Class 3: Martin Luther II Theology Dr. Ann Orlando 20 January 2017

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

How ‘Erasmus laid the egg that Luther Hatched How ‘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

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

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

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 self-importance 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

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.

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

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 "I've got so much work to do today, I'd better spend two hours in prayer instead of one." – Martin Luther

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 But “we all die alone”

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

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 interpretations; 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 (deutero-canonical books; i.e., most philosophical books) Very important that everyone can read

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 Rejected 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

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.

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

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 In 1509, 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

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 Henry VIII

Assignments 1. Martin Luther, Freedom of Christian, in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings Ed Timothy Lull. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005. p386-411. 2. Martin Luther. Disputation on Scholasticism in The European Reformations Sourcebook. ed Carter Lindberg. Malden: Blackwell, 2000. 28. 3. Philip Melanchthon Augsburg Confession Prolog, Articles 1-5, 8, 9, 18, 20 available at http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-boc.html#ac 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