Three Treatises

Rating:
Summary: Luther's Treatises
Review: "This treatise, one of the most significant documents produced by the Protestant Reformation, appeared at a critical point in Luther's career". (taken from introduction)

This is not really one of those books that the average Joe picks off the shelf and reads for fun. This is is a defense and an attack wrapped into three themes: To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, & The Freedom of a Christian. This book should be read within the context of the time and place it was written. The content is dated, but themes can be derived from Luther's arguments to get a better understanding of his theology.

To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation:

In this treatise, Luther appeals to the rulers to reform the church to what he believes is the more biblical approach. He said that the rulers of the German Natino should fulfill their responsibilities as rulers by acting against the oppression and the extortion that the Church was causing. This treatise also addresses the priesthood of believers. (1Peter 2:9; Revelation 5:9-10) "A priest in Christendom is nothing else but an officeholder." Rome does not solely have the ability ot interpret the Scripture. Whenever the Pope contradicts the Scriptures it is the duty of Christians to reprove the Pope and confront him.

The Babylonian Captivity of the Church:

"The primary importance for the present-day reader of Luther lies in its courageous interpretation of the sacraments." Luther, in this Treatise, attacks the foundation of the doctrines regarding the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. "Just as the Jews were carried away from Jerusalem into captivity under the tyranny of the Babylonian Empire, so in Europe the Christians have been carried away from the Scriptures and made subject to the tyranny of the papacy." The Roman Catholic's doctrine of the Eucharist, accourding to Luther, is heretical. The cup should not be withheld from the laity. Luther, on the sacrament of baptism, does not stray from the Roman Catholic practice of infant baptism.

The Freedom of a Christian:

A believing Christian is free from sin through faith in God, yet bound by love to serve his neighbor. Luther discusses the importance of our justification by faith alone, which is the only way we can become righteous. Good works have nothing to do with our righteousness, but are only the fruit of our righteousness.

What is most notable about this work by Luther, is that he does not wish to split from the Catholic Church. He merely wants to correct what he saw as problems that crept into the practices and theology of the Church. His followers left the Church and created a faction that we know as Protestantism.

Rating:
Summary: excellent background to Lutheran doctrine
Review: This book is a fine exposition of the central issues of Lutheran doctrine, and reveals three of the major pivot points of the Protestant Reformation: freedom from enforced piety, rejection of hierarchical polity, and rejection of non-Biblical sacraments. In addition, the translation is clear and straightforward while retaining the delightful spirit of Luther's German, shifting effortlessly between the polemical and the comic.

This is a must-read for anyone who calls herself a Lutheran.

Rating:
Summary: excellent background to Lutheran doctrine
Review: This book is a fine exposition of the central issues of Lutheran doctrine, and reveals three of the major pivot points of the Protestant Reformation: freedom from enforced piety, rejection of hierarchical polity, and rejection of non-Biblical sacraments. In addition, the translation is clear and straightforward while retaining the delightful spirit of Luther's German, shifting effortlessly between the polemical and the comic.

This is a must-read for anyone who calls herself a Lutheran.

Rating:
Summary: Great single volume
Review: This little volume contains three of Luther's most (in)famous treatises. Whether or not you agree with his theology, it is interesting to read his work directly rather than to depend on secondary sources. This inexpensive volume will give readers a glimpse into Luther's thought and a taste for his polemical style. He's not always polite, but never fails to be entertaining!