Maine Owl

Excommunicated January 3, 1521

Growing up Lutheran cannot help but instill some pride in your church because it was founded on the teachings of the intellectual leader of the Protestant Reformation. Luther represents freedom and intellectual inspiration to discover new knowledge and new ways of seeing the world. I graduated from a Lutheran college that instilled these values in an academic sense. I'm grateful to have had that experience.

Luther was a German monk, a scholar and an ordained priest. By 1520 he had a achieved a high academic position. He saw corruption in the Church and had the guts to say so. This caused him problems, to say the least. But apart from some months in hiding after the Diet of Worms (April 1521) brought down a harsh edict from the Holy Roman Emperor, he never lost his position at Wittenburg. Others, however, were not so fortunate as in some parts of Europe during the 1520s, following the teachings of Luther could result in burning at the stake.

Luther's 95 Theses drew sharp theological lines against the Roman Church and amply illustrated its corruption. I won't get into them here, except to say they made the point that the blessings of God are not for sale. The Church at the time was extremely corrupt in its dealings, often extracting onerous taxes from poor peasants which it converted into lavishly appointed facilities. Some of the mega-churches we see today that really are big business empires ought to have that kind of light shined on them.

Luther actually was a conservative and had no desire for rebellion against feudal oppression that marked his time. He was as opposed to Anabaptist radicals as he was to the Roman hierarchy.

I began an intensive one-month course on Luther in college exactly thirty years ago this week. It hardly seems possible... Well, to get a flavor of Luther, one of the best texts is On the Freedom of a Christian (1520). This is one that really stirred 'em up.

After an introductory letter challenging Pope Leo X on the "monstrous evils of this age with which I have now for three years been waging war," Luther fairly quickly lays out his case that "justification" (roughly, redemption in the eyes of God) is not a matter for human authorities to adjudicate, then a conceited occupation of Church authorities--often for a price.

And, to cast everything aside, even speculation, meditations, and whatever things can be performed by the exertions of the soul itself, are of no profit. One thing, and one alone, is necessary for life, justification, and Christian liberty; and that is the most holy word of God, the Gospel of Christ, as He says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me shall not die eternally" (John xi. 25), and also, "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John viii. 36), and, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. iv. 4).

Nowadays as a lapsed Lutheran I take it much further--My faith is that whatever God there may be is not at all interested in the process of human justification or redemption. The way the universe works is both your human life and soul simply are erased when you die. There is no division of "soul" and "flesh." It is what you leave behind for others that matters. Even though Luther himself probably would consider me to be a heretic, on that last account, Luther was a giant.