Lutheran Reformation history
What’s your position on whether Luther ever said the "Here I stand“ phrase at Worms, and whether he really nailed the 95 Theses to the Schlosskirche door on 31 October 1517? Thanks.
When Martin Luther made his courageous stand on God’s word at the Diet of Worms on April 18, 1521, he spoke in German and in Latin. Eyewitness accounts and transcripts of the proceedings vary. Some accounts include “Here I stand…” Others do not. All the accounts are in agreement with the substance of Luther’s words—that he upheld the authority of Scripture and that his conscience was captive to Scripture. Personally, as I think of that dramatic scene, I am happy to include that phrase in Luther’s speech.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, accompanied by Johann Schneider, nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. He also sent a copy of the Theses to Archbishop Albert of Mainz. Twentieth-century historians questioned whether Luther actually posted the Theses. There is a good treatment of this topic in a 2018 companion volume to Luther’s Works: “Sixteenth-Century Biographies of Martin Luther.”