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Sunday, July 17, 2022: Wittenberg

After worship at the Castle church, where Luther posted the 95 Theses, we explore portions of Wittenberg, home of the Reformation.

A bit of history (OK – it’s a whole lot of history)

Wittenberg’s historical significance has its roots in Prince Frederick the Wise.  In 1485, Saxony was divided between Frederick’s father, Ernest, and Ernest’s brother Albert.  This set up a rivalry which continued for generations, heavily influencing the events of the Reformation.  Albert’s portion of Saxony contained Saxony’s prize city, Leipzig.  While Ernest’s Saxony held the power of being an elector, holding a vote in choosing the Holy Roman emperor.  So when Ernest’s son Frederick became the elector, he quickly set out to make his part of Saxony as powerful and influential as his cousin’s – and the University of Wittenberg was how he planned to do it. 

After building his palace and the Castle Church next door, he founded the University of Wittenberg in 1502 (just 6 years before Luther had a short stay there to study the Bible in 1508.)  Frederick’s commitment to building up the university was only matched by his passion for collecting holy relics, which also brought Wittenberg and the Castle Church significant income and influence.  Frederick used these resources to attract cultural and intellectual “stars” to live in Wittenberg including painter Lucas Cranach and Greek-language savant Philip Melanchthon.  The popularity and notoriety of Luther’s lectures would quickly swell the student population and historical significance of this once unknown city.

Luther’s Conversion in Wittenberg

Martin Luther was permanently transferred to the Augustinian monastery in Wittenberg in 1511, where he completed his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees by 1512, at which time he joined the faculty.  From 1513-1517, Luther lectured on the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, deepening his theological concerns about the doctrine and practice of the church.  (We will learn more about his personal struggles when we are in Erfurt.)

In early 1517, Luther experienced a spiritual conversion in what is often referred to as “the tower experience”.  Historians differ in their understanding of where this event actually took place.  Later in life, Luther would write that “The Holy Spirit gave me this art in (or upon) the cloaca” – with “cloaca” meaning “outhouse”.  There was an outhouse at the base of the tower where Luther studied, which was referred to as the Cloaca Tower.  Luther was a fairly crass man, frequently writing about his bowel movements, having suffered from constipation most of his life.  So it would not be unusual for Luther to use his earthy humor in describing this life changing event, later writing: “If our Lord God in this life, in das Sheisshaus, has given us such noble gifts, what will happen in that eternal life, where everything will be perfect and delightful?”  (Not much imagination is required to translate Sheisshaus.)

Regardless of the precise location of his spiritual revelation, it was Paul’s letter to the Romans which provided the content.  Luther wrote:

At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed,” as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” 

In this text, the phrase “righteousness of God” refers to the belief that people must simulate God’s righteousness in order to be justified before God, to live in such purity to appease a distant and judgmental God.

There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith.  And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.”  Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.

Indulgences and Relics*

One cannot fully understand the Reformation without knowing the theology behind indulgences.  In Matthew 16, Peter recognized Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus responded by saying: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. . . I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Historically speaking, the Roman Catholic church has viewed Peter as the first pope, with all popes following in apostolic succession from him.  Therefore, the Papacy held the keys to the kingdom, controlling the means through which one may be saved, including receipt of the 7 sacraments and access to the treasury of merit via indulgences and the viewing of relics.

It was taught that each person required a certain measure of merit to enter into heaven.  Some people, particularly the saints, would have such an abundance of merit that their excess merit was placed in a central treasury which was under the Pope’s authority.  One could access this extra-merit through either buying indulgences, which granted the purchaser a certain measure of merit, or by viewing the relics of the saints or apostles (Peter’s thigh bone, a splinter from the cross, a thorn which pierced the brow of Christ.)  This was also a money-making proposition as one generally paid to view the relics.

At the time of Luther, this practice, and the gross decadence which it fueled, was immensely popular.  In order to pay back a large contribution he made to buy his bishopric, Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz and Pope Leo issued a new indulgence, with half the proceeds going to Albrecht and half to Pope Leo.  This new indulgence spurred the work of indulgence sellers like Johann Tetzel, from whom you could buy an indulgence for yourself or for a loved one in purgatory.  His favorite line was: “Whenever a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs.”  This economic impetus would dictate the church’s harsh response to Martin Luther’s critique of indulgences in the 95 Theses.

As you likely know, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther purportedly nailed the 95 Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.  I say “purportedly” because historians are at odds on whether he nailed the theses or mailed the theses (to Albrecht of Mainz).  Regardless, Luther did not intend to break away from the Roman Catholic church, an institution which he loved.  He earnestly believed that if his contemporaries understood the doctrinal error of indulgences, they would end the practice.  So he took his concern to the source, directly to Archbishop Albrecht.  At some point in time, he also posted the theses on the doors, which served as a community bulletin board at the time.  Remember, Wittenberg was a university town and Luther hoped to spark debate among the faculty and student body.

Luther protested against indulgences for several reasons.  First and foremost, they greatly obscured the gift of salvation through Christ alone, received in faith.  One does not buy one’s way into heaven.  One does not even earn one’s way through good works or even acts of compassion.  Luther’s personal experience of the grace of God compelled him to proclaim this good news to everyone, especially the church in whom people placed their trust.

Secondly, Luther wrote against indulgences because of the economic impact their sales were having on the people in his own community.  People would buy indulgences in hopes of saving themselves or others at the expense of buying food for their family, or shelter or clothes.  The poor were particularly vulnerable to the fear mongering of indulgence sellers like Tetzel and Luther went to their defense.

Finally, after seeing first-hand the debauchery of the church in Rome (which he visited in 1510), Luther was part of a growing movement of German nationalism which resented German resources being sent elsewhere (and being used for such un-Christian lifestyles).

While Luther would later express additional doctrinal issues with the church, all of the 95 Theses addressed the selling of indulgences.  You can read them here.

Since Luther lived in Wittenberg for most of his life, there’s more history to tell.  But it will be covered later in the week.

*This describes a particular point in the history of Roman Catholicism and is not a commentary on modern Catholicism or people of the Catholic faith.

Reflection verses                                                                                                                      

Romans 1:17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 3:22b-25

For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; hey are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.

Reflection questions

While most Christians understand intellectually that we are saved through Christ alone, all of us have times or areas of our lives where we try to earn God’s favor.  We put our trust in our own certitude, that if we just believe hard enough or hold the “right” position about socio-political issues, then maybe we won’t need God’s grace quite as much as the other guy.  When in your life does such self-righteousness creep in?  How does such thinking inhibit your relationship with God?

Hymn of the day                                                                                  For by Grace You Have Been Saved

Where we’re staying:  Luther-Hotel Wittenberg (2^nd night)

A look ahead ~

Tomorrow we visit Eisleben, where Luther was born and died, often referred to as his Bethlehem and Jerusalem.