“Under the outward appearance of the gospel, they honor and serve the devil, thus deserving death in body and soul ten times over.” Luther’s brutal words against the rebelling peasants of Germany in 1525 reveal the complex reality of the Reformation. Suppression of the rebellion by the German aristocracy was swift and violent, leaving over 70,000 German peasants dead. The rebellion targeted the social and political oppression of the peasantry in the early 16th century. The peasants found new justification for revolt in the promising words of Martin Luther. Luther proclaimed a new kind of freedom for the Christian soul and the peasants applied his idea to their own circumstances. However a dichotomy emerged between spiritual freedom and worldly freedom. Luther argued that good Christians were spiritually free but still subject to temporal laws. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of man were separate spheres. Luther rejected attempts to integrate spiritual freedom into the temporal sphere [Luther turned against the peasants’ revolt of 1525 because the demands of the peasants went against his doctrine of Christian freedom, which stressed the spiritual freedom of Christians and concordant obedience to temporal authority. By using scripture as a justification for rebellion, the peasants not only blasphemed God’s name but also acted against the natural order mandated by God. First, before exploring Luther’s rejection of the peasant revolt, one must examine his explanation of Christian freedom. Written in 1520, The Freedom of a Christian proclaimed the new freedom to be found in salvation by faith alone. His doctrine liberated people from works but also from the laws of the Old Testament. Salvation was found in the promise of Go... ... middle of paper ... ...ian, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 39 (Henceforth Luther, FC) Luther, FC, p. 43 Luther, FC, p. x43 Martin Luther, On Government Authority, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 74 Ozment, p.273 Ozment, p. 277 The Twelve Articles of the Swabian Peasants, in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 95 (Henceforth Twelve Articles) Twelve Articles, p. 95 Twelve Articles, p. 95 Twelve Articles, p. 95-96 Twelve Articles, p. 97 Twelve Articles, p. 96-97 Twelve Articles, p. 97 Martin Luther, Friendly Admonition to Peace , in Hans Hillerbrand (ed.), The Protestant Reformation (1968), pp. 99 (Henceforth Luther FP) Luther , FP, p.101 Luther , FP, p.103 Luther , FP, p.105 Luther , FP, p.106 Luther , FP, p.109 Luther , FP, p.115
In Martin Luther’s Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther describes what he believes should be the relationship between faith and good works in the life of Christian people. His beliefs became integral to the Protestant and Lutheran ideologies. The basis of Luther’s pamphlet was “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” (31) This central thought provides readers dialogue on what is truly a selfless, act and if these acts do in fact have an effect on one’s
Luther’s On Christian Liberty expressed concepts that were appealing to peasants such as salvation being achieved by faith alone. However, the major concept that appealed to peasants the most was Luther’s principle that “a Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none” (Mckay 396). This quote from Luther was highly manipulated by the peasants and encouraged them to become released from serfdom, no matter the extremity. The peasants’ manipulated version of Lutheran principles caused them to start the revolts that would later be stopped by authorities.
Leonhard Von Eck was a German chancellor, or head of government of Bavaria, therefore held a high status and role in society, revealing him as a probable reliable source (doc 1). As chancellor, Von Eck regulated order in society and was accustomed to the behavior of the peasants during this time period. He states that “the peasants are blinded, led astray, and made witless”, which displayed their lack of knowledge (doc 1). Ignorance of the peasants revealed that they, themselves are not dependable, thus, not reliable. Von Eck demonstrates this idea through the quote, “they could change their minds within an hour.” However, Von Eck showed accuracy as he emphasizes facts instead of opinions. His purpose in writing this report was to express his disagreements about Protestantism and how the “Word of God”, “the Gospel” in addition to “brotherly love”, were critical influences in their religious lives. Their “blindness” as Von Eck states, was caused by the utmost control of the Catholic Church. The Peasant Parliament of Swabia in March of 1525, implied the demands of the peasants as a unified faction. (doc 3) The Parliament stressed that as “poor serfs”, they have distressed and
Kittelson, James M. Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand: A life of Martin Luther. New York. Abington Printing Press. 1950
King Jr., Martin Luther, ed. Readings in Christian Ethics: A Historical Sourcebook. Edited by J. Philip Wogaman and Douglas M. Strong. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.
Luther, Martin. The Large Catechism, in The Book of Concord. Edited by Robert Kolb and
The Pagan Servitude of the Church – Composed in 1520, this work by Luther is one of his most important contributions to Christian history and theology. In the Pagan Servitude of the Church, Luther addresses critical issues that surround the seven sacraments that the Roman Catholic Church practices, but for this session, only the sacrament of the Eucharist is covered. Luther does not start gently, as he immediately contradicts the norm by advocating for the administration of both elements of the Lord’s Supper to the laity. His argument brings to light opposing comments from other theologians and leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, but Luther overcomes them all with a simple redirection to Scripture. He uses a combination of his interpretation of Scripture from the Gospels and Paul’s epistles along with logic and common sense to declare that the laity should have the right and privilege to partake in both the bread and the wine elements.
In this essay Martin Luther comments upon the role of good works in a Christian's life and the overall goal of a Christian in his or her walk. He writes seventeen different sections answering the critics of his teachings. I will summarize and address each one of these sections in the following essay.
Martin Luther’s Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation was published in 1520. In the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Martin Luther claims that the Catholic
During Luther’s early life he faced a severe inner crisis. When he sinned he looked for comfort in confession and followed the penance, the fasting, prayer and observances that the church directed him. But, he found no peace of mind and worried about his salvation. But reading St. Paul’s letters he came to believe that salvation came though faith in Christ. Faith is a free gift, he discovered, it cannot be earned. His studies led him to a conclusion that, “Christ was the only mediator between God and a man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are given by god’s grace alone” (Martin Luther, 01). Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”.
* David Calhoun. “A Mighty Fortress is Our God: The Life of Martin Luther“ in his lecture series Reformation and Modern Church History, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MO, Spring 2006.
with his 95 Theses. A strict father who most likely did not accept “no” as an
Luther preaches grace and in so free choice is abolished, suggesting that divine grace and human freedom are contradictory concepts. Because reconciliation between God and humans is made possible through the death of Jesus, God’s gift, it is foolish to assume that the exercise of freedom could have any relevance to salvation. Human freedom in Luther’s eyes is derived from the notion that individual’s are already saved through God’s righteousness and confirmed with the works of Christ, you are saved because of your possession of faith. "We reach the conclusion that faith alone justifies us and fulfils the laws; and this because faith brings us the spirit gained by the merits of Christ. The spirit, in turn, gives us the happiness and freedom at which the law aims.
King Martin Luther, “The Power of Non-violence”. www.teachingamericanhistory.org June 4, 1957. Web. December 26, 2010.