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Luther and the Ascetic Life
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2016
Extract
Luther’s attack on Medieval ascetic practices in general and on monasticism in particular was not because of asceticism as such, nor even because of the abuses that had come into monastic life, but because much of the theology that lay behind them undercut the evangelical understanding of salvation.
This is the chief abomination of monasticism: we had to deny the grace of God and put our trust and hope in our holy monkery and not in the pure mercy and grace of Christ, as we had promised and begun to do in Christian baptism. For relying on works in order thereby to be justified and sanctified is in reality denying God’s grace, as St Paul clearly says (Gal. 5: 4:) ‘Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the works of the law are fallen from grace’.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Studies in Church History , Volume 22: Monks, Hermits and the Ascetic Tradition , 1985 , pp. 229 - 239
- Copyright
- Copyright © Ecclesiastical History Society 1985
References
* I have made much use of the catenae of Luther quotations from Luther Speaks particularly under the headings of monasticism and the sacraments.
1 WA. 38. 159
2 W-T, 1 No. 683.
3 See Ian Balfour, ‘The relationship of man and God in the writings of Tertullian’ (Edinburgh, PhD thesis).
4 WA. 37. 661.
5 Ian Siggins ‘Luther and the Catholic Preachers of his Youth’ in George Yule ed, Luther: Theologian for Catholics and Protestants, (Edinburgh 1985).
6 Luthers’ Works (American Edition, henceforth LW), 24, 23–4.
7 LW, 27, 25. WA. 40: 2. 15 (Gordon Rupp’s translation E.G. Rupp & B.D. Drewery, Martin Luther, 4 London, 1970)).
8 George Yule, “Luther’s understanding of justification of grace alone in terms of Catholic Christology’ in George Yule, editor, Luther: Theologian for Catholics and Protestants, pp. 94ff. Edinburgh 1985.
9 LW, 31, 25.
10 WA. 47. 325.
11 WA. 12. 12.
12 WA. 32. 371.
13 LW, 25, 350–1 (Gordon Rupp’s translation, The Righteousness of Cod, 165).
14 WA. 52. 61.
15 LW, 31, 345.
16 LW, 31, 346.
17 LW, 26, 129. See also E.G. Rupp The Righteousness of Cod, 170.
18 WT., No. 5456.
19 WA. 40. II. 328. See also WA 51.4. ‘He who would correctly and profitably read scripture should see to it that he finds Christ in it’.
20 LW., 35, 358.
21 LW., 35–365.
22 LW., 35, 168–9.
23 LW., 35. 254–5-
24 WA., 38.148 quoted Mackinnon, J. Luther and the Reformation, 1, 1023 Google Scholar.
25 LW, 36, 58–60 and LW, 35, 36.
26 LW, 36, 61. LW., 35, 33.
27 WA. 2. 731. I have noticed that after 1518 Luther, when discussing justification, does so more and more intently and consistently in terms of the Christology of Nicea, because once he saw that Christ himself was the righteousness of God then as he wrote regarding the ‘Tower experience’ God’s righteousness is gift and not demand. Hence the significance of this date 1519 for this quotation showing his change of stance regarding baptism.
28 WA. 2.753.
29 LW., 36, 348–9.
30 LW., 25, 258.
31 LW., 24, 241, (WA. 45–681).
32 LW., 24, 292–3., (WA. 46.84).
33 W-T. 6 No 6753.
34 LW., 31, 367.
35 LW., 44, 127ff.
36 LW., 36, 74–5.