Today is All
Saints’ Eve (The evening before All Saints’ Day). On the liturgical calendar, November
1 is All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows' Day). Hallows meaning hallowed
(holy). All Saints’ Day honors all saints who came before us who have passed on
and gone to heaven. The evening before All Saints' Day became a holy (hallowed,
eve), and eventually Halloween. Pope Gregory III is the pope who established
November 1 as All Saints” Day during the eighth century. Well, this is my summary
of the history behind the day. Martin Luther nailed the 95 Theses on All Saints’
Eve around 800 years later. The fact that he chose this day appears to be significant.
Ryan M.
Reeves (PhD Cambridge) is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Reeves states the following with
relevance to a YouTube video he shares titled: Martin Luther and the 95 Theses.
The 95 Theses in many ways started the Protestant
Reformation. Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the church door of Wittenberg, and
the Catholic Church later excommunicated him for these views. But what are the
95 Theses? Why did Luther post the 95 Theses? This video explains this and the
start of the Reformation.
I hope you
enjoy watching this video by Dr. Reeves.