Martin Luther: The Reformer and his Political Thought (week 8)

Question 1

Context: Marisilius of Padua

Question 2

What was exemplify by Pope Boniface VIII in the bull Unam Sanctum of 1302?

Answer 2

Mediaeval teaching about the two kingdoms, or swords, held that both the spiritual kingdom and the secular kingdom had been entrusted to the pope, who turned the secular jurisdiction over to secular authority, namely the Holy Roman Emperor

Question 3

Where is this challenged?

Answer 3

That doctrine was challenged by Masilius of Padua in his work Defensor Pacis (‘The Defender of Peace’) of 1324, which emphasises the freedom of secular authority from ecclesiastical authority.

Question 4

What is this a good example of?

Answer 4

Good example of early Italian renaissance challenges.

Question 5

What is the aim of this work?

Answer 5

Tries to put the Church in its place and to recognise that it is a separate identity with a secular role. This was before the age of print so had limited impact at the time. In the C16th it was more useful than with reformation debates where it was then printed and had a much larger effect.

Question 6

What is he trying to elevate and who also does this?

Answer 6

Trying to elevate secular authority. Luther does a similar thing but the other way around - not trying to elevate the Church but the superiority of Christian faith - trying to preserve the integrity of Christian faith.

Question 7

At the imperial diet what did Luther do?

Answer 7

he made his stand and did not recant any of his views so was excommunicated by the Pope

Question 8

What did this lead to?

Answer 8

his arrest - but he escaped and was not killed

Question 9

What was the reason why he managed to escape?

Answer 9

he was kidnapped and kept safely away by Joachim I, Elector

Question 10

What did he do whilst he was here?

Answer 10

made a high quality german translation of the Bible that was published in 1522 - started selling between 1522-23

Question 11

What did this stimulate an interest in?

Answer 11

his stimulates interest in what scripture actually says.

Question 12

Was hostility expressed to this work?

Answer 12

There are a lot of Princes in Germany who are hostile towards this emerging reformation though like the Duke of Saxony

Question 13

Who else showed hostility?

Answer 13

The Elector of Brandenburg also showed hostility - was not in favour of the reformation. Luther is aware of these prohibitions on his circulations of the Bible that he is publishing .

Question 14

What is the geistliche Reich?

Answer 14

the spiritual realm

Question 15

What does he stress when discussing the spiritual realm?

Answer 15

stresses equality - ties in with his emerging works focusing on breaking down the artificial division between the clergy and the laity.

Believed that in the sight of God all are equal.

Question 16

What is weltliche Reich?

Answer 16

the worldly realm

Question 17

what is discussed?

Answer 17

Fleeting finite existence on Earth. This is the realm of reason and unbelief.
Basic binary opposition he is working with

Question 18

What did Luther transfer these two streams of thought into?

Answer 18

two forms of government

Question 19

what is the spiritual government?

Answer 19

spiritual government of the Church
exercised through the proclamation of the Word of God and proper administration of the sacraments

Question 20

What is the worldly government?

Answer 20

Worldly government of rulers (emperors, kings, lesser magistrates etc.) and the ruled

Exercised according to law and enforced through coercion

The purpose is to limit the effects of sin and to protect the weak from oppression

Question 21

What is Luther concerned with in terms of a spiritual government?

Answer 21

the proclamation of God - he is anticlerical and considers the Church as corrupt.

Question 22

spiritual government - what does he do with the seven sacrament?

Answer 22

reduces them from seven to two - baptism and the eucharist - defending the German Bible he had just published

Question 23

worldly government - how does he view the world?

Answer 23

as full of sin - has a pessimistic appreciation of human character and sees everything on the verge of tipping over to chaos

Question 24

How does Luther fit these two kingdoms and governments in his 1523 tract On Secular Authority?

Answer 24

Discusses what and can a Christian should do in complementary to these two different set ups.

Question 25

What Luther wants to see:

Answer 25

SEE HANDWRITTEN NOTES

Question 26

Luthers Precept:
‘Love and faith create no factions and no outward distinctions’ (p. 8)
What is meant by this?

Answer 26

Equality among Christians - in the sight of God, everybody is the same. There are no formal distinctions between them. Regardless of social position on Earth, everyone’s the same.