Der protestantische Reformator Martin Luther wurde am 3. Januar 1521 mit der Bannbulle Decet Romanum Pontificem von der Katholischen Kirche exkommuniziert. Seine reformatorischen Schriften wurden anschließend in großem Maß im ganzen Land bekannt und stellten ein Politikum dar an der Scheide zwischen kirchlicher und weltlicher Macht. Angeblich schloss er seine Verteidigungsrede vor dem Reichstag in Worms am 17. April 1521 mit den Worten:

Hier stehe ich und kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir! Amen.

Sich auf Gottes Hilfe, Gnade und Gerechtigkeit zu berufen, entsprach Luthers Gesinnung, statt sein physisches Überleben in den Vordergrund zu stellen. Nach einem Tag Bedenkzeit hatte er sich – so wie auch der gerichtlich angeklagte Sokrates – entschieden, auf sein Gewissen zu hören und nicht zu widerrufen. Seine Begründung lautete folgendermaßen:

[Da ...] mein Gewissen in den Worten Gottes gefangen ist, ich kann und will nichts widerrufen, weil es gefährlich und unmöglich ist, etwas gegen das Gewissen zu tun.

Das Wormser Edikt belegte ihn daraufhin mit der Reichsacht, wodurch sein Leben als Vogelfreier auf dem Spiel stand.

Luthers bewegendes Lebensthema war, Gerechtigkeit durch Gottes Gnade zu finden. Seine zentrale Frage lautete:

Wie kriege ich einen gnädigen Gott?

Nach zähem inneren Ringen gelangte er zu dieser Aussage von sola gratia in seiner Theologie:

Allein durch Gnade ohne jedes eigene Zutun wird der Mensch von Gott gerechtfertigt.

Die katholische Kirche lehrte hingegen, dass man Heil und Erlösung durch gutes Verhalten und gute Werke (die so genannte Werksgerechtigkeit) finde.
Dem setzte Luther die Aussage von sola fide entgegen:

Allein der Glaube, die Annahme des Wortes Gottes in Christus, was ein Gnadengeschenk ist, erlangt das Heil, nicht die menschenmögliche Leistung.

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Zitate zum Thema Martin Luther

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Zitate von Martin Luther

Persönliche Bekenntnisse

Ich kann und will nichts widerrufen, weil es gefährlich und unmöglich ist, etwas gegen das Gewissen zu tun. Gott helfe mir! Amen. Martin Luther [BW 580] (1483-1546) deutscher protestantischer Reformator, Reichsgericht zu Worms, 17. April 1521

Tritt frisch auf! Tu's Maul auf! Hör bald auf!

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Zitate (engl.) von Martin Luther

Personal avowals

I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen. Martin Luther [LoC 580] (1483-1546) German Protestant reformer, defence speech, Reichstag, Worms, 17. April 1521

Here I stand and cannot but. God help me! Amen. Martin Luther [LoC 580] (1483-1546) German Protestant reformer, defence speech, Reichstag, Worms, 17. April 1521

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. Pray, and let God worry. Martin Luther [LoC 580] (1483-1546) German Protestant reformer

All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.

Anyone who is to find Christ must first find the church. How could anyone know where Christ is and what faith is in him unless he knew where his believers are?

Be a sinner and sin strongly, but more strongly have faith and rejoice in Christ.

Be thou comforted, little dog, Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail.

Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.

Blood alone moves the wheels of history.

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.

Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.

Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.

Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see.

Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.

First I shake the whole Apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf.

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.

For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel.

Forgiveness is God's command.

God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.

Grant that I may not pray alone with the mouth; help me that I may pray from the depths of my heart.

I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth.

I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self.

I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.

I feel much freer now that I am certain the pope is the Antichrist.

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.

I more fear what is within me than what comes from without.

I shall never be a heretic; I may err in dispute, but I do not wish to decide anything finally; on the other hand, I am not bound by the opinions of men.

If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself.

If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.

If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.

If you young fellows were wise, the devil couldn't do anything to you, but since you aren't wise, you need us who are old.

Justice is a temporary thing that must at last come to an end; but the conscience is eternal and will never die.

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.

Music is the art of the prophets and the gift of God.

My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.

Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.

Nothing good ever comes of violence.

Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.

Peace if possible, truth at all costs.

Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace.

People must have righteous principals in the first, and then they will not fail to perform virtuous actions.

Pray, and let God worry.

Prayer is a strong wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon.

Reason is a whore, the greatest enemy that faith has.

Reason is the enemy of faith.

The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.

The fewer the words, the better the prayer.

The God of this world is riches, pleasure and pride.

The Lord commonly gives riches to foolish people, to whom he gives nothing else.

The man who has the will to undergo all labor may win to any good.

The reproduction of mankind is a great marvel and mystery. Had God consulted me in the matter, I should have advised him to continue the generation of the species by fashioning them out of clay.

The will is a beast of burden. If God mounts it, it wishes and goes as God wills; if Satan mounts it, it wishes and goes as Satan wills; Nor can it choose its rider... the riders contend for its possession.

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.

To gather with God's people in united adoration of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer.

War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.

War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity, it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.

Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God.

When I am angry I can pray well and preach well.

When schools flourish, all flourishes.

You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say.

You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.

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Englische Texte – English section on Martin Luther

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Luther's moral attitudes – on hope, table manners, devil

Hope vs. apocalyptic fears

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

Table manners

Luther purported burping and farting after a good meal to honor the cook. Knigge, a European expert on good mannerism, would not be amused.

Encounters with the devil

Luther had a peculiar relationship with the devil. When he once appeared in his study room he threw an inkpot across the room to smash "the father of the lie".

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Luther on Sexuality and marriage

Martin Luther, a philosopher and passionate theologian, was not a friend of celibacy, nor does protestantism promote it. Lutther said:

"Who loves not women, wine and song remains a fool his whole life long."

Indeed, he married a runaway ex-nun named Katharina von Bora. Together they had three children.
Luther's concept of sexuality was:

"In der Woche zwier, schadet weder ihm noch ihr."
[It's suitable to have sex with your spouse twice per week.]

Luther's vision on marriage was:

"There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage."

"Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave."

Rather pragmatic, he deemed sex as a healing means for men. He suggested to men:

If a wife denies sexual intercourse – twice a week on average – to her husband his immediate choice could fairly well be the maid working in the house.

Note: At any rate, Luther was a child of his time and reflected the mindset of his contemporaries.
Husbands in the 21st century could get in trouble for a secondary choice of the maid which is technically defined as 'dual relationships' and as outspoken sexism.

Reference: Interview (German) with Martin Luther, presented by humanist.de

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Links zum Thema Martin Luther

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Literatur

Paul Althaus, Die Theologie Martin Luthers, Gütersloher Verlagshaus Gerd Mohn, Gütersloh 1962
Oswald Bayer, Martin Luthers Theologie. Eine Vergegenwärtigung, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2003

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