De Iustificatione Dei: Luther as Interpreter of Augustine’s Soteriology (original) (raw)
Pillar or outcome? Luther's practical theological aim and its theopaschitical implications
An often misunderstood element in Luther’s Theology was the combination of its anti-scholastical, practical aim (“vera theologia est practica”) with its highly theoretical outcome. A reason for it might be found it the increasing role of such outcome, which at a given point seemed to have turned into a proper pillar of his own Theology. An example of this (at least apparent) contradiction is provided by the Christological background of the anti-roman doctrine of the Justification as fröhlicher Wechsel/admirabile commercium, which, due to its particular interpretation of the Doctrine of the so-called communicatio idiomatum, lead to the consistent, and nonetheless rejected formulation of a Doctrine of the Theopaschy. Aim of this paper is to sketch such consistent background, its development in the controversies of the second half of the 16th Century, as well as the attempt to save this peculiar element beside the Christological controversies, deriving it no longer from the Christological Doctrine of communicatio idiomatum, but rather from the one of so-called status exinanitionis et exaltationis, keeping a look on its originally practical aim.
An Examination and critique of Luthers Ecclessiology
This paper is an examination of Martin Luther’s ecclesiology. Examined precisely will be his understanding of the relationship between the Word and the Church, his interpretation of comunio sanctorum, his concept of the Two Kingdoms and how this concept influences or flows from and through his ecclesiology. Lastly is a critique of the strengths and weaknesses of Luther’s ecclesiological doctrine whilst comparing scholar’s thoughts. In closing I have found that Luther’s ecclesiology is mostly strong, for he appeals to the traditions of the ecumenical councils to prove he is being consistent with their position within the historical Church perspective. Whilst his Church doctrine does have some weaknesses concerning the areas of mission, evangelism, eschatology and the lack of a well thought out Episcopal system, overall Luther’s doctrine of the Church is hard to fault, so far as the core matters of salvation or community are concerned.
MARTIN LUTHER: HOW HIS RELIGIOUS AND INTELLECTUAL SETTINGS INFLUENCED HIS THEOLOGY
2019
It will be terrible to assume that, Luther just came ‘out of the blue’ and carry the flag of the Reformation course which he effectively delivered. Though few have denied any kind of influence upon him by either the Religious ideas of his time or the Intellectual setting within which he was brought up. However, in this short paper I deem it fit to investigate both the religious and intellectual setting of Luther, to point out how he was indeed influenced by them, and how because of this influence he was able to reconstruct the task of a “true theologian” and what a “true theology” should be (or is).
Martin Luther and Contemplation (published in Reformation and Renaissance Review, 2023)
Reformation and Renaissance Review, 2023
This essay addresses the vexed topic of Martin Luther's relationship to late medieval mysticism through a terminological approach focused on Luther's use of the word contemplation. The contribution that this article seeks to offer arises from the often-repeated observation that what is called mysticism today was called contemplation in the Middle Ages. To that end, this article seeks a clearer view of three things: 1) what Luther meant by contemplation, 2) whether his usage was continuous or discontinuous with medieval usage of the same term, and 3) the extent to which Luther's use of the term maps onto current scholarly discussions about "mysticism." Special attention is given to the first two, thereby laying the groundwork for further reflections by other scholars on the third.
Martin Luther – The Problem of Faith and Reason
Christian Philosophy today, 2009
Luther’s critics have consistently charged him as an irrationalist and pessimist concerning reason’s capabilities, and even by his followers as a fideist who sees little or no relationship between faith and reason. In this book, David Andersen offers a fresh and timely re-evaluation of Luther and his understanding of the relationship between faith and reason based upon a thorough engagement with Luther’s mature writings. Dr. Andersen persuasively argues that, far from being either an irrationalist or a fideist, Luther stands within an empiricist tradition and that his pronouncements on fallen human reason can be understood only from that philosophical perspective. Based upon recent research into the writings of William of Ockham, who positively influenced Luther in this area, Dr. Andersen also shows that Luther can no longer be charged as a pessimist concerning human knowledge. Reason has an important role to play for Luther in bringing one to faith, and the objectivity of Christ’s resurrection serves as that focal point that validates all Christian discourse. In subordinating itself to the facts of the death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins, reason’s created function is restored to some extent as it receives that forgiveness in the words of Holy Scripture and the visible means of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2005
Writing "new"decalogues: Martin Luther's development of the Pauline-Augustinian tradition of natural law This essay argues in favour of Martin Luther subscribing to the theory of natural law in his theology. An in-depth study of Luther's views on natural law finds support for Brown's thesis that Luther's contribution to the tradition of natural law cannot be taken to form the basis of the theory of divine right prominent in the seventeenth century. Without venturing into the debate on natural law versus legal positivism, it is found that the perspective emanating from Luther's natural law theory has an important political message for mankind as a whole in its implicit warning against positivistic and legalistic perspectives on law because these are apt to lead to confusion, relativism and historicism. Man, according to Luther's view, therefore, has to revert to more fundamental principles (or values), representative of "ideal," "good," or "true," norms for testing manmade law. The more specific implications of Luther's views on natural law for Christians concern an eschatological vision of Christians' involvement and work in God's creation. This vision concerns man's divine appointment to hold office and promote peace in society, and to contribute humbly towards God's involvement in societies suffering from the effects of legalism or torn apart by conflict. Writing "new" decalogues ...
2021-06-12 Despair as the Threshold of Conversion. An Augustinian Theme in Luther's Writings
My presentation addresses a Platonic and Neoplatonic topic that was adopted by Christianity, the conversion of the soul toward its origin. It is undoubtedly one of the principal themes in Saint Augustine's Confessions (397-401), and more than a thousand years later it can still be found in the writings of Martin Luther, a Christian author who rejected philosophy as a way toward God. As Pierre Hadot has argued, conversion can be understood in two senses. One is epistrophé, the movement by which "the soul places itself again into the eternal movement of being". 1 It can be exemplified by both the Stoic aspiration to harmonize the movement of the soul with the movement of the universe, and by the Neoplatonic belief that the soul should abandon multiplicity and return to its own interior. The second sense is that of metanoia and is characteristic of Christianity. It involves a "total reorientation [bouleversement] of the spirit, a radical renewal" 2 that is better symbolized by a new birth, by becoming like little children again. In this short presentation, I will show that this radical form of conversion, the only one possible for Luther, is necessarily born out of despair. The model for this type of despair can be found in Book VIII of Augustine's Confessions.
Nemo iudex in causa sua as the Basis of Law, Justice and Justification in Luther’s Thought
Harvard Theological Review, 2007
This article seeks to uphold a consistently legal reading of Luther’s conception of temporal authority. Far from a premature dismissal or milieu-motivated relativization of the reformer’s precepts, it shows that such an analysis need degenerate neither into casuistry nor naïve pre-Enlightenment authoritarianism. Rather, I argue that what drives Luther’s esteem for temporal authority—which he views primarily in light of its social and vocational expression in civil law—is the ancient legal maxim that no one be judge in one’s own case, nemo iudex in causa sua. On this basis Luther proposes a noncasuistic theory of the law and, in so doing, destabilizes the relation between the Christian and temporal authority while at the same time keeping at bay the threat of self-serving individualism and anarchy. I argue, moreover, that the maxim underlies Luther’s conception not only of the political use of the law but also, by exposing its shortcomings, of the law’s theological, accusatory, function. As such, to push the argument further still, I also propose that the maxim may be viewed as the very foundation of Luther’s mature understanding of justification and Christian life. God reveals that he is a righteous judge by consistently not being judge in his own case and so being free to justify humanity. In keeping with the maxim, this in turn makes the believer, as a justified sinner, uniquely able to uphold civil law with a view to according the neighbor justice. In doing so, the believer actually justifies God, who has first justified the believer.
Luther and Lutheranism: The P. O. Box Martin Luther
European Scientific Journal, 2013
This article explores the idea that social communication performs coupled with the consciousness of human beings -but it is not generated by it-, and gives the example of the German reformer Martin Luther. An overlap in the operations of consciousness and of communication -interpenetrationis made possible with the person/actor distinction, which actualizes in communication through schemata (the person-schema and the actor-schema), the so called P. O. Box Martin Luther. Luther's positioning in relation to the polemical controversies in which he participated -the Peasants' War (radical Anabaptism), the free will and the sacramental debates-, determined the future course of his Reform, and were decisively oriented by the person-schema. The person/actor schemata also allow the distinction between Luther the person and Lutheranism the doctrine.
LUTHER AND SOLA SCRIPTURA: AN EPISTEMOLOGICAL SHIFT IN SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION?
Originally this paper was intended to be a defense of the Reformers -Luther in particular -against Gregory's labeling them as the "unintended reformers" that gave way to today's secular world, hostile to Christian truth claims. However, as I began to take Gregory's long and well argued book, The Unintended Reformation, seriously, I understood that my defense plan was not as easy as I had initially hoped. One of the difficulties, I discovered, was my lack of deep understanding of the key reformation concept which he portrays as one of the roots of secularization in thought: sola scriptura.
This paper explores Martin Luther’s critique of Scholasticism through the lens of Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction, particularly as articulated in Of Grammatology. It examines why and what aspects of Scholasticism Luther rejected, from its reliance on Aristotelian logic to its works-based theology, while acknowledging the Scholastic elements he retained and repurposed. By juxtaposing Luther’s theological rebellion with Derrida’s destabilization of Western metaphysical hierarchies, the paper highlights the surprising parallels between their critiques. Central to this exploration are Derrida’s concepts of logocentrism, différance, and the critique of presence, which illuminate Luther’s insistence on Sola Scriptura and the theology of the cross. The paper demonstrates how both figures disrupt established binaries, such as faith versus reason, presence versus absence, and tradition versus innovation, inviting ongoing reinterpretation and reflection. The implications of this dialogue extend beyond historical theology and philosophy, offering insights into contemporary issues of faith, meaning, and ecclesial practices. By adopting a postmodern and conversational tone, this study seeks to demystify Derrida’s often-intimidating ideas while situating Luther’s critique within a broader intellectual and theological framework. The result is a thought-provoking inquiry that challenges readers to reconsider the dynamic interplay between tradition, deconstruction, and the enduring search for divine truth.
Medieval Augustinian Theology and the Reformation
In my doctoral thesis I explored the interconnection in Luther's theology between the ontology of faith (i.e. what kind of a reality faith is), and the cognitive nature of faith, which are bound together by a view of reality and an epistemological theory (i.e. a theory about what knowledge is), that is specifically Augustinian, with a focus on Luther’s early lectures at the University of Wittenberg, as well as in some of Luther’s early disputations. The picture that rises out of them gives in general give a good overview about the nature of Luther’s early thought and about its relationship to the general Catholic doctrine of that time. In this paper, presented at Reformation shaping culture and society in the past and present conference, University of Turku, 15.-16.3.2017, I examine the question of what kind of theological views we can find in these sources, that would explain Luther’s conflict with some of the doctrinal views prominent in the Catholicism of his time, and the reason that Luther’s views lead to a conflict with the Catholic hierarchy in general.