Martin Luther (1483-1546), one of the most significant figures in Western history, was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. Over the course of his life, he was a monk, a priest, a professor of biblical literature, and a Reformer of the church. Though most well-known for his incisive polemics against Roman Catholicism, Luther was truly interested in the purity of the Christian faith. His many writings and translation of the Bible into common German served to open the depth and simplicity of Scripture to the masses.