{"id":844,"date":"2016-12-03T21:25:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-03T21:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/learn.elca.org\/jle\/?p=844"},"modified":"2020-10-28T20:02:23","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T20:02:23","slug":"he-forgotten-luther-reclaiming-the-social-economic-dimension-of-the-reformation-lutheran-university-press-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learn.elca.org\/jle\/he-forgotten-luther-reclaiming-the-social-economic-dimension-of-the-reformation-lutheran-university-press-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"The Forgotten Luther: Reclaiming the Social-Economic Dimension of the Reformation (Lutheran University Press, 2016)"},"content":{"rendered":"

[1] In his piece in this book, Carter Lindberg quotes Luther from his commentary on Deuteronomy: \u201c\u2019The poor you always have with you,\u2019\u201d quoting John 12:8, \u201cjust as you will have all other evils. But constant care should be taken that, since these evils are always in evidence, they are always opposed.\u201d[1] Thus, for Luther, poverty is not something to be merely passively suffered, endured, or observed, but something Christians should actively do something about. Explaining the Seventh Commandment in his Small Catechism, Luther told Christians that they had a positive duty to help neighbors \u201cimprove and protect [their] property and means of making a living.\u201d<\/p>\n

[2] This timely book reclaims for us the rich heritage of Luther\u2019s social and economic thought and how it is related to the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. A consistent theme of these lectures is that these economic concerns were not ancillary to Luther\u2019s theology or practice, but were a constant practical issue for him throughout his life. Already in 1520, barely three years after posting his 95 Theses, Luther was helping the city of Wittenberg develop a community chest to help the town\u2019s poor people.[2] And, at the end of Luther\u2019s life in 1546, Luther was trying to mediate a labor dispute between copper miners and political authorities.[3] Luther understood that a practical consequence of his attack on the Medieval theology of poverty, according to which people earned moral and spiritual merit by giving to the poor, was that the church and public authorities had to deal with poverty and poor people differently if they were not to starve en masse. <\/p>\n

[3] This book grew out of the \u201cForgotten Luther\u201d Symposium held for laity and clergy in 2015 in Washington, D.C. The symposium\u2019s purpose was to address the concern of congregations about the poor in their midst and how they might not only provide some immediate relief but also address the root causes of the poverty they saw around them, much as the ELCA World Hunger Program and its Domestic Hunger component are trying to do. To help equip them with some of their Lutheran heritage, the symposium was organized and Lutheran theologians who had addressed similar questions in their scholarly work were invited to share what they have learned from the tradition and to think out loud about the import of the Lutheran theological and ecclesial traditions for addressing economic justice today. In addition to Carter Lindberg, talks were also given by Samuel Torvend, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Jon Pahl, Tim Huffman, and Ryan Cumming.<\/p>\n

[4] Together, these presentations now in written form provide a rich feast from the Lutheran tradition in lively ordinary language about various aspects of Luther\u2019s thought about economic and social life and their possible implications for today. The book is intended for congregational study and discussion, and there are helpful discussion questions for each chapter to get conversations going. There is also an excellent select bibliography for those who want to read further and in greater depth. But the book is also suitable to introduce college undergraduates and seminary students to the social and economic implications of the Reformation and how these questions figure in Luther\u2019s own thought, especially when used along with some of Luther\u2019s own writings. <\/p>\n

[5] In lieu of trying to summarize these talks, perhaps it\u2019s best to tantalize potential readers with some of the statements made during these talks to entice them to delve into this book with curiosity. <\/p>\n