To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, 1520


Book Description

With great clarity and insight, James M. Estes illuminates Luthers call to secular authorities to help with the reform of the church in this important 1520 treatise. Starting with the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, Luthers appeals for reform had been addressed to the ecclesiastical hierarchy, whose divinely imposed responsibility for such things he took for granted. By the early months of 1520, however, Luther had come to the conclusion that nothing could be expected from Rome but intransigent opposition to reform of any sort. It was only at this point that he began to write of the need for secular rulers to intervene with measures that would clear the way for ecclesiastical reform. Concerned that Christendom was going to ruin, Luther argued that with such an emergency looming, anyone who was able to do so should help in whatever way possible. This volume is excerpted from The Annotated Luther series, Volume 1. Each volume in the series contains new introductions, annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luthers context and to interpret his writings for today. The translations of Luthers writings include updates of Luthers Works, American Edition, or new translations of Luthers German or Latin writings.




Address To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation


Book Description

Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation is one of the tracts written by Martin Luther in 1520. In this work, he defined for the first time the signature doctrines of the priesthood of all believers and the two kingdoms. After the church made a strong attempt at drawing distinct lines on saying who had authority in the spiritual sphere and its matters. This division of Christians into spheres motivated Luther to write on the "three walls" the "Romanists" created to protect themselves from reform: "Spiritual Power over Temporal" – The first wall of the "Romanists" that Luther criticized was that of the division of the spiritual and temporal state. "Authority to Interpret Scripture" – In the second part of the letter to the Christian nobility of the German nation, Luther debates the point that it is the Pope's sole authority to interpret, or confirm interpretation of, scriptures "Authority to Call a Council" – The final part to Luther's letter is the largest demonstration of his desire to see authority in control over the spiritual sphere shift to the temporal sphere.










An Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Concerning the Reform of the Christian Estate 1520


Book Description

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!




Three Treatises


Book Description

Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg in 1517. In the three years that followed, Luther clarified and defended his position in numerous writings. Chief among these are the three treatises written in 1520. In these writings Luther tried to frame his ideas in terms that would be comprehensible not only to the clergy but to people from a wide range of backgrounds. To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation is an attack on the corruption of the church and the abuses of its authority, bringing to light many of the underlying reasons for the Reformation. The second treatise, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, contains Luther's sharp criticism of the sacramental system of the Catholic church. The Freedom of a Christian gives a concise presentation of Luther's position on the doctrine of justification by faith. The translations of these treatises are all taken from the American edition of Luther's Works. This new edition of Three Treatises will continue to be a popular resource for individual study, church school classes, and college and seminary courses.




Address To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation: Treatise on Signature Doctrines of the Priesthood


Book Description

Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation is one of the tracts written by Martin Luther in 1520. In this work, he defined for the first time the signature doctrines of the priesthood of all believers and the two kingdoms. After the church made a strong attempt at drawing distinct lines on saying who had authority in the spiritual sphere and its matters. This division of Christians into spheres motivated Luther to write on the "three walls" the "Romanists" created to protect themselves from reform: "Spiritual Power over Temporal" - The first wall of the "Romanists" that Luther criticized was that of the division of the spiritual and temporal state. "Authority to Interpret Scripture" - In the second part of the letter to the Christian nobility of the German nation, Luther debates the point that it is the Pope's sole authority to interpret, or confirm interpretation of, scriptures "Authority to Call a Council" - The final part to Luther's letter is the largest demonstration of his desire to see authority in control over the spiritual sphere shift to the temporal sphere.




Christian Liberty


Book Description




The Reforming Treatises of Martin Luther


Book Description

"Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" is the first of the three tracts written by Martin Luther in 1520. In this work, he defined for the first time the signature doctrines of the priesthood of all believers and the two kingdoms. After the church made a strong attempt at drawing distinct lines on saying who had authority in the spiritual sphere and its matters. This division of Christians into spheres motivated Luther to write on the "three walls" the "Romanists" created to protect themselves from reform. "Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church" is a theological treatise, the second of the three major tracts from 1520. In this work Luther examines the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church in the light of his interpretation of the Bible. With regard to the Eucharist, he advocates restoring the cup to the laity, dismisses the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation but affirms the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, and rejects the teaching that the Mass is a sacrifice offered to God. "A Treatise on Christian Liberty" is the third of Luther's major reforming treatises of 1520. It developed the concept that as fully forgiven children of God, Christians are no longer compelled to keep God's law; however, they freely and willingly serve God and their neighbors. Luther also further develops the concept of justification by faith. In the treatise, Luther stated, "A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."