Martin Luther and Martin Luther King

Many students confuse the names of Martin Luther and Martin Luther King.

Martin Luther was a German religious reformer of the 1500's. He is famous for his translation of the Bible into German, criticizing various practices of the late medieval Roman Catholic Church, and his doctrine of Justification by Faith alone.

Martin Luther King was a 20th century American Civil Rights leader. The son of a father named Martin Luther King, Sr., he was the grandson of an African-American clergyman who clearly admired the work of the 16th century German.

Both Martin Luther and Martin Luther King were Christian clergymen, both wanted to change things that seemed wrong to them, but 400 years and the Atlantic Ocean separate them.