, he wrote a scathing piece against him.

Answer 3

Here's probably more than you wanted to know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther