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May 16, 2017
The Augsburg Interim
Shortly after the death of Luther in 1546, Pope Paul the III entered into an agreement with the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles the V. This agreement stipulated that Charles would go to war against everyone who opposed the Council of Trent. The main target of this agreement was the Smalkaldic League, a group of German princes who supported Luther’s Reformation.
May 13, 2017
The Four Holy Men: Albrecht Dürer's Confession of Faith
Both Lutherans and Roman Catholics claim Albrecht Dürer as their own. So what was he? Lutheran or Roman Catholic
April 21, 2017
Political Allies of the Reformation
Martin Luther, along with John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Bucer, and Thomas Cranmer are often referred to as the “Magisterial Reformers.” By “magisterial” early modern historians typically mean that they reformed their respective regional churches with the help of local magistrates
April 14, 2017
A Good Friday Sermon from Luther
In the midst of a world whose consideration of Christ’s death is perhaps not so different than our own, Luther published a Good Friday sermon: “A Sermon on how to Contemplate Christ’s Holy Sufferings.” This sermon appeared in pamphlet form in 1519...
April 13, 2017
Luther’s Good Friday Sermon
In this sermon, Luther determined to set the record straight concerning man’s contemplation of Christ’s sufferings.
April 12, 2017
The Resurrection in the Lutheran Confessions
The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. This teaching is one of the fundamental articles of the faith.
April 8, 2017
Indulgences Then and Now
On March 31st 1515 Pope Leo X issued a bull of plenary indulgence to remove sins’ temporal penalties that clung to the souls of the living and the dead.
April 8, 2017
Indulgences Then and Now
The events of October 31st 1517, the day that Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, were not set in motion by a man’s ambitious vision to revolutionize the spirituality of the west. Nor were they set in motion by Luther’s iconoclastic vainglory that sought to topple the ancient powers of tradition and the papacy. Rather, Luther swung his hammer as a pastor. He cared for the eternal welfare of his flock.
March 27, 2017
Luther's Reform of the Mass
If you want to start an argument among Lutherans, just bring up the topic of worship and the liturgy. What was Luther’s preference? Whose side was he on?
March 23, 2017
Lutheran Liturgical Practices During Lent
Each year, the Christian church embarks on a forty-day journey leading up to Easter, known as the season of Lent. When discussing Lenten liturgical practices of Lutherans, one can distinguish three categories into which each practice can be placed: Visual, Historical/Traditional, and Emotional/Spiritual.
March 13, 2017
Knight, Death, and the Devil: Albrecht Dürer's Mystery Man
Who is the Rider? Although Albrecht Dürer's "Knight, Death, and the Devil" has been acclaimed as one of Europe's greatest masterwork engravings since its publication in 1513, it has also been one of the most provocative pieces of art in the past 500 years.
March 11, 2017
Luther's Invocavit Sermons, Part 3 - Faith and Love, Must and Free
Luther’s emphasis on heeding the call to love and patience is insistent in these sermons. It even impacts that essential distinction between the “musts” and the “free.” Luther can see that even in the things which are “musts” and are matters of necessity, such as believing in Christ, love nevertheless never uses force or undue constraint.
February 27, 2017
Lutherans and Roman Catholics Today
If you think about theological error like the course of a ship, a little variance in the direction of the ship can have immense effects on the final trajectory toward the destination.
February 26, 2017
Luther on the Transfiguration
To consider Christ’s glorious Transfiguration on its own is eye-opening; to hear how Luther describes this glory as yours nearly bursts the eyes from their sockets, bringing hope to the Christian heart.
February 10, 2017
Luther's Early Life
Martin Luther was born in Eisleben on November 10, 1483 to Hans and Margarethe Luder. Whereas Luther’s mother was from an economically prosperous family, his father was from more humble origins. His family was nevertheless...
February 2, 2017
Luther and Melanchthon
he friendship and partnership of these two men towered above any other relationship in Wittenberg or beyond. Of the seven documents contained in the Book of Concord, three were written by Melanchthon and three by Luther.