Martin Luther was a German monk, theologian, and church reformer. He is also considered to be the founder of Protestantism. Luthers theology challenged the authority of the papacy by emphasizing the Bible as the sole source of religious authority and the church as a priesthood of all believers. According to Luther, salvation was attainable only by faith in Jesus as the messiah, a faith unmediated by the church. These ideas helped to inspire the Protestant Reformation and changed the course of Western civilization. Luthers translation of the Bible into the vernacular, making it more accessible...