Just over 500 years ago, in June 1519, the castle hall of the German city of Leipzig was expecting a throng of spectators. The room had been specially decorated: two pulpits stood dramatically facing each other. Under the eyes of the Duke of Saxony, Martin Luther was challenged to defend some of his writings by which he attacked abuses in the Church. The scene was set for an intellectual battle — a rebellious friar, Luther, taking on the Catholic establishment. Physical threats made the atmosphere all the more tense. Two hundred axe-wielding students accompanied Luther. His opponent, the Catholic theologian Johann Eck, protected himself with 76 armed guards. Their ensuing debate dealt to a large degree with history. It turned out to be a defining moment in the nascent Protestant Reformation.
As much as a battle for the present, the Reformation was quickly becoming a battle for the past. One of the arguments at Leipzig was about papal primacy — the idea that the pope had universal authority over all other bishops, and that it was even lawful for him to depose emperors.
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