1525 witnessed major changes for Lutheran reformation in societal and ecclesial spheres. Luther himself experienced a change of lifestyle and identity when he and Katharina von Bora conducted a marriage in June. A month before his marriage, Luther witnessed personally the destructive results of the violent outbursts of the Peasants’ War in the spring of 1525 during his travels in Eisleben. Almost immediately he wrote a well-known pamphlet, “On the murderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants”, encouraging governmental authorities to extinguish the revolts with force, should the peasants not accept peace offerings. Luther opposed revolting against legal rulers, whom he considered a divinely established order. The greatest concern for him was, however, that the rebels justified their deeds with Scripture.
Another major shift in the political realm happened in the same month Luther wrote his treatise, with the death of Luther’s strongest political supporter and protector, Elector Frederic the Wise. A month before the death of the Elector, Luther had finally received political support for his theology outside the realm of Saxony. In April, Grandmaster Albrecht of the Teutonic Knights secularized his order, making the Teutonic State the first Lutheran Duchy with Albrecht as the first Lutheran Duke. Luther’s political audience experienced drastic shifts in a short time. Suddenly he had supportive, exemplar leaders establishing his theology within their realms.
This paper presents examples of Luther’s theological argumentation to support governmental authorities to contextualize his responses to the Peasants' Revolt. The short pamphlet against "the Hordes of Peasants" casts a long shadow on Luther’s political thought regarding authorities and violence. Luther, being recently shocked by the devastation he witnessed in Eisleben, found little understanding for the peasants explaining the violence, destruction, and rebelling against legal authorities with their interpretation of Scripture, and encouraged governmental rulers to strike them down. Should the rebels neglect an offer of peace, the ruler should not regret carrying on their duty to extinguish the revolts by force.
This paper analyses Luther’s theological and political outcomes in 1525 with a focus on his responses to the violence and devastations of the Peasants' War. In addition, the paper provides an analysis of how Luther’s emphasis had changed from his earlier writings promoting universal priesthood to promote a more authoritative and hierarchical approach to biblical interpretation. The paper aims to present an overview of the events and Luther’s writings to analyze the development and premises behind Luther’s often polemic and controversial argumentation with long-lasting consequences.
The presentation also analyses changes in Luther’s theological and political connotations by the context, providing a wider image of Luther’s support for political authorities in striking the Peasants' Revolt down compared to the well-known pamphlets. Through analysis and comparison of several sources, the paper presents an overview of Luther’s ideal societal teaching. The paper argues that Luther’s premises were firmly rooted in promoting his scriptural theology of justification through faith in a realm watched over by temporal government. Luther’s emphasis on the zwei Reiche, often translated as the doctrine of two kingdoms, considered legal governmental rulers essential and a non-negotiable part of a godly order. Rebellions against legal order were, thus, going against not only temporal but also divine order. Rulers were obliged to be prepared to use force to maintain order. Godly rulers had to be trustworthy, fair, and understanding to be able to rule without corruption, partiality, and self-interest. The 1520s were not Luther’s final word on obedience to rulers, which he continued to explore in his later life.
Examining Luther’s theological argumentation in a wider context sheds light on the strict and short pamphlet. Luther considered legal rulers as instruments of God, established to carry on a divine task to promote peace, protect the pious, and punish the impious. Following the example of Moses, establishing a permanent basis through faith and a contextually interpretable set of laws and statutes for general maxims, Luther intended his teaching to be firmly rooted in faith, and applicable to a certain historical context. Luther taught to interpret and read the biblical text with a strict understanding of the surrounding world to promote faith and trust in God among the people.
The paper presents changes in Luther’s biblical teaching in 1525 and proposes that Luther stayed true to his teaching on faith as a foundation for love and good works in societal and ecclesial realms. However, the context affects Luther’s teaching on how love is expressed to ensure the stability of faith in a changing political context with uprising threats. Luther promoted peace as the primary solution but encouraged the rulers to carry on their duty to protect their innocent subjects from the threat of violence with use of force, if necessary. He acknowledged the troubles this might cause to one’s conscience and comforted the rulers for carrying out God’s duty in their difficult decisions in leadership. Luther condemned the violent actions of the peasants which he found especially severe for being conducted under the name of God and taught the rulers primarily to seek peaceful solutions. The ruler’s heavy duty to carry a sword was unpleasant but often necessary to protect the people.
The theological framework for Luther’s thought is in his theology built on faith and trust in God. By clarifying Luther’s theological premises his societal thought is built on, the paper argues that by placing justifying grace and society based on reliable, just, and fair government as directive premises to conduct theologically sound life as a Christian, Lutheran theology can promote theologically grounded peace and oppose violence in the variety of contexts 500 years later in contemporary societies and times to come.
This paper analyses Luther’s theological and political outcomes in 1525 with a focus on his responses to the violence and devastations of the Peasants' War. In addition, the paper provides an analysis of how Luther’s emphasis had changed from his earlier writings promoting universal priesthood to promote a more authoritative and hierarchical approach to biblical interpretation. The paper aims to present an overview of the events and Luther’s writings to analyze the development and premises behind Luther’s often polemic and controversial argumentation with long-lasting consequences. By clarifying Luther’s theological premises his societal thought is built on, the paper argues that by placing justifying grace and society based on reliable, just, and fair government as directive premises to conduct theologically sound life as a Christian, Lutheran theology can promote theologically grounded peace and oppose violence in the variety of contexts 500 years later in contemporary societies and times to come.