Leading Propagandists During The Reformation
There were a number of Protestant reformers who played a role in the success of Protestant propaganda, such as Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt, Urbanus Rhegius and Philipp Melanchthon. The single most influential person was Martin Luther. Luther wrote much more than any other leading reformer, and the majority of his works were in the German vernacular. It is estimated that Luther's works had over 2200 printings (with re-printings) by 1530, and he continued to write until the time of his death in 1546.
Luther's use of the language of the people was one of the primary ideas of the Reformation. He believed in the ‘Priesthood of All Believers’, that every person was a priest in their own right and could take control of their own faith. Of the total lifetime printings of Luther, estimated to be around 3183, 2645 were written in German and only 538 in Latin. Luther's predominance meant that the Protestant propaganda campaign was cohesive, with a consistent and accessible message.
Luther produced other works: sermons, which were read in Churches around the Empire; translations of the Bible, primarily the New Testament written in German; doctrine on how to conduct oneself within the church and society and a multitude of letters and treatises. Often Luther wrote in response to others who had criticized his works or asked for clarification or justification on an issue. Three of Luther’s major treatises, written in 1520, are To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, On the Freedom of a Christian and On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church; these works were significant documents for the Reformation as a whole.
Catholic propagandists were not initially as successful as the Protestants were, but included several noteworthy figures: Johannes Cochlaeus, Hieronymus Emser, Georg Witzel and John Eck, who wrote in defense of Catholicism, and against Luther and Protestantism. They produced a combined total of 247 works.
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