The Ninety-Five Theses, written against the selling of indulgences, clerical excesses, and nepotism, among other things, are considered as stepping stones of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was a German monk, priest, and theologian. Colleen R. solved this 32-word question on StudySoup on 5/31/2017. Luther's criticism of the sale of indulgences resulted in his posting of ninety-five propositions against the indulgence salesmen. These propositions became known as "The Ninety-Five Theses" because they were drafted on the back of a printed page with only 95 spaces available for writing. The text is in German and includes quotations from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians and Augustine's Confessions of Saint Peter. Luther began circulating the Theses among members of his congregation in Wittenberg, Saxony, in October 1517. Within a few months, he had published them as a booklet. Although the Theses did not explicitly call for the abolition of indulgences, their impact was profound. Indulgences had been used by popes and bishops as tools for political control over European society. By calling for their end, Luther helped to break down the power of the Catholic Church and started the Protestant Reformation.