Of Freedom and Human Agency: An Analysis of Luther's and Gutiérrez's Understanding (original) (raw)
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The theological value of autonomy
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 2020
Western liberalism is based on two different humanistic traditions: First, the biblical tradition of the Abrahamic religions, according to which man was created in the image of God; and, second, the tradition that developed in the age of Enlightenment, which claims man's absolute independence of any heteronomous or transcendental being and views the very existence as a goal in and of itself. Each one of these two traditions restricts the autonomy of the individual in different ways, thus influencing the constitutional structure one of whose principal functions is to safeguard the autonomy of the citizens. This article deals with the theological value of autonomy. It analyzes the tension between the humanistic-anthropocentric world-view, which sanctifies human freedom, and the humanistic-theocentric way of thinking, which sees God as the source of all norms and holds that the freedom of man is limited by the divine imperative. Subsequently, the article presents three different models of understanding the relations between the will of God and the will of man, through an analysis of the exegesis of three Jewish thinkers on the stories of man's creation in the image of God and the sin of the Primordial Man. These models represent three attitudes towards the theological value of autonomy. After having presented the different models, I shall compare them to each other and explicate the conceptual differences between them. To conclude, I shall further assess the contribution of these models to contemporary discourse on autonomy and liberty.
Open Theology, 2023
Roman-Catholic scholars tend to interpret Luther's emphasis on the exteriority of salvation as a critique of the goodness of creation. Through an analysis of De servo arbitrio, this article shows this to be wrong. While emphasizing the unconditionality of God's work in both creation and salvation, Luther still insists that humans are created in God's image as his co-operators, thus repeating the divine lordship over creation. This is further emphasized in other works that go beyond De servo arbitrio in finding Christology to be a key to the relationship between God and humans. Luther thus has an integrated understanding of all aspects of human life as the area of divine creation and should not be seen as a forerunner of a modern, secularized worldview. This role rather belongs to Erasmus, who insists that God stands idly by while humans make up their minds about how to live their lives.
Primary Source Analysis: The Freedom of a Christian
Primary Source Analysis: The Freedom of a Christian, 2024
Served as a spiritual offering to a "blessed father" in the 16th century, "The Freedom of a Christian," written by Martin Luther, addresses the essence of the Christian life, delving into Luther's theological convictions regarding the Christian faith, liberty, and good works in the context of the doctrine of soteriology. Luther contends that Christian freedom is achieved solely through faith in Christ, with good results emanating as a consequence of genuine faith. The paper argues that while addressing doctrinal issues of soteriology, Luther's treatise also challenges ecclesiastical orders and hierarchies, taking a firm stand against indulgences and promoting the importance of faith over good works in pursuing true Christian liberty.
Was Martin Luther a Humanist? An Examination of the Free Will Debate
For almost 500 years scholars have been asking “Was Martin Luther a Humanist?” The common answer is “no” because, “It is not an obvious step to turn to Luther as a Christian Humanist. He was renowned or notorious – depending on one’s interpretation – for his debate on the freedom of the will with Erasmus of Rotterdam. ” Therefore, to answer this question one must turn to this infamous debate which seems to clearly decry Luther’s Christian Humanism. However, as in many things, there must be settled an issue of semantics and definitions. Who were these two men? Why this debate? And what is Humanism? Once these questions have been answered, an overview of the Humanist statements within the debate on Free Will published by both Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus will be made to determine an answer. Once it is determined if Martin Luther was a Humanist or not, the next logical step is to ask whether or not those who followed Luther, the Lutherans, are humanist. The journey to truth is a long and winding path, but must begin with a first step, and so it begins.