Abstract
On 31 October this year we commemorate the quincentenary of the event which is generally regarded as having started the 16th-century Reformation (regardless of whether Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg actually occurred or not). No doubt in anticipation of this anniversary, the editors of the Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther’s Theology ensured that their work was published in good time, with a three-year lead-in to the anniversary itself, and with the view, perhaps, that the insights provided here might, in turn, percolate through to academics, clergy, commentators, teachers, students, and other interested parties who were likely to take an active role in the various commemorative events. But not only that; this is a collection which merited publication in its own right, regardless of the pending anniversary. Given the voluminous writings already in print on Luther and his world, one might be tempted to ask: what more can be said? Of course, the answer is: plenty. And yet, even when fresh perspectives are provided, in disparate scholarly monographs and journal articles, on such a remarkably well researched individual, the format of the Handbook will always be necessary to gather these together, make sense of them and re-present them to a non-specialist readership in an accessible and organized fashion. And this is one of the many valuable features of this excellently compiled collection.
The structure of the Handbook is very clear: it is divided into seven parts, each containing a number of chapters (there are 47 chapters in all, not counting an introduction and conclusion, and these are written by three generations of scholars based at institutions across 16 countries). Part I contains a stand-alone essay of 20 pages on Luther’s Life, by Charlotte Methuen, and this expertly sets the stage for what follows. Part II takes a step backwards to examine the medieval background which formed Luther’s own thought in so many important respects. This contains seven essays on subjects such as how Luther deals with the late medieval categories of nominalism and realism (by Theodor Dieter); the influences of monastic-mystical piety on Luther (Volker Leppin); Luther’s engagement with other late medieval reform movements such as the Hussites of Bohemia (Martin Wernisch); Luther’s use of medieval biblical interpretation and how he interacted with patristic exegesis (Erik Herrmann); Humanism and Luther’s Wittenberg Reformation (Robert Rosin); continuities and discontinuities with medieval theology in Luther’s thought (two essays by Gerhard Müller and Volker Leppin, respectively).
Part III turns its attention to hermeneutics and the principles which guided Luther’s preaching and teaching. Given that Luther held a post as a professor of scripture at the University of Wittenberg and has since been so closely associated with the principle of sola scriptura, it is curious to note that this is one of the slimmer sections in the volume, containing just four essays: Luther on God and History (Mark Thompson); Luther’s Use of Language (Johannes von Lüpke); Luther’s Theologia Crucis (Vítor Westhelle); and an essay on Luther’s Hermeneutics of Distinctions: Law and Gospel, etc. by one of the editors, Robert Kolb.
Part IV tackles Luther’s engagement with some of the great topics of Christian Theology in 12 essays: his doctrine of God (Steven Paulson); his Theology of Creation (Johannes Schwanke); his anthropology (Notger Slencka); his teaching on sin and evil (by another of the editors, L’Ubomír Batka); Luther on Justification: the View of the Mannermaa School (Risto Saarinen); Luther on Justification as Forensic and Effective (Mark Mattes); Luther on Christology (Matthieu Arnold); Luther on the Holy Spirit (Jeffrey G. Silcock); Luther on Baptism and Penance (Jonathan Trigg); Luther and the Lord’s Supper (Gordon A. Jensen); Luther and the Church (David P. Daniel); and Luther’s Eschatology (Jane E. Strohl). It should be noted that, of the above, the two essays on Justification comprise opposing views on this famously contentious issue, Mattes’s chapter encompassing a critique of the Finnish school which Saarinen represents.
Part V examines Luther’s views on sanctified living in seven essays: Luther on vocation (Jane E. Strohl); Luther on Marriage and Sexuality (Jane E. Strohl); Luther on Economics (Ricardo Reith); Luther on Politics and Society (Eike Wolgast); Luther on Piety, Prayer and Worship (Carter Lindberg); Luther’s Views of Jews and Turks (Gregory Miller); and Luther as a Resource for Christian Dialogue with Other World Religions (J. Paul Rajashekar). Some of these essays introduce ways of approaching Luther which are not as well trodden as others. For instance, Luther’s diatribes against the Jews, appallingly vicious even for their time, have been the subject of much scholarly attention, particularly in the second half of the last century; however, his attitudes towards Islam will be less well known, and are thus welcome for their inclusion.
Part VI is entitled The Genre in Which Luther Shaped His Theology and contains four essays on the following topics: the influence of exegetical instruction, preaching and catechesis on Luther (Mary Jane Haemig); how Luther’s engagement in pastoral care influenced his theology (Ronald K. Rittgers); the way in which Luther’s thought took form in polemics (Anna Vind); and Luther’s thought and how it took shape in his translation of Scripture and hymnody (Christopher Burger).
Part VII (along with Part IV) is the longest of the sections in this Handbook, consisting of 12 essays, and concerning itself with reception history: how was Luther’s thought received since the 16th-century Reformation and how is his thought being received in the 21st century? The section proceeds more or less chronologically from the reception of Luther’s thought among his own Wittenberg Circle (Timothy J. Wengert), to his Roman Catholic Critics (by the late Heribert Smolinsky); then Luther and what were, for him, the fanatically-enthused Schwärmer (Amy Nelson Burnett); the authority of Luther in late Reformation and Protestant orthodoxy (by one of the editors, Irene Dingel); Luther’s thought in Pietism and the Enlightenment (Paul R. Hinlicky); Luther’s thought in the 19th century and the Luther Renaissance (Heinrich Assel); Marxist evaluations of Luther’s thought (Thomas A. Brady, Jr); Roman Catholic Luther research in the 20th century leading to Luther’s rehabilitation (Theo M.M.A.C. Bell); Luther’s continuing significance within World Protestantism (Kenneth G. Appold); Luther and Asia (Pilgrim W.K. Lo); Luther in Africa (Tom Joseph Omolo); and Luther Studies in Latin America (Nestor Luiz João Beck). The volume’s conclusion is entitled Venturing into the Study of Luther and is written by its three editors. This is followed by a helpful glossary.
One of the intriguing aspects of a collection such as this is the question of what topics are included and why. The final section, in particular, is a good example of the broadening of horizons of Luther research with its inclusion of Luther’s continuing relevance in World Protestantism and the separate chapters allocated to discussion of Luther in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, respectively. This is very welcome, but it is also an indication of the acceptance of a new reality. When the centenary of Luther’s purported nailing of the 95 theses was last commemorated (in 1917, when most scholars would also scratch their heads at the use of ‘purported’), an estimated 89% of all Protestants lived either in Europe or the USA; this compares with well under a quarter of all Protestants today. Attentiveness to how the 16th-century European Reformation sparked by Luther (and its various vexed debates) is viewed in 21st-century Nigeria, or Korea, or Brazil, will surely bring its own insights and opportunities for reflection.
As with all such collections, one can always point to lacunae or missed opportunities. For this reviewer, one of these was the omission of a chapter (or two) on the reception of Luther among the Eastern Orthodox churches, both historically and in more recent times. This is a significant dialogue which surely merited treatment and would have likewise broadened the global and ecumenical perspectives of Luther research.
Setting aside this omission, the topics covered in this volume tell us much about ourselves and our contemporary concerns. It would be fascinating, therefore, to get a glimpse of the various lenses through which Luther will be viewed in a compendium of this nature compiled in advance of the sexcentennial commemorations in 2117.
For now, though, the Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther’s Theology will be an indispensable resource for teachers and students alike, and, indeed, for all who have wished for an authoritative yet accessible introduction to the thought of this theological giant across a large canvass.