Essay on Christian Justice and Righteousness

Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career by James M. Kittelson is a biography of the famous German monk turned theologian and reformer, Martin Luther. This is one of the most influential men in history, and as a matter of fact, “In most big libraries, books by and about Martin Luther occupy more shelf room than those concerned with any other human being except Jesus of Nazareth” (Kittelson 9). This fame of Luther’s isn’t only postmortem, “This extraordinary interest in an extraordinary man reaches back almost half a millennium. Even in his own time Luther was a ‘media personality’ the first of such in three thousand years of human history” (Kittelson 9). Luther was a subject of great controversy in his own time, as well as in our, and it has only driven his name and message into the spotlight. No matter or what one aligns himself with, “People still find themselves taking sides on the question of Luther” (Kittelson 9). It is for this reason that James M. Kittelson wrote this survey. He tells us that “The primary purpose of this book is to tell the story of Martin Luther to readers who are not specialists in the field of Luther studies” (Kittelson 10). This book is a general overview of all aspects of Luther, not just a precise dissection of one aspect, which allows for “as faithful a picture as possible of the whole man” (Kittelson 11).

     Finally we see that God is His own ruler. “And when the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done’...”(8:21) Here God is speaking to himself, laying down the rules that he will follow and abide by.

“We have a moral responsibility to disobey any law that conflicts with the law of god.” (Paragraph 16)

During the 1500’s a movement away from traditional Catholicism started to take hold. The most notable figure during this time was Martin Luther. He had ideals that, at the time, were extremely radical. As Gerald Strauss put it, “His doctrine of the two realms- the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the world, derived directly from Augustine – entailed the strictest segregation of things spiritual and things material” (22). He did not believe that the people of the church had any right to control the population at large. He believed that they were meant to be spiritual guides, not rulers, and that they wielded way too much control over the common people. One of the most radical things that he did, which was also the most influential

Don’t yield to those who contravene my orders,” meaning to not to show mercy to those who act against his law. After his

In Romans 13, it says “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” This means that we should follow all governing authority, but what if the government is doing something that is against what God says, do we still follow them? Acts 5:29 states “We must obey God rather that men. What this means is that we must follow our governing authorities, but only if they are doing something that is God’s Will.

We have been taught at a young age to be obedient to the people that give us the rules. We are taught to follow those rules, and if we disobey those rules we shall be punished.

1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished - Romans 13:1-2 Everyone agrees that Billy killed Claggart, but some believe that that Billy should have killed him and others believe that Billy should not have killed him.

Sir Martin Luther’s contribution is unforgettable. He introduced everyone to the concept of individualism. Luther opened everyone’s eyes and gave way to the reformation of the concept of Protestantism. He wanted people to realize their own worth and the Spanish had no authority to enforce any culture or religion on them. He declared boycotts and led marches protesting against the discrimination that was being done with the minorities. He wanted people to have the freedom to exercise and practice their religious beliefs freely and openly.

Ben Vanness Hon. English 11 P. 3 The Crucible Essay Authority is not created by the authority figure, nor given to him by God. Rather, authority is given to him by the people of his own society. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, is a play based in Salem Massachusetts in 1692.

“There is strength in numbers” (Mark Shields). This well-known quote emphasizes the importance of working together. However, “strength in numbers” would never be achieved without a great leader. Great leaders are the basis for success in all aspects of society because without someone to lead, plans cannot be executed and ideas remain mere thoughts in people’s minds. One such great leader was Martin Luther, a German theologian, who is credited with beginning the Protestant reformation. Part of the reason why his name is so readily associated with the reformation is because he had the courage to create change. Luther was not the first to have radical ideas about reforming the Roman Catholic Church: there must have been others who loathed indulgences or were cognizant that the papacy often corrupted its power. However, Luther was the one to gather his ideas and stand up against the Church, for the sake of Christianity and its followers. Even though he often faced the threat of harsh consequences, he never recanted his teachings or gave up hope. Despite encouraging mass violence, Martin Luther should be known as a great leader since he reformed the Roman Catholic Church and helped make Christianity more accessible to the common people.

We are prone to obey because when we are obedient to an authority it makes us feel safe and protected. We can’t make mistakes because the authority decides for us. We can’t be alone, because the authority watches over us. So, no matter what our behavior is, it can be justified on the ground that we are only following orders, doing what we’re told from above. We can easily be brought to view ourselves as an instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes, and so we no longer feel responsible for our actions. Unfortunately, that can make us feel responsible to the authority, instead of the content of the orders the authority is giving. Morality is still there, but the focus is changed. We feel the need to perform well, out of obligation or duty, to those who are in authority.

Martin Luther was arguably one of the most important figures in the entire history of Christianity. If the creation of the Lutheran Church was not enough of an accomplishment, he can also be credited with orchestrating the division of the Catholic and Protestant churches. Even as a young Augustinian Monk Martin Luther was convinced the Catholic Church had lost its way. He obsessed over his purity and relationship with God, and strongly believed the Catholic Church had lost its way over the selling of “Indulgences”. Essentially, how the Church misinterpreted and taught the concepts of sin relative to temporal and eternal punishment. He was destined to confront the Catholic Church which he did and ultimately led to the separation events that are still highly relevant to this day. This was the primary driver for the first phase of his rebellion. The second was his German translation of the New Testament, which he used to both teach anyone to read and learn the holy book.

In the early 16th century, Martin Luther was studying law at the University of Erfurt. Shortly into his studies Luther was struck by lightning and was met by many emotional changes. From this obscure event, Luther entered the Augustinian Monastery and became a monk. Since the beginning of Luther’s career as a priest and teacher of theology, his criticism with the church was prominent. This sparked the beginning of him becoming a reformer. In his personal torment of gaining God’s grace, he saw changes that needed to be met within the Roman Catholic Church. The

Martin Luther contributed to the Medieval Renaissance in many ways. But, the most important way was how he totally revolutionized the expectations for religion, and he defied everything that the people knew was right.