Luther on Just War Against the Turks
In the early sixteenth century the Ottoman Empire had become the dominant power in the Middle East. When Suleiman the Magnificent (r.1520-66) became…
At Concordia I teach World Civilization I, World Civilization II, Europe Since 1914, Early and Medieval Christianity, Renaissance and Reformation, The Medieval Crusades, The History of Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, and The Modern Middle East.
In the early sixteenth century the Ottoman Empire had become the dominant power in the Middle East. When Suleiman the Magnificent (r.1520-66) became…
“The popes have never seriously intended to wage war against the Turk; instead they used the Turkish war as a cover for their…
One day someone asked Martin Luther whether godly persons should expect merit for their good works that result from their justification. Luther answered…
Elector John of Saxony died on August 15, 1532. While he was the fifth of seven children born to Elisabeth of Bavaria and…
“For God the Almighty has made our rulers mad; they actually think they can do–and order their subjects to do–whatever they please. And…
At his table one day Martin Luther said, “Christ is friendlier than we are. If I can be good to a friend, how…
For part one of this series, click here. When Martin Luther departed Worms in May 1521 his earthly future seemed bleak. According to…
This third post on this topic will focus on Dr. Luther’s response to the Enthusiasts and how this response shaped the Lutheran Confessions….
In this second post on this topic we will examine the basic teachings of Andreas Karlstadt and Thomas Müntzer in the early 1520s…
“Now the blind world, because it does not know God and his work, concludes that it is owing to its own cleverness, reason,…
“A prince must also be very wise and not always try to impose his will, even if he has the right and the…
“Christ finds not only Caiaphas among his enemies, but also Judas among his friends.” (Martin Luther, LW 40:66) Martin Luther wrote this sentence…
This is a re-post from October 2014 that reflects Luther’s teaching on how to deal with false doctrine and its teachers. “Doctrine…
The English verb, ‘to chant’ derives from the Latin word, ‘cantare,’ which simply means to sing. Some form of singing or chanting existed…
Originally posted on my blog at wp.cune.edu: “And, further, if I could bring it to pass among you, I should like to…
“For inasmuch as the saints are always aware of their sin and seek righteousness from God in accord with His mercy, for this…
“Doctrine and life must be distinguished. Life is bad among us, as it is among the papists, but we don’t fight about life…
My pastor has been teaching on Paul’s epistle to the Galatians for the past several months in Bible study. As a good Lutheran…
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus stated, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) St. Paul…
Ulrich Zwingli and his colleagues responded to Luther’s treatise, That These Words of Christ, “This is My Body,” Etc., Still Stand Firm Against…
“Moreover, I want to point out to you a correct way of studying theology, for I have had practice in that. If you…
“In the papacy we foolish saints added one ordinance to the other. There were laws without number. These only terrified the consciences and…
This blog (at least the few posts I’ve actually made) has focused on my expertise in church history. I have desired to avoid…
The answer to this question may change depending on one’s understanding of minister. If understood broadly, any Christian may serve others. However, minister…
“Baptism is a very different thing from all other water, not by virtue of the natural substance but because here something nobler is…