INSPIRATION
A MOVEMENT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
500th anniversary of Protestant Reformation highlighted in FTA-member tours
Rowena Drinkhouse Wittenberg , Germany
ADOBE STOCK by Kendall Fletcher
The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther ’ s Reformation is the pinnacle of faith-based travel this year .
Celebrations abound , particularly in Wittenberg , Germany , where Luther nailed his “ 95 Theses ” to the door of the Castle Church , spurring a reformation that infinitely changed the world .
Luther was born in 1483 , and after defying his father ’ s wishes to become a lawyer , he entered an Augustinian monastery . He continued his studies , received a doctorate and became a professor of biblical studies . He shared his views with the early philosopher Augustine , who believed in two central ideals crucial to Luther ’ s Reformation : the Bible held the ultimate religious authority over the Roman Catholic Church ’ s officials , and that humans received God ’ s grace through faith , not through works of righteousness as the Church believed .
The selling of indulgences , which the Catholic Church thought provided absolution to sinners , was strongly objected by Luther and led to his writing of the “ 95 Theses ,” a list of propositions for debate . After famously posting them in 1517 , the document was widely distributed throughout Germany and made its way to Rome .
He refused to recant his stance , and the pope condemned his writings and excommunicated him from the Catholic Church . When the Holy Roman emperor ordered his writings to be burned , Luther fled and , while in hiding , worked on translating the New Testament into German , another of his most profound feats . Other leaders stepped up to carry on his beliefs and lead the reform , which he found upon his return . His writings led to the Protestant Reformation , a movement so bold and controversial that the changes it made are being commemorated five centuries later .
Reformation Tours , a tour operator and Faith Travel Association member based in Belleville , Illinois , has packaged a 12-day tour designed to explore Luther ’ s life and commemorate his movements that restructured Christianity . Company owners Rowena and Frank Drinkhouse started Reformation Tours in 2003 after many years of organizing Christian tours in Turkey .
The Luther tour isn ’ t just allowing travelers to dive into history . Finding inspiration , interacting with fellow Christians and connecting deeper with their faith is on the itinerary , too .
“ Our tours are specifically designed for Christians , and so there ’ s fellowship with other tour members , as well as opportunities to meet
local believers ,” Rowena said . “ We have devotions during the trip , which is always a highlight .”
As a tour operator , she loves seeing travelers get excited about touring Europe .
“ It ’ s something they ’ ve dreamed about and arrive full of anticipation . By the end of the trip there ’ s such a bond of friendship between the travelers through their shared experiences .”
Tracing Luther ’ s footsteps , especially in this anniversary year , is on many faith-travelers ’ bucket list . But for the Drinkhouses , it ’ s not all Luther all the time . Rowena and Frank design tours to introduce their travelers to the local culture and to learn about the people who inhabit the places they visit .
“ These aren ’ t just vacations that include gorgeous cathedrals and stunning scenery , it ’ s an opportunity to learn more about our Christian heritage and be inspired to make our lives count ,” Rowena said .
“
It ’ s something they ’ ve dreamed about and arrive full of anticipation . By the end of the trip there ’ s such a bond of friendship between travelers .
— Rowena Drinkhouse
Luther ’ s Reformation changed many aspects of Christianity that continue to take effect today , which is why Rowena says it ’ s important for modern-day Christians to know the history .
“ Christians tend to take so much for granted , such as reading the Bible in our own language , singing in church rather than just listening to a choir , seeing our job as a vocation even if we ’ re not in full-time ministry , girls having the same educational opportunity as boys , clergy being able to marry . These are all the results of the Reformation , although the most important aspect was the understanding that we
6 routes of faith
INSPIRATION
A MOVEMENT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Wittenberg, Germany
Rowena Drinkhouse
by Kendall Fletcher
The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation is the pinnacle
of faith-based travel this year.
Celebrations abound, particularly in Wittenberg, Germany, where
Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church,
spurring a reformation that infinitely changed the world.
Luther was born in 1483, and after defying his father’s wishes to
become a lawyer, he entered an Augustinian monastery. He continued
his studies, received a doctorate and became a professor of biblical
studies. He shared his views with the early philosopher Augustine,
who believed in two central ideals crucial to Luther’s Reformation: the
Bible held the ultimate religious authority over the Roman Catholic
Church’s officials, and that humans received God’s grace through faith,
not through works of righteousness as the Church believed.
The selling of indulgences, which the Catholic Church thought
provided absolution to sinners, was strongly objected by Luther and
led to his writing of the “95 Theses,” a list of propositions for debate.
After famously posting them in 1517, the document was widely
distributed throughout Germany and made its way to Rome.
He refused to recant his stance, and the pope condemned his
writings and excommunicated him from the Catholic Church. When
the Holy Roman emperor ordered his writings to be burned, Luther
fled and, while in hiding, worked on translating the New Testament
into German, another of his most profound feats. Other leaders
stepped up to carry on his beliefs and lead the reform, which he
found upon his return. His writings led to the Protestant Reformation,
a movement so bold and controversial that the changes it made are
being commemorated five centuries later.
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