Key People
Martin Luther
Martin Luther is best known for his Ninety-five Theses, which unintentionally sparked a powder keg that led to the Protestant Reformation, the sixteenth-century movement that rejected many of the teachings of Catholicism and led to the formation of numerous Protestant denominations, including the Lutheran Church. Luther’s motive for this act was to provoke debate about what he regarded as errors in church teachings and practices and to correct abuses in the church, particularly the practice of selling indulgences. The issues that Luther raised generated a much wider debate, which in time split Western Christianity.
Confucius
Convinced that morality provided the antidote to the widespread chaos endemic to his era, Confucius believed that a virtuous ruler—exemplified by the sage-kings of antiquity—could restore order and uphold a harmonious society. Met with disinterest, Confucius turned his attention to teaching in the hope of training the next generation of leaders in the virtues that he believed were key to successful governance. Ultimately, it was as a scholar-teacher that Confucius left his greatest legacy.
Muhammad
Muhammad, as the author of the Qur'an and founder of Islam, is one of history’s religious virtuosi. After he received the revelation of the Qur'an in a cave outside the Arabian city of Mecca, his family and friends persuaded him, against his own reluctance, to begin to preach on the street corners of Mecca. Through skillful diplomacy and conquest, Muhammad became the ruler of the entire Arabian Peninsula by the time of his death in 632, and almost the whole population of his realm converted to Islam.
Ba'al Shem Tov
The founder of Hasidism, whose title literally means “master of the good [holy] name,” was also known as the Besht (derived from a shortening of the title Ba’al Shem Tov) or simply as Ba’al Shem. “The Holy Epistle“ shows Ba’al Shem in several of his primary roles: among others, as a mystic, as a religious leader involved in contemporary controversies, and as someone who has a warm relationship with his family members. Behind the reported mystical ascents—a prominent feature of the epistle—lies a deep concern for his coreligionists and their problems.
