8 9
Veste Coburg, Coburg, Germany While seeking protection during the Diet of
Augsburg, Luther continued his translation of the Bible into high German here.
Nuremberg, Germany With 21 printing presses during the 16th
century, this town played a vital role in spreading the Reformation’s ideas by creating and distributing pamphlets.
10 11
Grossmünster, Zurich, Switzerland In 1519, Huldrych Zwingli, a leader of the
Reformation in Switzerland, became pastor here and began to preach about reforming the church.
St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva, Switzerland Prominent Reformation theologian John Calvin preached here throughout the mid-16th century.
12
Castle of St. Andrews, St.
Andrews, Scotland John Knox, leader of the Scottish Reformation and founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, was chaplain of St. Andrews Castle in the mid-16th century.
13
Parliament of England By passing the first Act of Supremacy in 1534,
the English Parliament established King Henry VIII as supreme head of the church, breaking the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church.
14 15
Thirty Years’ War, across Europe Growing tension between Roman Catholics
and Protestants, in part, led to the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648). The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) was fueled by a Protestant rebellion against efforts to curtail religious freedom.
Peace of Westphalia, Westphalia, Germany This series of peace treaties marked the end
of both the Eighty Years’ and Thirty Years’ wars, leading to the separation of religion from the state throughout western Europe.
Nos. 1 through 15 were compiled by John Potter, a content editor of Living Lutheran.
18 19
Erfurt, Germany Visitors can tour a museum that includes
the austere cell where the young monk spent his formative years, and the church where he struggled with his theological demons.
Scala Santa, Rome, Italy This staircase—believed to be the very steps
from Pontius Pilate’s palace that Jesus climbed on the day he was convicted—was brought to Rome and became a magnet for pilgrims. When Luther climbed the steps on his knees (believed to reduce one’s time in purgatory), he wondered, “Who knows if it’s actually true?”
VOICES OF FAITH •
LIVINGLUTHERAN.ORG 29
Rick Steves’ top 10
Reformation sites To research and film my public television special Rick Steves’ Luther and the Reformation, I traveled to many Reformation-related sites around Europe. Here are my 10 favorites.
16 17
Cathar Castles, Southwestern France Centuries before Martin Luther, a heretical
group called the Cathars created their version of Christianity. The king of France and the pope wiped them out in a series of Crusades. Today the looming ruins of Cathar Castles are a reminder that Luther wasn’t the first Christian who sought an alternative to the medieval church.
Old Town Square, Prague, Czech Republic Czech professor and priest Jan Hus spoke
out against many of the same medieval church corruptions as Luther. But he did it in a less enlightened time, a century before Luther, and was burned at the stake. Today Hus is honored by a statue in the center of the enchanting square.
Photo:
Shutterstock.com
Photo:
Shutterstock.com
Photo: Courtesy Rick Steves Europe
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