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In its two-thousand year history Christianity has faced many challenges that forced changes in its belief or organization. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges occurred when Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on that parish church door in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, putting the church hierarchy in distant Rome on notice that Christendom was facing a crisis. (Jackson) For centuries the Roman Catholic Church’s understanding of its role in the world and its perception of the world beyond Rome, were becoming less and less compatible with actual conditions. Society had been changing in Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was dramatically transforming the way in which people looked at the world around them, and more importantly, how they looked at themselves and their place in the world. The pace of change was not rapid, but it was relentle