No, Lutherans are not Myopically Focused on Individual Salvation

Last updated on: July 26, 2016 at 12:20 pm by Jordan Cooper

No, Lutherans are not Myopically Focused on Individual Salvation 2016-07-26T12:20:06-06:00 Jordan Cooper

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It’s a criticism that I hear often, especially from Confessionally Reformed believers: “all you Lutherans care about is individual salvation. You don’t have any place for Christian worldview, political activism, etc.” This caricature has spread further through NT Wright’s (mis)understanding of Luther, as an individualistic guilt-obsessed reader of Paul. While it is certainly true that the doctrine of justification has a central role in Lutheran thought in a way that it doesn’t elsewhere in Christendom, it is definitely not the case that this has resulted in the neglect of Christian involvement in the broader world. Nor does it mean that one’s Christian faith is only relevant to the church, but not to one’s everyday activities, as some portrayals of two kingdom theology would have it.

Unfortunately, much Lutheran theological literature remains unknown outside of Lutheran circles. This has allowed other Christian groups to continue to misunderstand and mischaracterize Lutheran thought and piety. For the interested reader, here is a brief overview of some of the literature from Lutherans surrounding various areas of life apart from simply individual salvation. Though the term “worldview” is probably more commonly associated with Calvinistic writers, such a thing as a distinctive Lutheran view of life and the world does exist.

Ethics

Lutherans have always had a rich ethical tradition, as numerous volumes have been written on ethical questions by various pastors, theologians, and philosophers. Look, for example, at Hans Martensen’s multivolume Christian Ethics, or Adolf Von Harless’s lengthy System of Christian Ethics. In terms of modern writers, one who has done a considerable amount of useful work on ethics is Gilbert Meilaender who has written on Bioethics, ethical theory, and virtue ethics. Another important ethicist is Joel Biermann who has written an extremely important work on virtue ethics and the two kinds of righteousness. There is no lack of ethical discourse among Lutherans.

Politics

It is a common misunderstanding of the two kingdoms distinction made in Luther’s writings that Christians are to be involved in the church, and the state, to the contrary, is an entirely secular affair. To the contrary, Luther’s own writings are full of political advise, though he tries to keep God’s role in the state and the church separate from one another. Luther never intended to argue that the state is a purely secular institution, but actually encouraged the state to establish Christian schools and even suppress godlessness. Both kingdoms belong to God. He simply rules them differently. A modern book overviewing political perspectives among Lutheran pastors today can be found here. Gene Veith has recently dealt with the subject of economics from a Lutheran perspective. William Wright’s recent work on Luther’s understanding of the two kingdoms is extremely beneficial, as is this multi-author volume on Christ and Culture.

Education

Education has always been a strength of the Lutheran church. Luther himself was a theology professor, and he urged a thorough system of Christian education, both in the home, and in schools. Some of Luther’s own works on the subject are compiled here. When Lutherans migrated to the United States in the nineteenth century, one of the first priorities of these groups was to set up schools for the purpose of educating children in both spiritual and secular disciplines. This tradition continues today as Lutherans run many schools, from preschool through college. Thomas Korcok overviews the history and ideas of Lutheran education here. Though it is largely a movement attributed to Reformed Christians, there is an active Lutheran push toward classical education. Two books on the subject can be found here and here.

Art

Lutherans have always appreciated and utilized the arts. Unlike Reformed churches, Lutherans continued to utilize art and musical instrumentation to enrich worship. Some of the greatest composers of all time, such as Michael Praetorius and Johann Sebastian Bach were devout Lutherans. Luther himself was a lover of the arts, and composed several songs. Paul Kretzmann has a wonderful treatment of Christian art. Gene Veith has written a modern treatment of the arts from a Lutheran perspective which is very useful.

Vocation

One area in which Lutherans have released a proficient amount of literature is on how the Christian relates to his various earthly vocations. Luther wrote extensively on this subject in opposition to the common Medieval view that a celibate monastic life was superior to working in an ordinary vocation. The twentieth century, in particular, was a time in which literature on this subject increased. Gustaf Wingren’s masterful book Luther on Vocation is a great place to start. Gene Veith has written a more basic guide to the subject, which is immensely practical. The subject of vocation, for Lutherans, is not merely a reference to what one does for work, but also roles within the family. For that reason, Lutherans have been very active in promoting healthy family life. Veith’s work on the Christian family is also a must-read. In this vein, Lutherans have also emphasized the necessity of family worship and home catechesis, such as in this volume.

Conclusion

These are only some of the areas in which Lutherans have developed a unique Christian approach to ordinary life. Other examples could be given of Lutheran approaches to creation, war, and other important earthly topics. The point is, though yes, we center our faith on Christ crucified for sinner, we are still very much concerned with this world, and how to properly take care of these various areas of life from a Christian perspective.

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