Marin Luther, a German theologian and priest whose academic paper, the Ninety-five Theses, which outlined his grievance with the Catholic Church related to indulgences (the selling of reduced sentences in purgatory for sins committed by congregation members) prompted the in 1517. While the Reformation is generally said to have begun with Luther’s Ninety-five Theses, Luther himself was influenced by the writings of John Wyclif, an English bishop. implies that without Wyclif, Luther may not have written his Theses.