Context: Though the document was not actually dated, I know that it was sometime during the early 16th century when Martin Luther was beginning the Protestant Reformation seeing as though it is about his enlightenment. So this document is about a time prior to him publishing his Ninety-five Theses, which will affect him in this document seeing as though he had to struggle to "break from the norm" to find salvation from that which was troubling him before.
Summary: Martin Luther began as a monk. He went against the
will of his father to join the monastery, who tried to put guilt on him, even
going as far as to say “Don’t you know that you ought to honor your father?”
Martin Luther then goes into a memory from his time as a monk, where the
prayers would basically drive him crazy. But it was God who saved him from the “torment
of prayers”. When thinking of the words “righteousness
of God,” his conscience rang loudly and he feared punishment from God. However,
after much thought, he realized that salvation is God’s mercy and thus eased
his conscience and brightened his spirit. He was no longer afraid of the “righteousness
of God” because it was that righteousness that saved, not punished. God led
Martin Luther out of his torment, showed him the way to understanding and to
cleanse his mind/ease his conscience. It was God and faith that led him to true
salvation.
Key Quotations: “…I soon came to the conclusion that if we,
as righteous men, ought to live from faith and if the righteousness of God
should contribute to the salvation of all who believe, then salvation won’t be
our merit but God’s mercy.”
“For it’s by righteousness of God that we’re justified and
saved through Christ.”
Jean, I really thought you did a great job laying out the author bio, which provides ample details linking Luther and his beliefs to the Reformation. I appreciate your inclusion of Luther's inner turmoil (in context) and struggle to break from the traditional ideas of the church. Your summary paints a great picture of Luther's eventual catharsis in salvation by faith alone.
ReplyDeleteSome points to consider:
The quotes that you included were very valid, however, you could have also included a quote about the Church's reaction, such as 'Who ever questions what the Roman church says and does is heretical. Luther questions what the church says and does, and therefore [he is a heretic]." You could have also stated that Luther used Biblical quotations from Romans to support his thesis. This last piece of constructive criticism is a bit of a stretch, but you could have included the ironic fact that the papacy used Biblical quotes to support absolute power (Petrine Theory), while Luther used the same text to refute it.
One must consider the socio-political conditions of Wittenberg that allowed Luther to openly preach these ideas. Appalled by the corruption and excesses of the Church when he visited Rome, Luther began preaching "salvation through faith alone" as early as 1512. Pope Leo X initially took little notice of the disruptions in the far reaches of his realm. However, he hand was forced when Tetsel & Luther elevated animosities by burning each other's documents.
ReplyDeleteAs one would expect, this document takes on a "preachy" tone and tells listeners that salvation is achieved through faith rather than good acts.