Blog post 4: Mónica Valcabado
Hello everyone! In this post a will be discussing the second articulation in Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.
The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century was started by Martin Luther's 95 Theses, which explains the concept of how media is produced, distributed, and consumed. First of all, Martin Luther composed the 95 Theses as a scholarly work intended for discussion inside the Catholic Church. He invited intellectuals to discuss his ideas by posting them on a church door. Second, Luther's ideas were widely disseminated thanks in large part to the printing press. Gutenberg’s invention allowed the printing of the 95 Theses and their widespread distribution throughout Europe. This indicated that Luther's books were read by common readers as well as academics. Luther's theories also sparked a great deal of discussion and controversy. Many people who disapproved of the Catholic Church's policies found resonance in his challenge to the institution's authority and the selling of indulgences. As a result, Luther's theories gained traction and finally Protestantism gained ground.
Hi Mónica, you made a great point noting the major role that the printing press played in disseminating Luther's work. I think the first articulation is seen considerably in your argument, noting the relationship between the message of Luther's 95 Theses, the technological means that carries it and the roles that people play in consuming & distributing it. All of these factors play an intertwined role and significance in the widespread public agreement and support for Luther's argument. Most importantly, the means of distribution, played a significant role in the accessibility of the 95 Theses, as noted in your blog post stating that the books were read by common readers & academics. How successful do you think the dissemination of Luther's 95 Theses would be if the printing press hadn't enhanced the spread?
ReplyDeleteHey Mónica,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! To add to it, I want to offer a thought I had about the second articulation of the media assemblage qua Luther's 95 theses. I think the most interesting thing about the widespread distribution of Luther's pamphlets (and all the pamphlets written after which appropriated, supported, or rejected his ideas) is that this process led to a standardization of the written German language, and a resultant emerging of a unified German identity among disparate communities who had little in common aside from this shared language. Given that the second articulation stresses the modes of affect that come along with being situated within a particular media ecology, I wonder how the German-identity formation which resulted from this ecology changed the affective lives (feelings, mental states, etc.) of the citizens as they came to think of themselves as parts of a unified nation. I imagine this identity shift would change the ways that the citizens pictured the world along existential, normative, and utopian lines, and thus would likely change how they 'felt' the world as well.