This month, we mark the 504th anniversary of the Leipzig Disputation, an academic debate held at the University of Leipzig between Andreas Bodenstein von Karlstadt of the University of Wittenberg (the challenger) and Johann Eck of the University of Ingolstadt. Martin Luther also participated, as his statements were at the center of the dispute. The event is remembered as a key moment in Reformation history, as it was the first time Luther publicly acknowledged that both popes and church councils had made errors. (Philip Bartlet has written an excellent primer on the Leipzig Disputation that can be found here.) However, that is not the only reason the Leipzig Disputation was significant. It also had implications for the relationship between Karlstadt and Luther. Years later, both men would point to this occasion as a moment when things went sour. The story of their relationship is as fascinating as the debate itself.
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