History
Many developments occurred in European society throughout the fifteenth century, each of which contributed to the scholarly and political context that allowed the Lutheran movement to expand. The Renaissance produced conditions that permitted philosophers to challenge the Church's purpose and character.
Lutheranism began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church during the early sixteenth century Holy Roman Empire. Martin Luther, then a professor of Bible at the nascent University of Wittenberg, called for a public debate on various issues inside the Catholic Church, which sparked the movement.
Because of major electors' backing and the widespread usage of the printing press, Lutheranism quickly grew into a larger religious and political force inside the Holy Roman Empire. This movement quickly swept across northern Europe, becoming the driving factor behind the Protestant Reformation as a whole. Lutheranism has now expanded around the globe from Europe.