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(1483-1546). Martin Luther. Introduction. During the beginning of the 16 th century, the Church was pressured by councils, scholars, saints, and heretics to reform its practices.
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(1483-1546) Martin Luther
Introduction • During the beginning of the 16th century, the Church was pressured by councils, scholars, saints, and heretics to reform its practices. • Then, in a series of unfolding events touched off by the excommunication of a university professor named Martin Luther, a great religious revolt swept across Europe that changed the face of Christianity in the West.
Turn Up • While Roman Catholicism remained firmly established in most of Europe, particularly in the South, Protestant Christianity had put down roots in the north and developed a bewildering variety of expressions by the end of the century. • The Protestant reformers were accused of being innovators, but they did not see themselves that way. • Instead, they claimed to have rediscovered the ancient Pauline teaching that God’s forgiveness is a free gift bestowed without consideration of human merit. • Different views on this teaching and the Bible is what caused so many different forms of Protestant Christianity. • The range of Protestant expressions was significant enough that some scholars prefer to speak of the Protestant Reformations (Plural)
More Than A Religion • Developments in social, economic, and political thought shaped Protestantism. • What is often called “the Reformation” was actually an enormously complex shift in European affairs that involved forces far beyond religion. • As a result, what started as a theological conflict ended up touching all areas of European life.
The Reformation • The Reformation is understood to have two phases: • The first was the initial Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther. • The second phase included the Catholic Reformation- an unfolding series of developments within Catholicism that involved some reforms barely connected to the Protestant revolt. • Further developments within the Protestant Reformation are linked to the second phase.
Martin Luther ( Theology) • Luther’s concerns were basically theological. • Earlier calls for reform had focused on practices that some saw as abusive. • Luther went beyond this, arguing that the theological underpinnings(foundations) of certain practices were defective. • This judgment rested on his belief that scripture ought to be the authority for Christian life and practice. • From this conviction flowed his theology.
The 3 Ideas of Protestantism • Luther came to stress three ideas that became features of Protestantism in general. 1)His belief that salvation is by God’s grace alone through faith alone. 2) Belief in the pivotal importance of scripture as the standard for Christian beliefs and practice. 3)The idea of having a priesthood of all believers, that contrary to Church teaching, clergy and laity were of equal spiritual status, that the individual stands before God alone without the need of any human mediator.
Luther The Theologian • Although primarily a biblical exegete, Luther’s interests and training also included medieval German mysticism, medieval theology, and Renaissance humanism.
Luther’s Influences Medieval German Mysticism – Learned to emphasize and appreciate the power of the indwelling(residing within) of Christ within the heart of the believer. As a result, he believed that in some powerful but non-rational fashion the risen Christ lives in and with the Christian. Medieval Theology – Gained deep appreciation for experiential(derived from experienced) knowledge. However, he was not fond of the metaphysical speculation of God. He believed that it was an intellectual acceptance of God not an experience of God. Luther was further annoyed by the fact that little issues such as this was being emphasized even more in the Church by people such as the nomanalist Gabriel Biel. This forced Luther to either accept or reject the Church as a whole. Seeing this as unfair, Luther became more critical of medieval theology than he intended. Renaissance Humanism – Luther had a lot in common with humanists. Did not like talking about the past. More Focused on theological and ecclesiastical issues. However, Luther later came to associate the confidence of the humanists with the optimism of Biel’s theology.
Main Views • Scripture- A more trustworthy guide to the Christian faith and the Christian life than was scholasticism, or even church tradition. • Knowledge of God- Did not believe observation of nature yielded full knowledge of God. Human reason insufficient for the task. Luther understood God as engaged in self-disclosure, not waiting for human beings to understand the divine. God’s fullest self-disclosure is to be found in the sacrificial act of Jesus on the cross. As a result, Luther described his own theology as centered in suffering and the cross. • The Human Condition and Salvation- Believed that human beings are fundamentally alienated from God by their sin. God’s forgiveness, expressed in the death and resurrection of Christ, made it possible for the state of human alienation from God to be reversed. • The Church- Both a visible and invisible Church. The visible one was the one that administered the sacraments and preached the Gospel. This church has a company of true Christians and those who do not truly believe. Not the true Church. Those who have a personal faith in Christ are part of the invisible Church. Only God knows who has this faith.
Small View • Although Luther saw each believer as a priest, he did not have a theology of individualism. Christian life should be lived in a community. • However, Luther took seriously the difference between clergy and laity. • Clergy- taught and administered the sacraments • Luther found a special role in social order for the clergy because it required so much training • In short, Luther promoted spiritual, but not social egalitarianism(equality). He did not intend to change the social order, but his writings proved otherwise.
Church Vs State • “Two-Kingdoms Theory” • Separate but mutually supportive enitities • The state is necessary to hold back the effects of human sin • The state is based upon the law of love and is legitimate when it excercises its power in ways that promote justice and compassion. • The Christian is obligated to obey the sovereign (state authority) except when doing so requires acting against one’s faith. • Concluded that human society should be governed by secular law, not by a religious ideology, not even the Christian gospel. Governance by the gospel or free grace would lead either to chaos or to gross intolerance of less spiritual individuals. • The Church should have spiritual authority, but the state should have temporal authority, including mover ecclesiastical buildings.
Conclusion • Luther retained the medieval notion of social stratification, but hoped his teaching that all Christians stand equal before God spiritually would prompt princes and peasants to act with Christian compassion one to another, allowing all to be content with their station in life. • By posing the dignity of all spiritual matters, however, he set in motion forces that would help to undercut the idea of social stratification.
