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Luther was determined to be the world's Third Most Important Figure of the last 1000 years, but without a doubt, he's #1 in Christianity for that period. A very complex man.... often full of the tensions and mysteries in which he saw theology.... he's far from easy to understand, especially these 500 years later in a time and world VERY different than his own. And so much of the comtemporary literature of his day is highly political and biased (he was both high saint and condemned heretic in his own time), making it difficult even to go back to the writings of others in his day.
Personally, he wrote MUCH! He was an incredibly prolific author, as if he spent every moment with pen in hand. And when he wasn't writing, others were writing down what he was saying - and almost immediately publishing it. And in his day when the printing press and the press itself was brand new, and LONG before "Political Correctness" was even thought of, well (a bit like Trump, LOL) Luther just said and wrote stuff - with NO concept that every letter would be picked apart, every word twisted and spun as desired, nearly everything taken out of context (he even didn't know that it's unwise to talk to dozens of folks all taking notes after and while consuming copious amounts of beer....) That complicates things more.
It's interesting TO ME that, having become a Lutheran, Lutherans seem to talk about Luther less than just about any other Christians (THIS year, that's probably not true!). Lutherans are focused on Scripture and the Lutheran confessions, and rare is the Lutheran who has read anything Luther wrote except for the Small Catechism (arguably his best writing). They are typically aware of some of the (now viewed as horrific) 16th century views that Luther too echoed (about Jews, for example) but this concerns them not: there is no sense in Lutheranism that Luther is our teacher or even was particularly right about much. For Lutherans, Scripture is the "norma normans" and the Confessions are the "norma normata" (yeah, Lutherans - like Catholics - do theology in Latin, lol).
I'll begin with this video. It is CATHOLIC, not Protestant. And features a very popular Catholic bishop, theologian and spokesman, who seems to have read Luther extensive. It's an interesting perspective. It's about 8 minutes long:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXQDqjR8HGw
While I find his Catholic perspective interesting, and while I rejoice greatly in the non-polemic tone of it (we've come a LONG way in recent years!) I find him very wrong when it comes to Luther's theology. While he may have an interesting insight as to His articulation flowing as much from love as from doctrine (he may well be onto something there), his understanding of the theology is far, far off mark. The "SOLAS" of Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide are SOLAS meant to be doctrinal solas. Where I think Catholics - at Trent and to this day - miss it is they understand justification - sanctification - God - man - Christ - Mary - us - the Sacraments - our works - God's empowering - worship - heart - head to all one whole. The kind bishop misses Luther because he dismisses His SOLAS in order to keep the big, intertwined corpus of stuff all apart of a progressive, synergistic, cooperative effort to be one with God. Luther embraces two DIFFERENT (although absolutely joined) things: Justfication and Sanctification. BECOMING His own.... growing/maturing/living as His own. Luther sees a distinction between Law and Gospel in sharp contacts to the complete blending of the two. Traditional Catholicism is right: Luther and Trent are antithetical on these points.
My own training here has been that there much MUCH "talking past" each other back then (and while it took CENTURIES, some now have been able to back away enough to see that). Battle lines were drawn, slogans developed, saints and heretics declared.... and understanding pretty much went out the window (that and POWERFUL, combative governments found one side or the other to be useful). And I think, now more than ever, both "sides" are realizing we've always had MUCH in common, a reality somehow "lost" in the bitterness but joyously being affirmed in our own time. But I respectfully disagree with the kind (and no doubt wise and informed) Bishop: Those SOLAS are foundational to Lutheran (and Protestant) theology..... and Trent actually understood that.
Perhaps you have videos and/or insights to share.....
Pax Christi
- Josiah
PS Here's a link to an outstanding source of Lutheran materials and insights gathered by a Reformed brother: https://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/
.
Luther was determined to be the world's Third Most Important Figure of the last 1000 years, but without a doubt, he's #1 in Christianity for that period. A very complex man.... often full of the tensions and mysteries in which he saw theology.... he's far from easy to understand, especially these 500 years later in a time and world VERY different than his own. And so much of the comtemporary literature of his day is highly political and biased (he was both high saint and condemned heretic in his own time), making it difficult even to go back to the writings of others in his day.
Personally, he wrote MUCH! He was an incredibly prolific author, as if he spent every moment with pen in hand. And when he wasn't writing, others were writing down what he was saying - and almost immediately publishing it. And in his day when the printing press and the press itself was brand new, and LONG before "Political Correctness" was even thought of, well (a bit like Trump, LOL) Luther just said and wrote stuff - with NO concept that every letter would be picked apart, every word twisted and spun as desired, nearly everything taken out of context (he even didn't know that it's unwise to talk to dozens of folks all taking notes after and while consuming copious amounts of beer....) That complicates things more.
It's interesting TO ME that, having become a Lutheran, Lutherans seem to talk about Luther less than just about any other Christians (THIS year, that's probably not true!). Lutherans are focused on Scripture and the Lutheran confessions, and rare is the Lutheran who has read anything Luther wrote except for the Small Catechism (arguably his best writing). They are typically aware of some of the (now viewed as horrific) 16th century views that Luther too echoed (about Jews, for example) but this concerns them not: there is no sense in Lutheranism that Luther is our teacher or even was particularly right about much. For Lutherans, Scripture is the "norma normans" and the Confessions are the "norma normata" (yeah, Lutherans - like Catholics - do theology in Latin, lol).
I'll begin with this video. It is CATHOLIC, not Protestant. And features a very popular Catholic bishop, theologian and spokesman, who seems to have read Luther extensive. It's an interesting perspective. It's about 8 minutes long:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXQDqjR8HGw
While I find his Catholic perspective interesting, and while I rejoice greatly in the non-polemic tone of it (we've come a LONG way in recent years!) I find him very wrong when it comes to Luther's theology. While he may have an interesting insight as to His articulation flowing as much from love as from doctrine (he may well be onto something there), his understanding of the theology is far, far off mark. The "SOLAS" of Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide are SOLAS meant to be doctrinal solas. Where I think Catholics - at Trent and to this day - miss it is they understand justification - sanctification - God - man - Christ - Mary - us - the Sacraments - our works - God's empowering - worship - heart - head to all one whole. The kind bishop misses Luther because he dismisses His SOLAS in order to keep the big, intertwined corpus of stuff all apart of a progressive, synergistic, cooperative effort to be one with God. Luther embraces two DIFFERENT (although absolutely joined) things: Justfication and Sanctification. BECOMING His own.... growing/maturing/living as His own. Luther sees a distinction between Law and Gospel in sharp contacts to the complete blending of the two. Traditional Catholicism is right: Luther and Trent are antithetical on these points.
My own training here has been that there much MUCH "talking past" each other back then (and while it took CENTURIES, some now have been able to back away enough to see that). Battle lines were drawn, slogans developed, saints and heretics declared.... and understanding pretty much went out the window (that and POWERFUL, combative governments found one side or the other to be useful). And I think, now more than ever, both "sides" are realizing we've always had MUCH in common, a reality somehow "lost" in the bitterness but joyously being affirmed in our own time. But I respectfully disagree with the kind (and no doubt wise and informed) Bishop: Those SOLAS are foundational to Lutheran (and Protestant) theology..... and Trent actually understood that.
Perhaps you have videos and/or insights to share.....
Pax Christi
- Josiah
PS Here's a link to an outstanding source of Lutheran materials and insights gathered by a Reformed brother: https://beggarsallreformation.blogspot.com/
.
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