In what way would it be fair to describe Martin Luther as a revolutionary'?

To answer this question we must address the meaning of the word revolutionary. A revolutionary is defined in the dictionary as an; extremist; insurgent; radical and drastic. It could be argued that Martin Luther was a revolutionary in his thoughts and beliefs, but not in his actions. It is for this reason that it may be easier to leave Luther with the title of reformer. The dictionary definition for reform is to improve; abandon evil …

…opened up new debates about how the church and papacy was run, his ideas certainly were revolutionary. However, Luther the man was not nor could it be said be solely responsible for the reformation. Without the increased feeling of nationalism in Germany ,support from the people, and favourable conditions at the time, Luther's ideas would not have caused such turmoil for the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore it would be unfair to call Luther a revolutionary.