Martin Luther: The Political Reformer
Most people know Martin Luther as the instigator of the Reformation whose ideas forever changed Christian theology and practice. However, few people realize the magnitude of influence that Luther’s ideas had on contemporary Western European politics, specifically, Luther’s doctrine of “Two Kingdoms”. In fact, Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” was the most politically revolutionary doctrine during the Reformation for a few reasons. First, Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” directly challenged the authority of the papacy, the leading governmental and religious body in all of Western Europe at the time. Second, Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” also challenged many sacramental laws instituted by the Roman Catholic Church. Lastly, Luther’s “Two Kingdoms” doctrine was one of the first to advocate for the distancing between religion and politics that eventually led to the political practice of separation between church and state.
HIST 332, History of Christianity
Melisa Ortiz Berry
P103
1 – 3 PM