Luther used technology and the media!

On Friday, the third day of our Global Young Reformers Network Steering Group meeting, Rev. Hans Kasch held a seminar teaching us about the history of the Reformation.

I had learnt about the Reformation before. In Singapore, a special service is held every year on Reformation Sunday commemorating Martin Luther’s nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses on the door of Castle Church (German: Schloßkirche) in Wittenberg, which many regard as the start of the Lutheran Reformation.

What struck me during the seminar, however, was how Martin Luther used the technology and the media of his time.

Luther used technology

Luther used the technology of his time to spread his ideas. By the time of the Reformation, the printing press had already been invented. There were more than 30 shops which provided printing services in Wittenberg. With the help of the printing presses, Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon quickly reproduced their documents and spread their ideas all over Germany.

Luther used the media

Other than technology, Luther also used the media of his time. Lucas Cranach, an artist living in Wittenberg, helped the Reformation through his paintings. These paintings emphasised significant aspects of Lutheran theology. For example, in one painting, Luther is pointing at Jesus on the Cross, emphasising the focus on Jesus Christ. Another painting showed Philip Melanchthon baptising a baby even though he was not an ordained minister, representing the universal priesthood of all believers in Lutheran theology.

“Martin Luther used the technology and the media of his time”

How can you make the best use of technology and the media?

We live in an age of technology, with many new ways to transmit information, reaching even the farthest corners of the world. Caroline Bader, Youth Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), said:

For Martin Luther it was book printing, for us it might be the internet. Or: “From Guttenberg to Google” as the LWF once called a seminar. We definitely live and work in the digital age. And you can make the best use of it!

Do you have an account on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platform? Do you keep a blog? How can you make the best use of technology and the media to spread the Gospel in your local context?

Share your thoughts!

Blog post by Darius Lee, Singapore, Member of the LWF  Global Young Reformers Steering Committee

Originally posted on 23.10.2013 in the LWF Youth Blog lwfyouth.org