Very few historical figures are as controversial as Martin Luther.  His supporters call him a Protestant hero, a freedom fighter, a wise and insightful church leader.  His detractors call him a heretic, an apostate, a profane ecclesiastical terrorist.  Still others call him a necessary evil or the unwitting catalyst that set aflame a volatile social and ecclesiastical situation.

Luther, himself, often called himself a simple monk or a simple Christian.  He marveled that a straight-forward stand of conscience had turned him into one of the most-talked-about people of his time.  Yet that simple Christian and that simple stand of conscience started an ecclesiastical shock wave that changed the course of Western history.

Note: The Luther Timeline is undergoing a much-needed renovation. As I get time, I’ll check the links and clean up some of the formatting. In the meantime, I’ll be keeping the site up. Please pardon our dust.

Luther’s Early YearsLuther the ReformerLuther the Church Leader
Luther’s Later Years | Timeline Charts of the Western Church