At twenty-one, Martin Luther decided to become an Augustinian monk. Entering a monastery, at the time, meant dying to the world. There was a long and solemn ritual, beginning with the tonsure, the wearing of the monastic habit, the recitation of the breviary, and the handing over of the Bible. The Augustinian order was the oldest and most severe of those present in Erfurt. The day was scheduled for hours of prayer, meditation, and study, with a strict emphasis on reflection on sin.
