Can comfort be found in understanding that God hides from us? Martin Luther, the protestant reformer, would say 'Yes'. Initially, the thought of God hiding Himself when He is most needed might be ...disconcerting. Still, Luther's concept of God's hiddenness has more in common with a fatherly game of hide-and-seek, rather than a divine attempt to startle us deviously. If this distinction can be grasped, a sense of Luther's benevolent purpose becomes clearer. After all, it was often in the context of trials and suffering that Luther turned to discuss and apply his concept of the hidden God.
In this new account of the emergence of a distinctive territorial state in early modern Germany, Robert von Friedeburg examines how the modern notion of state does not rest on the experience of a ...bureaucratic state-apparatus. It emerged to stabilize monarchy from dynastic insecurity and constrain it to protect the rule of law, subjects, and their lives and property. Against this background, Lutheran and neo-Aristotelian notions on the spiritual and material welfare of subjects dominating German debate interacted with Western European arguments against 'despotism' to protect the lives and property of subjects. The combined result of this interaction under the impact of the Thirty Years War was Seckendorff's Der Deutsche Fürstenstaat (1656), constraining the evil machinations of princes and organizing the detailed administration of life in the tradition of German Policey, and which founded a specifically German notion of the modern state as comprehensive provision of services to its subjects.
Zusammenfassung
Der Aufsatz kritisiert Tendenzen der Forschung, Luther als Gegner der These „Sollen impliziert Können“ zu präsentieren, und argumentiert dafür, dass hierbei nicht nur der strukturelle ...Ort
usus theologicus
fehlbestimmt, sondern auch die existenzielle Dringlichkeit verkannt wird, die für Luther das Festhalten an dieser These hat.
Staging a conversation among distinguished Luther scholars, historians of Christianity, and philosophers, The Medieval Luther makes the case that it is impossible to understand Luther's most ...important doctrines without exploring his philosophical inheritance. After all, Luther was an ardent participant in and contributor to the philosophical disputes of the late Middle Ages. By situating Luther's theology in relation to medieval healing practices, mysticism, biblical interpretation, and politics, this volume blurs the historiographical line between the medieval and early modern periods. Offering an expansive appreciation of the Middle Ages for his thought, The Medieval Luther is indispensable for any future study of the Reformation's leading figure.
Luther on Women Karant-Nunn, Susan C; Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E
03/2003
eBook
Martin Luther contributed extensively to the sixteenth century 'debate about women' with his writings on women and related subjects such as marriage, the family and sexuality. In this 2003 volume, ...Merry Wiesner-Hanks and Susan Karant-Nunn bring together a vast selection of these works, translating many into English for the first time. They include sermons, lectures, pamphlets, polemic writings, letters and some informal 'table talk' recorded by his followers. The book is arranged into chapters on Biblical women, marriage, sexuality, childbirth and witchcraft, as well as on Luther's relations with his wife and other contemporary women. The editors, both internationally-known scholars on Reformation and women, provide a general introduction to each chapter, and Luther's own colourful words fuel both sides of the debate about whether the Protestant Reformation was beneficial or detrimental to women. This collection will make a wide range of Luther's works accessible to English-speaking scholars, students and general readers.
Ink against the devil Loewen, Harry
Ink against the devil,
2015, 2015, 2015-06-18, 2015-06-12
eBook
Sixteenth-century Reformation Europe was a tumultuous time during which many defining ideas of the modern era were formulated. The technological advancement augured by the Gutenberg press allowed the ...unprecedented circulation of ideas among a growing legion of literate Europeans. The writings of radical reformer Martin Luther were perhaps most influential of all. His opposition to the universal Roman Catholic Church fundamentally challenged the elites and their institutions. Along the way, Luther was opposed by the Church, the political powers of the day, and competing religious ideologies. Ink Against the Devil distills the major impulses from these debates that continue to resonate to this day. This book will appeal to both lay and professional scholars of the Reformation and its major players with prose that is accessible and free of jargon. Loewen directly addresses the debates between Luther and his many foes, including Humanists like Erasmus and the sectarian opponents found among contemporary Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Of particular interest will be a focus on anti-semitism throughout Luther's published writings and sermons. There may be no other examples of this book's scope in such a natural, narrative presentation.
