Luther and the German Reformation
2002-10-18
I. Luther’s Early Life 1483-1517
Background: Reformation began in Germany in 1517. Began with people like Erasmus. First printed Greek NT, criticized church. North Germany was where mysticism had thrived. Friends of God, Brethren of the Common Life. Also German states had suffered financially at the hands of the papacy. Because they lacked unity, the church had taken advantaged of the territories that made up German, which was the weak HRE. Nationalistic spirit begins in Germany.
A. Home life
Father was a miner, and part owner of a mining company. Lower middle class. Hard financial times. Grew up under a strict discipline of his parents. Brought up under religious superstition of the church.
B. Schooling
Went to mystical school of the Brethren of the Common Life. Then boarding school. Went then to the University of Erfurt. Bachelor and Master degrees.
C. Monastic Life and search for salvation
Became monk against father’s wishes instead of lawyer. This was also superstition. Joined the Augustinians, a group of monks. Named after the Augustine of the early church. Began to teach theology at new university in Wittenberg. Started school: The Frederick the Wise, and was a good friend. Luther had an intensified spiritual struggle because of his theological studies. Staupitz told him to trust God and study the Bible. Went to Rome in 1510-1511. He was shocked at corruption and flippancy of clergy and lack of knowledge of what they were saying; without morals. Transferred permanently to Wittenberg and became a teacher, and received Th.D. 1512-1516 study of Scriptuture that brought him to salvation: Romans 1:17. ‘Sola’ Faith alone. Now he had peace.
D. Protest against indulgences
10/31/1517 Posted his 95 Theses on church door. Brief statements protesting indulgences and invited debate on this matter. Church door was like a town bulletin board. Wanted to stir up some debate. Did not want to start revolt or leave the church. He wrote them in Latin, so that the churchmen would understand it.
II. The Break With Rome (1518-1521)
A. Debates and the taking of sides
Heidelberg was the first debate in 1518. Luther brought him some followers. Philipp Melanchthon. Became the most trusted assistant that Luther had. Luther was harsh and outspoken, tactless. Melanchthon was different, more calm, some compromise. Luther then got support of Frederick the Wise. 1519: Leipzig. Debated Johannes Eck. Defined the issues, separated Luther apart from the church even more. The only religious authority was the Bible. Eck accused him of having the ideas of John Hus, of heresy, but he did not back down.
B. Publication of pamphlets
Address to the German Nobility: Declared the priesthood of all believers. Babylonian Captivity: attacked the sacraments of the church, declared there are only 2, baptism and the Lord’s supper. Freedom of the Christian Man: attacked the Church’s theology. Priesthood of all believers again.
C. Excommunication, trial, and exile
Pope Leo X was the pope at this time, Renaissance pope. 1520 issued a bull demanding that Luther give up his views or be excommunicated. Luther burned it publicly. Political and religiously important (he was also in the HRE). Charles V, emperor, summoned Luther to a meeting of his Imperial Diet. Diet of Worms, 1521. He had to answer for his views. ‘I can do no other so help me God’. He was then kidnapped by friends that he might not be killed. Took him to a castle in Wartburg, where he was kept in exile. He translated the NT into German, and finished the entire bible.
III. Years of Separation and Doctrinal Formulation 1522-30
A. Separation (he separates at this time from certain people, alienated people):
The radical reformers. People that thought that Luther had not gone far enough. Zwickau prophets, they need to do a lot of change. Luther prompted for gradual reforms. Radicals had no dealing with Luther.
Erasmus and the other humanists. Erasmus agreed a lot with Luther, in 1525, did not like how Luther had broken away from Rome. Erasmus would not break away from the church, theological differences. Bondage vs. freedom of the will.
The German peasants. They had been oppressed by the nobles. They began to revolt against the nobles in 1525. Luther urged them to be patient, and that the nobles would stop abuses. Luther published the pamphlet, that the princes to put down the revolt. Denounced the peasants completely. Wanted to keep support of the nobles. Revolt put down; 100,000 peasants put down. Muentzer alienated.
Nameless group. Persons offended by Luther’s marriage. 1525, he married an escaped nun, Catherine von Bora (Katie).
Huldreich Ulrich Zwingli and the Swiss Reformers. See below. Swiss revolted against the church in the 1520’s. 1529, Luther and Zwingli met in Marburg to join movements. They agreed on 14/15 doctrinal points. The 15th point concerned the Lord’s Supper.
4 major views on the Lord’s supper.
Catholic. Transubstantiation. Elements change into body and blood.
Luther. Consubstantiation aka Real presence view. No change in elements, but real presence of Christ around and under these symbols. Real physical presence.
Reformed/Calvinistic view. Spiritual presence view. Presence in the hearts of the people. People lifted to heaven during this time in heavenly fellowship.
Zwingli. Memorial of Christ’s death. Symbols to remember Christ’s death.
The two of them were not of the same spirit, said Luther.
B. The organization of early Lutheran theology
1521: Philipp Melanchthon wrote a short theological work. Established Philipp in Lutheranism, dealt with Romans, Bible final authority.
1529: Protestation. Issued to the government. Protest against the policies that favored the Catholic church. Also Luther wrote his Short Catechism on the beliefs of the Lutheran movement. Theology and liturgy.
1530: Augsburg Confession. Full length creed and doctrinal statement by Melanchthon.
IV. The German Religious Wars and Church Organization
A. Schmalkaldic League (1531)
Protestant princes forming their defenses against the Holy Roman Emperor. All princes from HRE. Charles V kept busy with wars that he had no time to fight them, i.e. Turks, French.
B. Schmalkaldic Wars and Peace of Augsburg
1546-1552. Emperor had to compromise had to be reached with Protestants.
1555: Peace of Augsburg. Lutheranism was recognized as a legal religion in the empire. Each prince will have to determine the religion of his subjects. Lutheran prince had Lutheran subjects, etc. Union of church and state. Anabaptists not recognized.
C. Luther’s death and influence (1546).
Luther had lost some of his prestige because of peasants, etc. He made some compromises. Philip of Hesse was a bigamist that Luther supported. Luther became bitter in his old age and in his attacks, RCC, Anabaptists, and Jews. He hoped that the Jews would join him, but they did not. He had a great influence though. First a reformer and a man of courage to follow his convictions. Hymn writer. Translator of German Bible, and standardized German language (formerly of different dialects). Educator. System of elementary schools. Preacher, and helped restored preaching to prominent place. Theoloian and bible scholar. Justification by faith alone. Sole authority of Scripture. An example. Influence went far beyond Germany.
V. Later German Lutheranism 1555-80
A. Internal disputes
Place of the law in preaching.
Place of good works in salvation.
Lord’s Supper and its meaning.
Human will in salvation.
B. 1580 most of these disputes settled in a book called the Book of Concord
Lutheran theology different from RCC theology. Correctness of doctrine emphasized, but not emphasizing the spiritual life. Cold dead orthodoxy. 2 Tim 3:16-17.
VI. Lutheranism in other lands
A. Scandinavian countries and the state church
Lutheranism became state church. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland.
B. In other lands
All nations affected in one way or another. Luther is a pioneer of the Reformation.