Martin Luther
The Peasants' War
The same year Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora, the Peasants' War in Germany came to a bloody end. The rebellion badly spooked many reformers because it gave secular rulers a reason to mistrust evangelical reform. I've written elsewhere about the causes and course of the revolt. Here I will address only Luther's reaction to it, mainly because it often gets mentioned by modern writers.
What gets written about is a tract Luther published in early 1525 with the engaging title of "Against the Rebelling Peasants." He wrote this after going on a preaching tour in the spring of 1525, when he saw the unrest first-hand. The tract was re-published elsewhere with the more colorful title "Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants," and similar variations, without his approval. It's this version of the title that is often used, and Luther gets condemned by modern writers for being unsympathetic to the plight of the common folk. We moderns tend to think that people of earlier centuries are required to share our social sensibilities. Indeed, though, he received some criticism along those lines even from contemporaries. It was, however, entirely in keeping with his understanding of the proper relationship between Christians and their government. The simple rule for Luther was: rebellion against established authority was never justified. He re-stated his position in a follow-up essay in the summer of 1525, in response to some of the criticisms. You can judge the tone of his original essay for yourself if you want. Excerpts are available at the History Guide.
He was troubled by the revolt, but he was furious that evangelical preachers not only joined but in some cases led various peasant groups. Moreover, one of these leaders was Thomas Müntzer, of whom Luther already disapproved.