Martin Luther was a German priest who was a major figure in the Protestant Reformation. A professor of theology and a former monk, he is credited to have started the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe which changed the course of Western civilization. He not only rejected several teachings and practices of the Late Medieval Catholic Church, but also vehemently opposed the strong belief that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. Born into a Catholic family, he was interested in theology and philosophy from a young age. Once as a young man he was almost struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Terrified, he vowed to God that he would become a monk if he escaped alive. Thus he embarked on a life dedicated to religion and earned a Doctor of Theology degree. Initially a follower of Catholicism, he eventually recanted several of his beliefs and proceeded to reformulate some basic tenets of Christian belief that resulted in the division of Western Christendom into two factions: Roman Catholicism and the newly formed Protestant traditions. Pope Leo X and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V were angered by Luther’s actions and asked him to retract all his wittings. He refused to do so and was excommunicated by the pope.