CHRISTIANITY - luther Flashcards
1
Q
martin luther background
A
- Born in Eisleben, Germany in 1483
- Died in 1546
- Studied theology (began law also) and became a brilliant scholar (earning his doctorate in theology)
- He experienced a dramatic conversion during a thunderstorm.
- In 1505 he gave away his possessions and became a monk in the Augustine order. He threw himself into his studies and became a professor of the Bible at Wittenberg University.
- Luther had his own doubts about his relationship with God. He did not gain confidence from confession and penance and spent a lot of time striving to be a better person and confessing his sins
- German monk and professor of theology. He troubled about the possibility of not going to heaven.
- Led a strict life, but was worried about sin. Luther read the writings of early Christian theologians, including St. Augustine, and the Bible.
- Found the answer he was looking for in Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Romans 1:17 - “The righteous shall live by faith.”) Only faith (in the ultimate goodness of Jesus), not good deeds, could save a person. No good works, relics, rituals, etc. would save a person if they did not believe.
- Introduced the Doctrine of justification by faith (salvation by belief alone…..not good works).
- He rejected the idea of transubstantiation (where the host became Christ’s body and wine became Christ’s blood). He introduced Consubstantiation (where the bread and the wine coexist with Christ’s body and blood). This is still the belief of many Protestant churches today.
- He stressed theology more than other denominations
- Believed in the priesthood of all believers
2
Q
diet of worms
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- Luther was called to defend himself at the Diet of Worms in 1521, Luther refused to renounce his views, arguing that they were based on Scripture. In January 1521 Pope Leo X ordered Luther to give up his beliefs (Papal Bull). Luther burned the order in front of a cheering crowd and was excommunicated by Leo X.
- In April 1521 Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, declared Luther an outlaw when he wouldn’t give up his views at the Diet of Worms. The council released the Edict of Worms, banning Luther’s writings and declaring him a ‘convicted heretic’.
- Martin Luther went into hiding in Wartburg Castle (castle of Frederick of Saxony, a German Prince) and translated New Testament into German, making it possible for more people to read the Bible.
3
Q
indulgences
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- John Tetzel, a friar, sold indulgences. Doctrines of indulgences taught that Christ and the saints had stored up a treasury of merit.
- Indulgences could reduce the amount of time spent in purgatory; did not bring forgiveness of sin.
- Indulgences were sold to raise money for the church’s increasing expenses.
- Luther objected to the manner in which Tetzel was raising money for the rebuilding of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome by the aggressive selling of indulgences.
4
Q
contribution to the development and expression of christianity
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- Theology
- Institutional reforms
- Liturgical reforms
5
Q
contribution - theology
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Relationship with God
- Luther challenged the God-fearing attitudes of his time
- Emphasised that Christians should develop a personal relationship with God irrespective of hierarchy/authority: came out of detailed biblical studies
- ‘On the Freedom of a Christian Man’ Salvation depended solely on faith and grace – therefore all men were free of “good works” as the only road to salvation. The average person could approach God without need of the church
5 solas Luther’s ideas led to a complete break with the Catholic Church. The Lutheran Church was based on 5 key beliefs which were shared by all the great Reformers. These were: 1. Faith Alone (Sola Fide) 2. Christ Alone (Sola Christo) 3. Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura) 4. Grace Alone (Sola Gracia) 5. Glory of God alone (Soli Deo Gloria)
Consubstantiation
a term commonly applied to the Lutheran concept of the communion supper, though some modern Lutheran theologians reject the use of this term because of its ambiguity. The idea is that in the communion, the body and blood of Christ, and the bread and wine, coexist in union with each other. Rejection of transubstantiation. “Luther illustrated it by the analogy of the iron put into the fire whereby both fire and iron are united in the red-hot iron and yet each continues unchanged” (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, F.L. Cross, Ed., London: Oxford, 1958, p. 337).
6
Q
contribution - institutional reform
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95 Theses
- Luther questioned indulgences and corruption. On October 31, 1517 Luther posted, on a church door in Wittenburg, his 95 theses saying salvation is achieved through faith alone.
- He just wanted the church to clean up their act, but the church didn’t want to. (Posting things on the church door was really no big deal, that is where people posted all kinds of notices.)
- The church basically laughed at him, but the people didn’t laugh. The Church was mad, but the people followed Luther. These people became known as “Lutherans.”
3 Reform treaties
Through his writings, Luther contributed significantly to the development and expression of Lutheran doctrine.
Luther published 3 chief writings, which today are considered the three great Reformation treatises (essays).
1. Address to the German Nobility, in which he identified the key obstacles to the reform of Christianity. To reform you must desist all payments and tributes to Rome; ban clerical celibacy, end masses for the dead, and ignore desires for pilgrimages- these were all works without faith. Luther urged the German people to put Rome in her place. Outlined the ways in which the papacy had harmed Germany politically.
- Babylonian Captivity of the Church in which he criticised the sacramental system of the Church
end all these useless practices, offer communion cup to the laity- and only Baptism and Communion were valid sacraments. Denied transubstantiation in this.
Described what Luther saw as the religious failures of the Church.
Written in Latin. He compared the Papacy leading the church into captivity the same way the Babylon did to the Hebrews. - On the Freedom of a Christian Man: perhaps his greatest theological work.
He stressed the primacy of Scripture and emphasised the priesthood of the laity and the doctrine of justification of faith alone. Presented his doctrine of Priesthood of all believers.
Salvation depended solely on faith and grace – therefore all men were free of “good works” as the only road to salvation. The average person could approach God without need of the church.
7
Q
liturgical reforms
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Catechism
- Luther devised the catechism as a method of imparting the basics of Christianity to the congregations.
- In 1529, he wrote the Large Catechism, a manual for pastors and teachers, as well as a synopsis, the Small Catechism, to be memorised by the people themselves.
- The catechisms provided easy-to-understand instructional and devotional material on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Luther incorporated questions and answers in the catechism so that the basics of Christian faith would not just be learned by rote, “the way monkeys do it”, but understood.
- He rejected the idea of transubstantiation (where the host became Christ’s body and wine became Christ’s blood). He introduced Consubstantiation (where the bread and the wine coexist with Christ’s body and blood). This is still the belief of many Protestant churches today.
o Allows for a better understanding for people – strengthening their relationship with God
o “The declaration of the Pope are not the words of God therefore cannot agree to the heresy.”
o Martin Luther’s perspective on the role of the pope, changed their relevancy within church and therefore carried over to his version of a mass, instead placing emphasis on the scriptures.
Small Catechism
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God + other hymns
- Luther wrote hymns, psalms and a variety of other works. His emphasis on singing helped shape 19th and 20th C worship.
- Luther encouraged the people to sing during worship services. Until Luther’s time, music and singing were the responsibilities of the monk’s and priests.
- He re-evaluated the role of elaborate rites, statues and ornate paintings in the church.
- He simplified liturgy and prayers for greater understanding. Reducing the sacraments from 7 to 2 as Jesus had taught his followers. Baptism and Holy Communion/Eucharist
- “Jesus Christ it is.
Of Sabbath Lord,
And there’s none other God;”
Luther’s Morning Prayer
- One of the key sections of Martin Luther’s small catechism’s is prayer versus, emphasising liturgical reform
- Relied on the testimony of scripture tpteach people about Jesus, the model of Christian life as well as core Christian principles
- Emphasises private faith and prayer – rebuilding this personal connection to God rather than through the institutiom
- You should say, ‘My prayer is as precious, holy, and pleasing to God as that of St. Paul or of the most holy saints.”
- “has commanded us to pray…and has promised to hear us.”
- “I thank you my heavenly father through Jesus Christ…I pray that you would keep me this day also from sin and every evil”
8
Q
theology impact
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- relationship with God: Luther bridged the gap between individuals and God by giving them more opportunities to develop a relationship with Him (salvation).
- Impacted individuals’ relationships with God by enabling them to attain salvation.
- “All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired”
- An emphasis on the Gospel of forgiving and salvation was central to Luther’s theology and had a long-term impact on Christian theology. Protestant expressions of Christianity see Luther as particularly important in emphasising the merciful God and salvation found through faith in Christ. - 5 solas: All Christian denominations emphasisethat Christians can connect with God regardless of their background as described by the 5 Solas.
The protestant church is based on the 5 Solas, which was then drawn on for other reformers.
“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30 - Consubstantiation: Consubstantiation is still used in Protestant churches today.
9
Q
institutional reform impactq
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Main goal: to bring the individual closer to God by cutting out the corruption and bias of institutions and men. Luther believed “the Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deut 6:4), and hence had faith in the Lord’s teachings over man’s opinions.
- 95 THESES: Created a schism in Christianity with the reformation–> split off into denominations i.e. Lutherans, which have slightly different beliefs.
- This also led to the formation of the ‘Council of Trent’which was a pivotal point in Christianity as it saw Catholicism reflect on their wrong doings, which paved the way for the banishment of the indulgences which we know today.
- He also encouraged many other Protestant reformers, such as John Calvin in France, John Knox in Scotland or Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland - 3 reform treaties: Francesco Cesareo said that Luther’s works “served as the impetus for the Church to look at itself more critically in the light of many abuses”
- His argument against the Pope and his infallibility in The Address to the German Nobility has led to a lack of central structure and authority in most contemporary Protestant denominations, unlike denominations such as Catholicism and Orthodoxy
- His argument against the excessive Sacraments in The Babylonian Captivity of the Church led to the reduction of the number of Sacraments in Protestant denominations
- “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
- His emphasis on salvation through faith alone in The Freedom of a Christian Man has led to a similar emphasis in Protestant denominations
- “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’” John 11:25
10
Q
liturgical reform impact
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- Vatican 2 – a deeper understanding of all denominations of Christianity that began with Luther’s teachings + subsequent schism
- “The Reformation gave rise to constructive forms of several different Christian traditions, such as Lutheranism and Calvinism,” said Gregory. “But this also meant that people of differing faiths had to work out how they could coexist when religion had always been the key influence on politics, family and education.” - Brad S Gregory – Rebel in the Ranks Biography
- Demonstrates that keeping Christians equal developed mutual respect outlined in Vatican II
- Eclessiology theory – emphasis on the scriptures rather than papal authority
- “Archbishop Elchinger of Strasbourg gave a speech in St. Peter’s on how much Catholics owe non-Catholics even in matters of faith. One example was biblical scholarship. - ecclesial communities that had been born in the sixteenth-century Reformation –> a result of Luther’s emphasis on scripture
- Rhaner - Ecumenical Study Group of Protestant and Catholic Theologians - “based on the Gospel, the word of God, in which the main characteristic is the preaching of the Gospel.”
- Seen through the likes of Eastern Orthodox Catholicsm – Yves Congar “ The East never accepted the regular jurisdiction of Rome, nor did it submit to the judgment of Western bishops.”
- Reflected these differences to Western churches e.g Protestantism
- five “are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.”
- Emphasis on these sacraments in other denominations too e.g. Eucharist at Catholic Marriage ceremony
- Almighty fortress is our God + saviour of the nations come – importance of music in worship – 45 of hymns still used today – established this tradition in both protestant + catholic church communities
- 45 hymns still used today
- Shows the importance of music in worship
- Legacy of singing and tradition still occurs today
- The most famous hymn is ‘A mighty fortress is our God’ and ‘Saviour of the nation’s come’.
11
Q
overall impact
A
- Impact of reformation still obvious today. Division of the Western Church into Protestant and Catholic branches is the most obvious effect.
- Lacking internal authority, the Protestant movement divided into many groups even within the lifetime of the 16th C reformers, and hundreds of Protestant denominations exist in the 21 C.
- The Catholic Church was ever after divided…..the Protestantism that soon emerged was shaped by Luther’s ideas.
- Influenced other reformers in the western church such as:
- John Calvin (France) Reformed tradition
- Zwingli (Switzerland) Reformed churches
- Knox (Scotland) Presbyterian
- Eventually Henry VIII and the Church of England
- Even though the Catholic church exerted an enormous amount of pressure on Luther, (incl. accusations of heresy & excommunication) he continued to write direct accusations right up until his death.
- Following Luther’s death there was a 16th century reformation that arose largely in answer to the protestant reformation.
- The counter reformation (Council of Trent - Catholic reformation) was aimed at reforming the church whilst maintaining its traditions against changes created by Protestant theology. It clarified doctrine and its effective communication, reformed practices, initiated spiritual renewal and missionary activity.
- Vatican II took up some of the challenges presented by Luther from the 16th century including Liturgy in the vernacular and the importance of scripture.
