Second Quarter: Week Ten of the School Year

A WEEK OF LUTHER:

Luther's Theology:  Bondage of the Will

Luther's Life:  A Place to Stand: The Word of God in the Life of Martin Luther

A Movie About Luther:  Luther

Plus Quotes, Essays, Discussions, and Analyses

Monday:  Watch movie in class.

Discuss sections of Bondage of the Will.  

Outline Notes on the Reformation

Tuesday:   Follow up on the Movie

More discussion of Bondage of the Will.

What did Luther accomplish?

Wednesday:  Luther and Erasmus:  What are the issues?

Essay/Handout:  "Luther: Giant of His Time and Ours"

Problems With Luther

Thursday:  In Class Essay on Luther

Friday:  Luther and the Other Reformers:  Bucer, Calvin, and Melancthon

Readings, Writings, and Written Work: 

• Close reading and re-reading of portions of Bondage of the Will.
• Four or Five Journal Pages Devoted to Copied Portions of BOTW.
• Review and Discussion of the Luther Biography
• The Story of Christianity, Volume II, chapters 1--3
• Western Civilization, Chapter 13, pages 336-347
• Handouts: Selections from the 95 Theses; "Luther: Giant of His Time and Ours"

From Luther's Ninety-Five Theses:

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.

3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.

4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.