The reformation dichotomy

This refers to the article, ‘500 years of reformation’ (Oct 28), by Dr Mubarak Ali. Dr Ali, Pakistan’s foremost historian and intellectual suggests that reformation in the West coincided with Martin Luther’s revolt against the Papal authority in 1517. Martin Luther challenged the collusion between the church and the political authorities to exploit people in the name of religion. Before Luther, the church in collaboration with the political authority crushed such attempts at reformation.     

The printing press greatly helped Martin Luther in disseminating his ideas amongst the people. As a result of Luther’s teachings, the domination of the church ended and a new religious movement was born: Protestantism. As Protestant countries were liberated from the clutches of Papal authority, creativity and innovation blossomed in all spheres of knowledge. These protestant countries developed in trade and commerce while Catholic countries remained under the yoke of Catholic Church and thus remained poor and underdeveloped.

Akbar Jan Marwat ( Islamabad )