Luther's Augustinian Theology of the Cross

The Augustinianism of Martin Luther's Heidelberg Disputation and the Origins of Modern Philosophy of Religion

Barone

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9781498235891
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

"These theological paradoxes... have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter." These are some of Martin Luther's words that introduce his Heidelberg Disputation (1518), a collection of doctrinal theses that serves as a manifesto of Luther's theology. The German Reformer claimed that his theses were a faithful exposition not only of Pauline theology, but also of Augustine's doctrine of salvation.Luther's Augustinian Theology of the Cross is an unprecedented commentary of Luther's Heidelberg Disputation. Through a wide range of Augustinian texts, the author shows the accuracy of Luther's claim. Moreover, the work offers some original considerations that are of interest to both theology and philosophy.In the year of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, this volume is a lively and stimulating addition to the debate about the relationship between Augustine's soteriology and the theology of the Reformation.

Chapter 1

Premises to the Heidelberg Disputation

The life and work of Martin Luther can be described as a continual disputation. His position of professor and doctor of theology often compelled him to be a public disputant. Luther fits very well into Peter Cantor’s ideal description of this specific part of the work of a doctor of theology of the late medieval age: “The disputation is the wall of this structure of study: in fact, nothing can be properly understood, nor faithfully preached, if it is not firstly chewed by the tooth of the dispute.”1

The disputations that Luther wrote and attended are essential elements for a thorough understanding of the development of his thought. In fact, the Lutheran2 writing which is unanimously considered the most famous is a disputation: I am referring to the Ninety-five Theses, in Latin called originally Disputatio pro declaratione virtutis indulgentiarum. This text turned Luther’s existence into a disputation not only in the academy, but also in his own daily life. This work has a fundamental place in the research of every scholar of Luther. However, from the point of view of their contents, the Ninety-five Theses, with few exceptions,3 cannot be compared with the others main works of the German thinker.4 This disputation is not even the best piece of theology among the Lutheran writings of the same category. The earlier On the Power and Will of Man Apart from Grace (Questio de viribus et voluntate hominis sine gratia disputata, September, 25, 1516) and Disputation Against Scholastic Theology (Disputatio contra scholasticam theologiam, September, 4, 1517), and the subsequent Heidelberg Disputation (Disputatio Heidelbergae Habita, April, 25, 1518) address matters that in the Ninety-five Theses are mentioned only vaguely and that Luther will later call “the real thing . . . the essential issue” in contrast with the “trifles” of “Papacy, purgatory, indulgences”5 and similar matters.

In particular, the Heidelberg Disputation has become the manifesto of Luther’s thinking inasmuch as it contains the hallmarks of his entire theology.6 First of all, this work addresses topics which are vitally important not only for theology as such, but also for philosophy: good works, free will, the revelation of God (i.e., the antithesis between the theology of glory and the theology of the cross), and righteousness. Secondly, in discussing these topics, Luther is able to set forth not only a distinctive theology, but also a certain hermeneutical key by which to interpret those philosophies which are not based on revelation. Luther would call them “theologies of glory.” Moreover, and most importantly for the goal of the present work, Luther appeals to an authority whom to consider decisive is an understatement: “. . . these theological paradoxes . . . have been deduced well or poorly . . . from St. Paul . . . and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter.”7

The aim of the first part of this book is to display the Augustinian basis that Luther himself attaches to his Heidelberg Disputation. These theses are one of the manifestos of Luther’s thinking and of the thought of the Protestant Reformation, and their decisive Augustinian spirit will be shown. Secondly, against the background of some of the most important and representative philosophies of religion of the modern age, the present work will seek to demonstrate the accuracy of Luther’s claim which is especially present in theses 19–24: all those systems of thought which either do not start from, or reject, or do not properly consider the incarnate and crucified Logos, i.e., Jesus Christ, end by revealing themselves as moralistic philosophies which try to reach God by mere human works. In other words, all these philosophies share a common intellectual and theological Pelagian foundation. This is the Lutheran philosophical thesis which we will deduce from our study of the Augustinianism of Luther’s paradoxes. We will dedicate the second part of this thesis, that is, chapter 6 to the discussion of this concept against the background of three giants of philosophy, namely, Aristotle, Leibniz, and Kant.

In order to introduce the Heidelberg Disputation, we will analyze the short premises that Luther himself gives right before the Theological Theses themselves. In fact, here are very concise but significant indications that point to the occasion and nature of this book. We will adopt the same procedure for the treatment of the 28 Theses in the following chapters. Before focusing on them, it will help for a better understanding of our subject to begin with some introductory data.

Brother Martin Luther, Master of Sacred Theology, will preside, and Brother Leonhard Beyer, Master of Arts and Philosophy, will defend the following theses before the Augustinians of this renowned city of Heidelberg in the customary place, on April 26th 1518.8

By “before the Augustinians,” Luther is referring to the General Chapter of the German Augustinians. As is quite well known, on July 2, 1505 Martin Luther, at that time a young and very promising student of Law, was almost killed by lightning while he was on the way to Erfurt where he intended to spend his academic leave. Terrified, Luther made a vow to saint Anne, the patron saint of miners (the profession of his father), promising her that he would become a monk if she saved his life. On July 17 of the same year, a very young Luther entered the Augustinian monastery of Erfurt. We must not underestimate the choice of this specific monastic order and its implications.

First of all, the friary that Luther selected belonged to the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine (Ordo Eremitari Sancti Augustini), a religious order highly devoted to its namesake and fully dedicated to the study of his works, two attitudes which Luther did not hesitate to embrace immediately. This tradition of Augustinian studies had already been flourishing for many decades before the birth of Luther.9 One of the directives of the Rule of this order may help us to understand further the importance of Luther’s life changing choice: “The Lord grant that you may observe all these precepts in a spirit of charity as lovers of spiritual beauty, giving forth the good odor of Christ in the holiness of your lives: not as slaves living under the law but as men living in freedom under grace.”10 Indeed, his life, and especially the first years of his career, can be very concisely described borrowing the words of the earlier quote of Augustine: a continual desire that the Lord may grant11 him to understand what it means not to be as a slave under the law but in freedom under grace,12 and to live according to this knowledge.

The disputation took place on April 26, 1518. It was convened by Johann von Staupitz (1465–1524), the head of the Augustinian order in Germany and Luther’s beloved Superior at the friary of Erfurt. Staupitz summoned the general chapter of the Augustinians to Heidelberg in order to give to his young disciple the opportunity to explain himself to the leadership of his own order. His colleagues and fellow canons welcomed Luther to the city not as a dangerous heretic, but as a brilliant young theologian sincerely concerned for the spiritual condition of the church that he served faithfully as an appointed preacher and professor.13 The outcome of the Disputation soon spread across Europe since Luther was already very famous among the church leadership because of his teaching, as he was very famous among the German population because of his 95 theses on the power and efficacy of indulgences.

Distrusting completely our own wisdom, according to that counsel of the Holy Spirit, »Do not rely on your own insight« (Prov. 3:5), we humbly present to the judgment of all those who wish to be here these theological paradoxes, so that it may become clear whether they have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter.14

The phrase, “St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter,” merits close attention. At this stage of his life, Luther considers Augustine the most faithful interpreter of Paul of Tarsus, the apostle...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Premises to the Heidelberg Disputation
• Chapter 2: Free Will
• Chapter 3: The Law of God and the Works of Man
• Chapter 4: The Righteousness of God
• Chapter 5: The Glory and the Cross
• Chapter 6: The Antithetical Cross
• Bibliography