This substantial work by one of Europe's most respected twentieth-century legal minds unpacks Luther's doctrine of law, showing how it derived from his central theological concern, justification by faith. "When Johannes Heckel's Lex Charitatis appeared more than half a century ago, it brought new clarity to the much-disputed issue of Luther's understanding of the law and of God's governance of his created order. The Wittenberg reformer's use of the language of 'two kingdoms' and 'two governances' is still fiercely debated; having Heckel's work in English will assist scholars and students alike in putting Luther's insights to use in the context of twenty-first-century problems." -- Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary

Though undertreated by modern scholars, Martin Luther's lectures on Deuteronomy are critical to understanding his theological development as an exegete and also the course of the Reformation in the wake of Luther's return from the Wartburg in 1522. In these lectures, Luther engages deeply with Moses, whom he sees as an author, prophet, and ruler. These three ways of regarding Moses allow Luther to forge a new approach to the Mosaic law, shaping his response to what he perceives as the evangelical legalism of Andreas Karlstadt and Thomas Müntzer. By shedding light on these exegetical principles and connecting these lectures to surrounding events, Miles Hopgood brings new clarity as to why Luther broke with Karlstadt and the nature of his dispute with Müntzer, demonstrates the importance of the Hebrew Bible in shaping Luther's mature exegesis, and opens the door for fresh perspectives not only on the events of 1521-1525 but Luther's entire career as interpreter of scripture.

Based in part on a conference held at Valparaiso University's Chicago location at the Lutheran School of Theology, on March 27-28, 2014.

In Recovering Christian Realism, H. David Baer interprets just war theory as political ethic concerned with the moral administration of power. He argues that contemporary just war theorists, by debating the finer points of individual criteria, have lost sight of the theory of politics that gives rise to just war thinking in the first place. Baer attempts to relocate just war theory within the tradition of Christian realism in order to develop an ethic capable of addressing the uses of power. He argues the just war criteria unfold from a description of the political act, one which harnesses power to peace and points the way toward an ethic of armed force and international relations.

This study considers the influence of Martin Luther's theology on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with particular reference to justification, ecclesiology, the doctrine of the two kingdoms, and political ethics.

The distinction between God’s law and God’s gospel lies at the core of the Lutheran and Reformed traditions—and has long been a point of controversy between them. God’s Two Words offers new contributions from ten key Lutheran and Reformed scholars on the theological significance of the law-gospel distinction. Following introductory chapters that define the concepts of law and gospel from each tradition, contributors explore how the distinction between law and gospel plays out in theology, preaching, the reading of Scripture, and pastoral care. As it traces both the common ground and the areas of disagreement between the two traditions, this book amplifies and clarifies an important conversation that has been ongoing since the sixteenth century. CONTRIBUTORS Michael Allen Charles Arand Erik H. Herrmann Kelly Kapic Peter Malysz Mark C. Mattes Steven Paulson Katherine Sonderegger Scott Swain Kevin J. Vanhoozer

A new account of the intellectual debates that created the German notion of the 'modern state' under the Thirty Years War.

As celebrations of the five-hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther's initiation of the most dramatic reform movement in the history of Christianity approach, 47 essays by historians and theologians from 15 countries provide insight into the background and context, the content, and the impact of his way of thought. Nineteenth-century Chinese educational reformers, twentieth-century African and Indian social reformers, German philosophers and Christians of many traditions on every continent have found in Luther's writings stimulation and provocation for addressing modern problems. This volume offers studies of the late medieval intellectual milieus in which his thought was formed, the hermeneutical principles that guided his reading and application of the Bible, the content of his formulations of Christian teaching on specific topics, his social and ethic thought, the ways in which his contemporaries, both supporters and opponents, helped shape his ideas, the role of specific genre in developing his positions on issues of the day, and the influences he has exercised in the past and continues to exercise today in various parts of the world and the Christian church. Authors synthesize the scholarly debates and analysis of Luther's thinking and point to future areas of research and exploration of his thought.

Though little-known today, Nicholas of Lyra's commentaries are arguably among the most widely-read and influential commentaries of all time. For more than two hundred years, from the time of their composition, well into the Reformation era, they were copied and recopied, printed and reprinted, as an indispensable guide to the meaning of scripture. Naumann presents here a complete translation of Lyra's literal commentary on Galatians in English for the first time, with a freshly-edited Latin text, and provides ample notes on its significance in relation to the works of previous authors.