Final answer:
Martin Luther's tone in his documents was reformative and confrontational, as he expressed deep concern over Church practices like indulgences and advocated for accessibility to scripture in the vernacular language. His sharp language and criticisms evolved over time, indicating a shift from wanting to reform the Church from within to challenging its authority more openly.
Step-by-step explanation:
Martin Luther's tone in his critique of the Catholic Church can be described as reformative and confrontational. Luther was very concerned about indulgences and the Church's taxation of ordinary Germans. He strongly believed that scripture should be accessible in the churchgoers' own language, which showed his desire to make religious practices more inclusive and understandable to the common people. The evidence in the documents suggests that, while Luther had not completely broken away from Catholic teachings originally, he deeply questioned certain practices like the sale of indulgences and the authority of the pope. Despite his initial intent to reform from within, his tone, over time, became more of a challenge to the Church's authority. In describing Rome as "the of Babylon," he used sharp and provoking language that was likely to anger the pope and the Church hierarchy.
Luther's actions, including the drafting of the Ninety-five Theses, his refusal to recant his statements, and his subsequent excommunication, signal a significant shift in tone from hoping to instigate internal reform to condemning and outright challenging the Church's practices and authority. His determination to have Mass and scripture in German and his prolific writing, which took advantage of the printing press, were revolutionary in promoting these ideas. Luther's tone can be seen as an expression of his deep frustration and genuine concern for the spiritual well-being of Christians, reflecting a devout yet critical perspective towards Church practices.