As the controversy surrounding Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses intensified, the University of Wittenberg professor’s prince, Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, arranged for him to be interviewed by Cardinal Cajetan at Augsburg during the meeting of the imperial diet there in October 1518. During the meeting the professor and the cardinal discussed indulgences, the treasury of merit, papal authority, the relationship between Scripture and ministry as well as the necessity of faith for the saving reception of the sacraments.
Church History
Decades II.7: Of the Magistrate
The whole office of a magistrate seemeth to consist in these three points: to order, to judge, and to punish, of every one whereof I mean to speak severally in order as they lie. The ordinance of the magistrate is a decree made by him for maintaining of religion, honesty, justice, and public peace: and it consisteth on two points: in ordering rightly matters of religion, and making good laws for the preservation of honesty, justice, and common peace.
Martin Luther’s Farewell to Arms: The Two Kingdoms and the Rejection of Crusading
Martin Luther’s political theology has fallen on hard times. While it was once common to give him credit for the emergence of modern political liberties, Luther’s legacy has, especially since the second world war, soured. Many have claimed that he set the stage for an unholy sort of sacred nationalism, while more recent commentators say that Luther had no political theology at all, but was instead content to take a “hands off” approach, ceding everything to an emerging secular state.
Calvin’s Luther: Unity and Continuity in Protestantism
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] John Calvin: More Lutheran or Zwinglian? Everybody knows that Calvin was closer to Zurich than to Wittenberg. What this essay presupposes is: Maybe he wasn't? In fact, Calvin was neither Zwinglian nor Lutheran in the...
Reason Diabolical, Reason Divine: Melanchthon on Philosophy, Humanism and Scripture
This article appeared in Volume II, Issue 4 of Ad Fontes. Introduction I begin with a quotation. I have used it in print before, but it provides such a high value of entertainment that I cannot forego reusing it here. The quotation is from a 19th c. American...
The Gospel Embodied: Luther’s Theology of the Lord’s Supper
Martin Luther sought above all to understand God’s self-revelation in the gospel, and how men and women are to grasp this revelation. In the gospel Luther discovered a God who comes to us. God condescends to us to meet us in our need as Savior and gives himself for...
The Gospel Expressed: Luther’s Teaching on Alien Righteousness as Divine Gift
When exactly the levee is going to break is not easy to know, but when it does we all know. October 31, 1517 is the day the levee broke in the church of the West. It is not likely that Luther was aware he was laying his ax to the root. But that is what he was in fact...
Lying and Christian Ethics (Tollefsen), Lying: An Augustinian Theology of Duplicity (Griffiths): Review by Kelby Carlson
Everybody lies. So says Dr. House. But he is not the only one to point out this obvious, uncomfortable fact. In recent years, philosophical literature has given increased attention to the lie. In particular, Christians have given renewed attention to the...
How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria (and Mary, and Mary, and Elizabeth)? Part II
This article by Sean Morris appeared in the May issue of Ad Fontes magazine. To subscribe to receive full issues in your inbox, click here. How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria (and Mary, and Mary, and Elizabeth)? Part II by Sean G. Morris The first part of this...
Natural Theology and Protestant Orthodoxy
Is natural theology part of orthodoxy?