Class 5: Martin Luther II Theology

1. Class 5: Martin Luther IITheology 25 January 2006

2. Outline • Reminder: Humanism • Luther’s Internal Turmoil • Human nature • Justification and Faith • Church and Priesthood of all believers • Sacraments • Summary: Three Solas • Luther’s Primary Traditionalist Opponent: Cajetan • Humanist Opponent: Erasmus

3. Humanism • Starts in Italy as part of Italian Renaissance • Emphasizes philology over philosophy; that is study of structure and literal analysis of ancient texts in original languages, including Bible, rather than using philosophical methods • Wants to get back to the original religious and classical sources, ad fontes • Lorenzo Valla (1407-1457) • Careful study of ancient documents led to showing several were later forgeries; • most notably Donation of Constantine; • also Pseudo-Dionysius was indeed pseudo, written in c 5th C, not 1st C • Wrote influential disputation between Stoic and an Epicurean • Started critical analysis of Bible

4. Erasmus of Rotterdam (1469-1536) • Augustinian monk • Humanist who encouraged return to Bible and early Fathers of Church as a way to reform Church • Scripture as the philosophy of Christ • Optimistic about man’s ability to know and understand; ancient maxim that if one knows what is right, one will do it • Detailed textual work on Bible and Augustine • Greek New Testament with commentary most important biblical scholarship since Jerome • Most famous scholar of his time

5. How did ‘Erasmus laid the egg that Luther Hatched?’ This slide and the next, based on Alister McGrath Reformation Thought, 60-63 • Scholasticism: humanist and reformers rejected it • Humanist because of style • Reformers because wrong about man’s ability to know and act • Scripture: both humanists and reformers believed Scripture key to reform in Church • Humanists saw Scriptural authority as based on antiquity and its simple eloquence • Reformers saw it as the literal word of God

6. Humanism and Reformers (cont.) • Fathers of the Church • Humanist saw them as the mediators of classical philosophy to Christianity • Reformers, Fathers had no special authority; valid only to extent supported by Scripture • Education • Humanists believed classical education way to improve society • Reformers believed all should read the Bible • Rhetoric • Humanists interested in rhetoric in itself • Reformers as a way to propagate Reformation

7. Luther’s Internal Turmoil • Recall incident in storm when he took the vow to be a monk: deep fear of death; deep recognition of his sinfulness • Luther as a monk struggles with ‘doing’ sufficient good works to merit salvation; deep recognition of his sinfulness • Praying over Paul’s Letter to the Romans, and study of Augustine leads him to recognize that only God’s free gift of grace can save him • Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection are the ‘acts’ which win salvation for us • NB: For all the external turmoil around Luther, it is this internal turmoil that really drives him • Luther’s most eloquent statement of his resolution of this turmoil is Freedom of the Christian

8. Freedom of Christian (1520) • Addressed to Pope Leo X • Problem in not Leo but Roman Curia; Leo “sits as a lamb in the midst of wolves” • At Augsburg Diet (1518), Cajetan was only interested in politics (actually this is true; Cajetan mostly was at the Diet to convince German nobles to mount attack on Turks) • At Leipzig Disputation (1519), Johann Eck was only interested in his own glory • Key paradox of Christian: • “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none” • “ A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all” • Dual nature of man: Body (Outer Man) and Spirit (Inner Man) • When Scripture seems to be contradictory, referring to different natures • Justified by Christ alone and faith in Him • No good work can justify one; one does good works because faith leads to love of neighbor • “Good works do not make a good man; but a good man does good works” • Example of faith is Mary (Luther always believed in Immaculate Conception) • Laws and traditions of Church enslave faithful who should be taught by Scripture alone

9. Luther on Justification • We cannot in any way save ourselves • Grace is God’s free gift to the sinner • Righteousness of God in Rom 1:16-17 means that only God can make us righteous • Our response is faith; that is trust in the One who saves us • Faith is passive, God is active • The true Christian is both sinner and justified (by God) • NB: Justification is the root of Lutheran theology.

10. Luther on Predestination • God is in control of our fate • Without predestination, implies elements of chance in God’s providence • True Christian would gladly go to hell if that is God’s will

11. Luther on Human Nature • Two ‘natures’: fleshly and spiritual • Avoids dualism by meaning the complete person (body and soul) under each category • Fleshly is in and of the world; rebelling against God • Spiritual is justified by God and accepts redemption in faith; faith is the reaction of human will to trust in word of God • Living in confidence of God’s grace

12. Luther on Church • True Christian church is made of community of true Christians • Church not hierarchical, visible Church • Church not like Noah’s ark with mix of holy and sinners • True Christians are hidden in society • Priesthood of all believers

13. Luther on Sacraments • Baptism and Eucharist only sacraments • Baptism • Infant baptism okay because infants helped by community of praying Church. • Promise of baptism for all true believers is only finalized at death and resurrection of body • All Christians are baptized; not all baptized are Christians • Eucharist • Belief in true Presence • Not transubstantiation; Word truly present with bread and wine (consubstantiation) • Mass is not a sacrifice and good work; rather a way to be in communion with God • Opposed private Masses • Because all are priests, all should receive Eucharist under both species • Penance • God forgives; not the priest • May be some benefit to confessing sins to another Christian • No other sacraments, because no Biblical warrant • See Babylonian Captivity

14. Lutheran Theology: Three Solas • Sola Gratia • Only God’s grace can save you • Only two sacraments: Baptism and Eucharist (initially included Penance, but eventually rejects it) • Sola Fides • Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary and sufficient for salvation • Universal priesthood of all believers • Sola Scriptura • Rejection of philosophical developments; Scripture is all that one needs • Scripture should be available to everyone, unmediated; Luther translates Bible into German, although with his own interpretation built into it • Return to original Biblical languages for Biblical study; reject any OT books not written in Hebrew (deutrocanonical books; i.e., most philosophical books) • Very important that everyone can read

15. Implications of Solas • Rejection of intercession of saints • Destruction of images of saints, • Churches stripped of decorations • Rejection of relics • Rejection of indulgences • Theory of indulgences implies Pelagianism • There are no intermediaries between person and God • Rejection of Scholasticism (and philosophy in general) • The only way to know is by the illumination of grace • Justification is not a process, but an instantaneous gift of God • Rejection of inherent value celibacy • All true Christians are priests; • Luther and most of his ordained followers marry • Reading and Education • Important that everyone be able to read the Bible • Luther wrote two catechisms (Large and Small) in a question and answer format

16. Formalization of Lutheran Theology: Augsburg Confession • Written by Philipp Melanchthon • An expression of Lutheran beliefs without the Luther’s rhetoric • Note acceptance of doctrines from early Church councils.

17. Luther-Erasmus Debates on Free Will • Recall that Erasmus was also a reformer • In some ways replay of Pelagian controversy • Erasmus writes a book, called On Free Will, like Augustine wrote early in his career • In response Luther writes a book called On Bondage of Will, makes points similar to Augustine against Pelagius on need for grace, predestination • As in Pelagian controversy, how does one interpret Paul’s Letter to Romans? In particular, “Who hardened Pharaoh’s Heart” Rom 9:17-18; see also Exodus • Do not forget context of Paul’s Letter to Romans • This tension has been on-going in Christianity

18. English Opponents to Luther: Thomas More and Henry VIII • More attacked Luther on basis of epistemology • Antiquity of Church’s beliefs was a guarantor that they were correct • Allowing everyone to interpret the Bible in their own way opens Pandora’s box of faulty interpretations • Henry VIII wrote a treatise supporting Seven Sacraments • Henry allied with Charles V against Francois I of France • Henry VIII married to Catherine of Aragon, Charles V’s aunt (youngest child of Ferdinand and Isabella) • Henry VIII is given title ‘Defender of the Faith’ by Pope Leo X

19. Splintering of Protestantism • No sooner had Luther broken with Rome, then divergent Protestant groups break with him over doctrine and practice • Swiss Reform: Zwingli and Calvin • German Anabaptists • English Reform: Henry VIII

20. Assignments • Read • Babylonian Captivity of Church • Freedom of Christian • Disputation on Scholasticism • Augsburg Confession • Extra: Joint Catholic-Lutheran Statement on Justification, 1999, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html • Write Short (1-2 page) Paper on Luther • THESIS STATEMENT • Be sure to use primary source references