DOCSLIB.ORG

“In Our Body the Scripture Becomes Fulfilled” : Gendered Bodiliness And

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“In Our Body the Scripture Becomes Fulfilled” : Gendered Bodiliness And Sini Mikkola “In Our Body the Scripture Becomes Fulflled” Gendered Bodiliness and the Making of the Gender System in Martn Luther’s Anthropology (1520–1530) AcAdeMIc dISSertAtIOn to be publicly discussed, by due permission of Faculty of theology at the University of Helsinki in Auditorium XIII, University main building on the 16th of december 2017 at 12 noon. Helsinki 2017 Sini Mikkola “In Our Body the Scripture Becomes Fulflled” Gendered Bodiliness and the Making of the Gender System in Martn Luther’s Anthropology (1520–1530) Helsinki 2017 ISBN 978-951-51-3881-1 (Paperback) ISBN 978-951-51-3882-8 (PDF) Unigrafa Helsinki 2017 AbstrAct “In Our Body the Scripture Becomes Fulflled”: Gendered Bodiliness and the Making of the Gender System in Martin Luther’s Anthropology (1520–1530) Tis doctoral dissertation examines Martin Luther’s view of the human being du- ring a decade of ecclesiastical, social, and political turmoil. Te vital perspectives in scrutinizing Luther’s anthropology are gender, bodiliness, sexuality, and power. Te study frst asks how gendered bodiliness was treated in Luther’s discussions on femininity and masculinity, and, consequently, in what way he constructed proper feminine and masculine ways of being and developed the gender system. Under scrutiny are the ideals, norms, and expectations that he framed on the grounds of the gendered body. Tirdly, it is asked whether Luther’s views varied according to historical and textual context, and especially if there are diferences between his views of female and male ways of being that are presented in theory, on the one hand, and in practical situations, on the other. Te most important contextual factors that set the background for analyzing Luther’s viewpoints are, by and large, the debate on the proper kind of Christian life—whether it should be lived in the cloister or in matrimony—and Luther’s changing personal situation from Augustinian friar to husband and father. Te time frame of the study is set from 1520 to 1530—a decade that is less studied in modern research from the viewpoint of gender than, for example, the following one. Te structure of the study is thematic, yet it follows a loose chronology. It is thus easier to explore a possible chronological shif in Luther’s language and thin- king, and especially whether changes in his personal life or in church and society somehow afected his views concerning the body, gendered ways of being, and the gender system. Many of the key concepts of the study—such as gender and the gender sys- tem, power, authority, and otherness—have been adopted from gender studies. Methodologically, the texts are examined through a close critical reading and con- tent analysis of the sources to discuss both the explicit and the implicit dimensi- ons of Luther’s discussion. Texts from the Weimarer Ausgabe (D. Martin Luther’s Werke: Kritische Gesamtausgabe) are used as the source material. Luther’s texts from the time period of 1520 to 1530 have been read and systematically searched from the viewpoint of themes of bodiliness and gender. Te guiding principles in choosing the texts under scrutiny have been: frst, that they ofer a representative and, second, that they provide a versatile sample of Luther’s views on the topic of the dissertation within the chosen time period. iii Te study shows that Luther formulated his views on gender and the gen- der system frmly on the basis of human bodiliness. Te penetrable theoretical idea that Luther deducted from gendered bodiliness was gender hierarchy: the woman’s subordination and otherness, and the man’s normativity and dominion. Luther participated in the reconstruction of femininity and masculinity in close interaction with the past and the present: he was in several ways afected by and bound to his medieval heritage and to the views of his contemporaries. Further- more, the study proves that overall, Luther’s thinking concerning the gender sys- tem did not undergo major changes during the 1520s, but instead involved smaller adjustments. Te analyses of real-life situations reveal that Luther could in practice be fexible in his viewpoints concerning the limits that one’s gender constituted—he allowed diferent rules especially for himself, for instance. However, in many ca- ses regarding his fellow men and women he applied his theoretical views in prac- tice in a very strict sense. Terefore, it is not the diference between theory and practice per se that is pervasive in Luther’s texts. Whether there is continuity or discontinuity between Luther’s overall theoretical views and his practical advice, for example, is most profoundly dictated by the context and the overall situation. Te study proves that the diference between Luther’s practical views and theory is chiefy dictated by subsidiarity. Te two core ideas are: (1) the closer to Luther, the more special the case, and (2) the more strategically important for Luther, the more special the case. iv Acknowledgements Producing a doctoral thesis is much like giving birth to a baby. I have delivered two of the latter, so I know what I am talking about. First, the dissertation, in the same way as labor, demands very hard, even body-aching work. Second, you cannot cope without the help of others. I owe a great debt of gratitude to several people who have helped me along the way. First of all, I want to thank my supervisors Professor Kaarlo Arfman and Adjunct Professor Päivi Salmesvuori from the Department of Church His- tory, University of Helsinki. Tey both have been extraordinary in their support throughout the whole process. Kaarlo, you have been, in biblical terms, my rock on which I have been able to count. Your extensive knowledge of the Reformation era and of Luther’s writings has indeed been an invaluable source for me as your student. Te critical yet at the same time polite and kind manner in which you discuss my work has been a real delight. Päivi, you are my Church Mother. It was you in the frst place who introduced to me the idea of applying for the position of PhD student. You have ofered me constant inspiration and guidance: what comes to research questions, methods, theories, or anything else one can think of, you are endlessly resourceful. Academically, you have been the force who has always pushed me forward. In this context, I also want to thank my other Church Mother, University Lecturer Marjo-Riitta Antikainen a.k.a. Mallo, who, together with Päi- vi, worked with me and Luther when I was still an undergraduate student. It was your Master’s seminar, Päivi and Mallo, that made me think for the frst time that I could become a doctor of theology one day. Vivamus in spe—for still a little while. Professor Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks and Associate Professor Else Marie Wi- berg Pedersen have kindly served as the preliminary assessors of the dissertation. I thank them both for giving detailed and well-considered remarks in their reports, which helped me sharpen my arguments and consider both the content and the structure of the work from new viewpoints during the last phase of revisions. I am under a deep debt of gratitude specially to Associate Professor Wiberg Pedersen, who has promised to act as my opponent in the public examination. Several friends and colleagues at the University of Helsinki have shared their time and thoughts with me during the years. I want to thank Adjunct Profes- sor Päivi Räisänen-Schröder for sharing my passion for the Reformation era, and particularly for the margins of the Reformation. Working with you, Päivi, has al- most felt like not working at all. We have had such a fantastic time doing research, teaching, blogging, and planning new projects! Your brilliance and great sense of v humor are among the many things I admire in you. Code name: Luther’s poop. You know what I mean. Professor Risto Saarinen and University Lecturer Pekka Kärkkäinen I thank sincerely for their willingness to consider aspects of Luther’s anthropology with me—be that in their ofces, at the airport, or in a Bierstube in Wittenberg, for example. Teir systematic theological approach has added to my historical view- point by giving invaluable ideas, and thus improved my thinking. Te exchange of thoughts I have had the pleasure to engage in with them has made me wonder whether there is, afer all, a little systematic theologian inside me. Other Luther scholars whom I wish to thank for discussions on Luther’s theology are, among many, Bishop Jari Jolkkonen, Adjunct Professor Kari Kopperi, and Doctor Sasja Emilie Mathiasen Stopa. Professor Kirsi Stjerna I want to thank for arranging multidisciplinary se- minars and conference meetings together with Associate Professor Wiberg Peder- sen. Tese seminars have focused on analyzing Luther from multiple, gendered perspectives. Te contribution of Professor Stjerna and Associate Professor Wiberg Pedersen to the International Luther Congresses and especially to the arranging of the series of international seminars on Alternative Luther have truly given me fresh scholarly input. In these wonderful gatherings of scholars doing gender-sensitive research I have had the privilege to meet and exchange thoughts with several fas- cinating researchers. I wish to particularly mention Professors Marit Trelstad, Jone Salomonsen, and Elisabeth Gerle, as well as Doctor Mary Streufert. Further, I am indebted to the post-graduate seminar, led by Professors Arf- fman and Tuija Laine, which has allowed me to mature as a scholar. Doctoral stu- dents Leena Enqvist and Olli Lampinen-Enqvist have been my closest colleagues, whose feedback has been of utmost value. Doctor Rose-Marie Peake I want to thank for interdisciplinary, ecumenical collaboration, as it were, that has ofered me new insights into Catholicism of the Early Modern period.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Das Wittenberger Fest 9. Bis 11. Juni 2017
    Das Wittenberger Fest 9. bis 11. Juni 2017 Präsentiert vom Verändern wir die Welt oder verändert die Welt uns? Reformation heißt, die Welt zu hinterfragen. Feiern Sie mit uns 500 Jahre Reformation! AZ – wbg Weltausstellung Reformation 20. Mai–10. September 2017 Lutherstadt Wittenberg Infotelefon 03491 6434-700 2 Das Lutherpaar 2017 wird dargestellt von Katja Köhler und Bernhard Naumann Foto: Marko Schoeneberg Bürger von Wittenberg, Volk von Sachsen und Anhalt, geschätzte Männer und Frauen aller Herren Länder! Ich freue mich, Sie zum traditionsreichsten Wittenberger Fest begrüßen zu dürfen. Seien Sie dabei, wenn die kleinste Großstadt Das Lutherpaar 2017 der Welt heiter und ausgelassen zum 23. Mal die Hochzeit unseres des Kinderfestumzuges Martin und seiner Käthe feiert. Erleben Sie den Geburtsort der wird dargestellt von Reformation in seiner authentischen Form. Tauchen Sie 500 Jahre Zoe Charlotte Köhler nach dem weltverändernden Thesenanschlag ein in die Zeit des und Fiete Reuter Mittelalters. Genießen Sie die Atmosphäre von historischen Marktständen, traditionellem Handwerk, Musikanten, Gauklern In jedem Jahr nehmen und dem Lagerleben. Feiern Sie mit, wenn das Brautpaar und Paare die Gelegenheit seine 2.000 Hochzeitsgäste in farbenfrohen Gewändern durch wahr, sich im Rahmen die Gassen der Altstadt ziehen. Mit einem vielseitigen Angebot von „Luthers Hochzeit“ für Jung und Alt wird die Altstadt zur Bühne und Erlebnismeile das Ja-Wort zu geben. zugleich. Sie haben damit nicht 2017 ist für die Lutherstadt Wittenberg das Jahr der Jahre. Deshalb nur die Möglichkeit, wartet auf Sie zu Luthers Hochzeit auch eine Besonderheit. im historischen Nicht nur, dass das Wittenberger Fest Bestandteil der weltweit Bürgermeisterzimmer getraut zu werden, einzigartigen „Weltausstellung Reformation“ sein wird, es wird in sondern auch am diesem besonderen Jahr auch kostenfrei für alle Besucherinnen historischen Festumzug teilzunehmen und sich auf der und Besucher sein.
    [Show full text]
  • Luther's Bible the Ehv 500Th Anniversary Lutheran
    LUTHER’S BIBLE & THE EHV O N T H E 500TH ANNIVERSARY O F T H E LUTHERAN REFORMATION Alle Schrift von Gott eingegeben October 31, 2017 Introductory Thoughts on the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation We are celebrating 500 years of the Lutheran Reformation, and there is much to celebrate. We praise God that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. We learn this from Scripture alone. To God alone be all the glory and praise! Most say that the Reformation started on October 31, 1517. On that day, Dr. Martin Luther sent a letter to the Archbishop of Mainz about indulgences. Here are a few excerpts from that letter: Under your most distinguished name, papal indulgences are offered all across the land for the construction of St. Peter’s…. I bewail the gross misunderstanding…. Evidently the poor souls believe that when they have bought indulgence letters they are then assured of their salvation. After all, the indulgences contribute absolutely nothing to the salvation and holiness of souls.1 After that, Luther also posted his Ninety-five Theses on the Castle Church door. These Latin statements were intended for public debate by university professors and theologians. Contrary to Luther’s expectations, his Ninety-five Theses were translated, published, and read by many people throughout Germany and in many other places. This was the spark that started the Reformation. Yet Luther was still learning from Scripture. In 1517, Luther still thought he was on the side of the Pope. By October of 1520, Luther had become clearer about many things.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Meister Eckhart in Twentieth
    Moran eckhart 1 Meister Eckhart in Twentieth-Century Philosophy Dermot Moran (University College Dublin) for Jeremiah Hackett, eD. Companion to Meister Eckhart Brill’s Companions to the Christian Tradition Vol. 36. LeiDen/Boston: Brill, 2013, pp. 669–698. ISBN 9789004183476. Leiden: Brill, 2013 Final Submiited Version The manner in which Meister Eckhart has been viewed by scholars has changed considerably over the centuries.1 Nevertheless, the Bull In agro dominico of 27th March 1329 already points towards the future directions that Eckhart research would subsequently take. There Eckhart is described in three-fold manner as ‘from Germany, a doctor of sacred theology (as it is said) and a professor of the Order of Preachers’.2 These characterisations of Eckhart continue to frame the debate – in other words, his connection with the German philosophical and mystical tradition, his status as a University of Paris master and Scriptural exegete, and his role as a theologian and vernacular preacher for the Dominican Order. The revival of Eckhart during the nineteenth century uncovered many more Eckharts. Indeed, the basis for Eckhart’s growing popularity in the twentieth century was laid during the nineteenth century when Eckhart was rediscovered by the Romantics. Eckhart was initially revived by the eclectic engineer, Catholic Romantic, Franz von Baader (1765-1841), a friend of Schelling, who discovered Eckhart through his reading of Boehme. Baader inspired Hegel to refer to Eckhart in his Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, quoting Eckhart’s saying that the eye with which we see God is also the eye with which God sees us.3 The nineteenth-century revival broadly represented Eckhart as a speculative, dialectical thinker.
    [Show full text]
  • IN FO R M a TIO N to U SERS This Manuscript Has Been Reproduced from the Microfilm Master. UMI Films the Text Directly From
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed through, substandard margin*, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. A Ben A Howeii Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313.761-4700 800.521-0600 RENDERING TO CAESAR: SECULAR OBEDIENCE AND CONFESSIONAL LOYALTY IN MORITZ OF SAXONY'S DIPLOMACY ON THE EVE OF THE SCMALKALDIC WAR DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By James E.
    [Show full text]
  • CONTINUITY and DISCONTINUITY BETWEEN the Medlev AL
    229 CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY BETWEEN THE MEDlEVAL MYSTICS AND THE SPIRITUALS OF THE RADICAL REFORMATION INTRODUCTION The question of whether or not there are links between the medieval mystics, particularly those of South Germany, and the more radical elements of the reformation has brought forth much dispute. There is a large literature, much of it polemical in style. The confessional approach to history has led to condemnation of the radicals from both Protestant and Catholic theologians. A small group, with an apologetic approach, has defended the anabaptist cause as distinct from the more radical and revolutionary elements, but whilst attempting to distance itself from what Zeman calls 'the embarrassing anomaly of the Miinsterite Kingdom'.1 While the Mennonites have done much research on the period, some of it is biased because of its apologetic nature. For example, we read in The Mennonite Encyclopedia that Thomas Miintzer had nothing essential in common with anabaptism and was not even interested in adult baptism.2 Miintzer was certainly a radical but to say that he did not accept adult baptism contradicts the evidence. Conrad Grebel wrote to Miintzer in 1524 that 'On the matter of baptism thy book pleases us well, and we desire to be further instructed by thee. ,3 Grebel goes on in the same letter to say that infant baptism is a 'senseless, blasphemous abomination' and that Miintzer knows this ten times better than himself. Not only did Miintzer accept adult baptism, but this was recognized by Grebel, who is accepted in The Mennonite Encyclopedia as 'not only the founder of the Swiss brethren movement and the later Mennonite Church but also one of the prophetic spirits of Christendom in its great and insistent tradition of reform and revival.
    [Show full text]
  • November 26, 2017
    Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe - Year A November 26, 2017 St. Anthony of Padua 3009 High Ridge Blvd. High Ridge, MO 63049 Business Hours Monday - Friday 7:30 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. Phone (636) 677-4868 Fax (636) 677-2781 Website www.stanthonyhr.org Pastor Father John Reiker PARISH MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to be on fire with the love of Jesus Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, to celebrate our com- munity of faith in the Eucharist and to share God's love and mercy with our neighbors through our ministries and evangelization." Mass Schedule Sunday Saturday 5:00 P.M. Daily Sunday 8:30 A.M., 10:15 A.M. Monday - Friday 8:00 A.M Holy Days Confessions 8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. Saturday 4:15-4:45 P.M. RECTORY CLOSED ON ALL HOLY DAYS By appointment anytime Rectory Office Religious Instruction Marriages: Make arrangements with Father John Reiker Parish School of Religion Priest or Deacon of your choice no less Pastor ext. 102 Phone (636) 677-4868 ext 118 than six months prior to proposed [email protected] Grades (pre-K through 8) wedding date. Mrs. Kathy Joslin Parish Help Line: St. Vincent de Paul Deacon Richard L. Stevens [email protected] Adults - RCIA Society, 1-877-238-3228, ext. 3329 [email protected] Please contact: New Parishioners: Welcome! The Rectory Office 636-677-4868 ext. 100 Please register by contacting the Deacon Jim G’Sell rectory during business hours @ 677- [email protected] Sacramental Preparation Baptism Preparation Meeting: Infant 4868 ext.
    [Show full text]
  • The Word They Still Shall Let Remain
    The Word they still shall let remain: A Reformation pop-up exhibit This exhibit marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. We invite you to explore different perspectives on the Reformation, including the impact of print in producing the German, Swiss, radical, and English reform movements, as well as the response from the Catholic Church and the political ramifications of reform. Indulgences granted by several Popes of Rome in the several churches of Rome collected by William Crashaw in Fiscus Papalis, 1621. V.a.510(8), fol. 1-2v In 1095, Pope Urban II first introduced indulgences as pardons for sin to entice fighters to join the crusades. Later, these ephemeral sheets of forgiveness were granted for completed pilgrimages, for purchase to release souls from purgatory (the doctrine itself authorized in 1439), and were sold to cover sins during life out of the “Treasury of Merits,” a spiritual coffer that contained redemption through the deaths of martyrs and Christ. Rome officially announced the sale of indulgences in exchange for pardon of sin in 1476, 41 years before the 95 Theses. Pope Leo X provided the bishopric of Mainz to Albrecht of Brandenburg and then allowed him to sell indulgences to pay back personal debts. Indulgences are granted to this day for receiving Holy Communion, reciting the rosary, the exercise of the Stations of the Cross and reading scripture, among other acts. Here we see a manuscript account of the various indulgences offered and received, copied from Crashaw’s Fiscus Papalis and provides information on the amount of time remitted from purgatory.
    [Show full text]
  • Ann Arbor Publishers, 1960. Reformation Bibles in the Crossfre: the Story of Jerome Emser, His Anti- Lutheran Critique, and His Catholic Bible Version
    Andrews University Seminary Studies, Autumn 1995, No. 2, 17 1-183 Copyright 1995 by Andrews University Press BIBLIOGRAPHY OF KENNETH A. STRAND Through 1994 Compiled by Nancy J. Vyhmeister and Jennifer Kharbteng BOOKS A Reformation Paradox. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1960. Reformation Bibles in the Crossfre: The Story of Jerome Emser, His Anti- Lutheran Critique, and His Catholic Bible Version. Ann Arbor: AM Arbor Publishers, 196 1. WoodcutsJFomthe Earliest Lutheran and Emserian New Testaments. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1962. Reformation Bible Pictures: Woodcutsfiom Early Lutheran and Emserian New Testaments. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1963. German Bibles Before Luther: The Story of 14 High German Editions. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1966. Three Essays on Early Church History, with Emphasis on the Roman Province of Asia. Ann Arbor: Braun-Brumfield, 1967. Early Low-German Bibles: The Story of Four Pre-Lutheran Editions. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967. Woodcuts to the Apocalypse in Diirer 's Time: Albrecht Diirer 5 Woodcuts Plus Five Other Sets from the 15th and 16th Centuries. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1968. Diirer's Apocalypse: The 1498 German and 151 1 Texts in Facsimile Plus Samples of Diirer's Woodcuts and Grags Copies. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1969. Woodcuts to the Apocalypse JFom the Early 16th Century. Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Publishers, 1969. Brief Introduction to the Ancient Near East: A Panorama of the Old Testament World. Ann Arbor: Braun-Brumfield, 1969. The Open Gates of Heaven: A Brief Introduction to Literary Analysis of the Book of Revelation. Ann Arbor: Braun-Brumfield, 1970. Second edition, enlarged, 1972.
    [Show full text]
  • Meet Martin Luther: an Introductory Biographical Sketch
    Andrews University Seminary Studies, Spring 1984, Vol. 22, No. 1, 15-32. Copyright O 1984 by Andrews University Press. MEET MARTIN LUTHER: AN INTRODUCTORY BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH KENNETH A. STRAND Andrews University Introductory Note: The following biographical sketch is very brief, given primarily to provide the nonspecialist in Luther studies with an introductory outline of the Reformer's career. Inasmuch as the details presented are generally well-known and are readily accessible in various sources, documentation has been eliminated in this presentation. Numerous Luther biographies are available. Two of the more readable and authoritative ones in the English language which may be mentioned here are Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand (New York: Abingdon Press, 1950), and Ernest G. Schwiebert, Luther and His Times (St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Publishing House, 1950). These or any number of good Luther biographies may be con- sulted for a detailed treatment of Luther's career. Following the sketch below, a chronological listing is provided of important dates and events in Luther's life and in the contemporary world from the year of his birth to the year of his death. Just over 500 years ago, on November 10, 1483, Martin Luther was born in the town of Eisleben, in central Germany (now within the German Democratic Republic or "East Germany"). He was the oldest son of Hans and Margarethe (nee Ziegler) Luther, who had recently moved to Eisleben from Thuringian agricultural lands to the west. It appears that before Martin's first birthday, the family moved again-this time a few miles northward to the town of Mans- feld, which was more centrally located for the mining activity which Hans Luther had taken up.
    [Show full text]
  • Smoky Mountain Bible Institute History 140 Reformation & the Book Of
    Smoky Mountain Bible Institute History 140 Reformation & the Book of Concord Previously we focused primarily on the first 1500 years of Christianity’s history. Now, we will proceed from there forward, focusing on the Lutheran perspective. We just celebrated the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses to the castle church in Wittenberg on October 31st, 1517. This is seen by most of the world as the beginning of the Reformation. The 95 Theses themselves were primarily concerned with the practice of selling indulgences; full-fledged Lutheran theology was “hammered out” much more thoroughly in the years that followed. From the time of 1517 and on, the Reformation can be covered from many historical angles, but I would like to track it through its clear confession of biblical truth as we believe, teach, and confess it today. Because of Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, these confessional documents were mass- produced and distributed, spreading the faith eventually all over the world. 1529 is the next significant date. Luther wanted to produce a simple tool for parents to use to teach their children the faith. So, he produced The Large and Small Catechisms, which give the clearest and briefest explanations of what the 10 commandments, creeds, Lord’s Prayer, baptism, confession & absolution, and Lord’s Supper mean in the daily life of every Christian. In the same year Luther was brought before the diet (a royal legislative court) at Worms and on the 18th of April, refused to recant his writings with the famous “Here I Stand” speech.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Personal Letters of Martin Luther the Diet of Worms Papers
    The documents below are excerpts from Martin Luther's personal letters written between December 29, 1520 and April 28, 1521. These letters were written before his appearance at the Diet of Worms regarding his excommunication and publications, his appearance at the Diet of Worms where he refused to recant his statements and publications, and the events up to the date of his kidnapping by friends who took him to the Wartburg Castle. The purpose of this edition is to encourage discussion and research by students in World and European History and other interested groups and individuals. The statements following the "Reflection" are the perspective of Hank Bitten, history educator. The pictures and images are not part of Luther's letters and included for the purpose of education and context. The complete documents are published in Luther's Works, Volume 48 Letters 1, Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1963. Library of Congress No. 55-9893. Edited by Gottfried C. Krodel The Personal Letters of Martin Luther The Diet of Worms Papers Letter to George Spalatin (Part 1 of 2) December 29, 1520 To the learned and devout man, Mr. George Spalatin, Saxon court chaplain, my friend in the Lord “Greetings. Today I received copies of the letters from Allstedt as well as your letter from Kindelbruck. In it you ask me what I would do if called by Emperor Charles and if I could do anything without endangering the gospel and the public welfare, since you see that my enemies do everything to bring this affair to a head. Of course I would by all means come, if called, in so far as it would be up to me, even if I could not come by my own power an instead would have to be driven there as a sick man.
    [Show full text]
  • The Source and Application of Thomas Müntzer's Theology of Divination in His Marginal Notes on Tertullian
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Master of Sacred Theology Thesis Concordia Seminary Scholarship 5-21-2021 The Source and Application of Thomas Müntzer's Theology of Divination in His Marginal Notes on Tertullian Roger Drinnon Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/stm Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Renaissance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Drinnon, Roger, "The Source and Application of Thomas Müntzer's Theology of Divination in His Marginal Notes on Tertullian" (2021). Master of Sacred Theology Thesis. 399. https://scholar.csl.edu/stm/399 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Sacred Theology Thesis by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE SOURCE AND APPLICATION OF THOMAS MÜNTZER’S THEOLOGY OF DIVINATION IN HIS MARGINAL NOTES ON TERTULLIAN A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Historical Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Sacred Theology By Roger Andrew Drinnon May, 2021 Approved by: Rev. Dr. Timothy Dost Thesis Advisor Rev. Dr. Joel Elowsky Reader Rev. Dr. Benjamin Haupt Reader © 2021 by Roger Andrew Drinnon. All rights reserved. ii To my father, Roger for giving me the love of learning.
    [Show full text]