Rev Francisco BilogMelanio LaGuardia Aoanan, Th.D
Introductory Statement
Last August, Dr Ferdinand Anno asked me to give the “keynote address” and that I give importance to the Filipino historical perspective. Therefore, let me start by saying that by the time Martin Luther was preparing for the Reformation, Ferdinand Magellan was also preparing for the conquest of the Philippines.
Barely a few months after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses, Fernando Magallanes, a Portuguese national, offered his services to the Spanish crown and signed a contract to lead an expedition on March 28, 1518. Magellan’s group left Spain on September 20, 1519, and reached Cebu on March 16, 1521. On April 7, 1521, Magellan had a blood compact with Rajah Humabon which led to the conversion of Humabon and his family. But Lapulapu, the chieftain of the adjoining island of Mactan, did not recognize Magellan. The invader was slighted and, in arrogance, he challenged Lapu-lapu to a battle. Magellan chose the best of his men (49 in all) against 1500 Cebuanos led by Lapu-lapu. It was a one-sided battle with a ratio of 1:30. Thus Magellan’s expedition ended in a tragic death.
Remember Yoyoy Villame’s song: “On March 16, 1521, Magellan disco-vered the Philippine Islands…” So there you are! The story of the first Ferdinand in Philippine history ended in a tragic death in the beach of Mactan.
Let me focus this talk now on Martin Luther, the Man of the Moment. For a minute or two, let us be inter-active. Let me ask you what concrete image or picture, that comes to your mind when you think of Martin Luther…. (95 Theses against indulgencies; A Prolific writer… do you know how many volumes? A Composer of many hymns… do you know how many hymns? A Wild Boar!
I have divided this talk into four parts: the first deals with Luther’s brief biographical highlights; second deals with the heart of the reformation which is the doctrine of justification; third deals with the consequences of the reformation; and, fourth deals with the reformation as a continuing challenge, which is reforming the reformation. To end, I will conclude with a Parable that illustrates the heart of Luther’s struggle!
Brief Biographical Highlights
Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 to Hans and Margaretta Luther. His father was an ambitious, hard-working miner-industrialist. He was determined to see Martin, his eldest son, become a lawyer. So he sent Martin to the best schools. At the age of 19, he entered the University of Erfurt in 1501. As soon as he earned his basic degree in 1505, he matriculated to the College of Law in compliance to his father’s wish. However, Martin remained in the College of Law for only six weeks.
What happened was a thunderstorm with lightning struck while Luther was on his way back to the university. This terrified him to death. He cried out for help to St. Anne, and pledged to become a monk. Soon, he left law school and entered the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt on 17 July 1505. Inside the monastery, he devoted himself to fasting, long hours of prayers, and frequent confessions. Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair.
Johann von Staupitz, the perceptive head of the monastery, wanted Luther to be distracted from excessive piety. He let Luther pursue an academic career and eventually taught at the University of Wittenberg. In 1507, he was ordained as priest, and at the age of 29 he received his Doctor of Theology degree on October 19, 1512. Thus, he became permanent faculty in the University of Wittenberg for the rest of his life.
In the year 1513, Luther started lecturing on the book of Psalms, and concurrently worked on his first book, Eine Theologia Deutsch, published in 1515. In 1516-17, the Pope commissioned a Dominican priest (Johann Tetzel) to sell indulgences in Germany for the purpose of raising funds to finish the work on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This enraged Luther and so he wrote The 95 Theses, sent a copy to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz together with a letter of protest. Meanwhile, and another copy of the 95 Theses was posted on the door of the University Church on October 31, 1517, a dramatic act that spoke of Luther’s proper sense of timing.
Luther made a German version of the Ninety-Five Theses which, thanks to the newly invented printing press, spread like wild fire throughout Germany in a matter of weeks, and sparked the conflagration that engulfed the whole of Europe and beyond. Through the 95 Theses, Luther accomplished two things: first, he proved the theological illegitimacy of the sale of indulgence; second, he shattered the authority of the pope and the bishops in engaging in the immoral trade.
Soon afterwards Rome initiated an inquiry into Luther’s so-called heretical teachings. The accusation was lodged by Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz. So, in early 1518, Luther was summoned to appear at Augsburg for a three-day interrogation by Cardinal Cajetan. Luther was admonished to retract his heretical teachings or else he would be declared heretic! Luther could have been easily arrested and put to death, had it not been for Elector Frederick’s protection.
However, the trial for Luther had been put in abeyance until after the election of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Elector Frederick played an important role in that election. Then on June 15, 1520, Pope Leo X issued the Papal Bull Exsurge Domine (“Arise, O Lord”), depicting Luther as a “wild boar from the forest about to destroy Thy Vineyard!” The document enumerated 41 statements from Luther’s writings as heretical, and he was given sixty days to recant. If not, he will be excommunicated and all his writings will be burned with him.
Luther reacted by publishing a tract “Against the Accursed Bull of the Anti-Christ,” and on December 10, 1520, he gathered his supporters and they burned copies of Exsurge Domini along with the Canon Law books. It was a blatant attack on the papacy. Three weeks later in January 1521, Luther was formally excommunicated but the ban did not have any effect because of the influence of Frederick the Wise, Luther’s protector. Further, Frederick, who was a close kin to Charles V, got a concession and safe conduct pass for Luther’s appearance before the Diet of Worms.
Thus, on April 17-18, 1521, Martin Luther, 37 years old, appeared before Emperor Charles V, barely 21 years, newly elected Holy Roman Emperor. Along with the Emperor were the Cardinals, Bishops, and Canon Lawyers of the Roman Catholic Church as well as German princes and lords. The Diet of Worms was the formal assembly convened by Charles V to deal with Martin Luther, the trouble-maker Augustinian monk.
The Diet of Worms’ duration was from 28 January to 25 May 1521. But Luther appeared specifically on April 17-18, 1521. Johann Eck, speaking on behalf of the Empire, presented before Luther copies of his writings filed up on a table. He asked Luther if the books were his, and whether Luther was willing to retract their contents. (Frame 5) Luther admitted his authorship, but requested time to think about the answer to the second question. He was given one day to reconsider his answer. On the second day, April 18, 1521, Luther declared: “Since your serene majesty and your lordship seek a simple answer, I will give it …. ‘Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in the councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures… and my conscience is captive of the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience…. Here I stand, so help me God. Amen!”
These Luther’s words served as the midwife in the birthing of the Protestant Reformation. As an event it contained critical turning points. First, Luther’s theological ideas became essential elements in Christian theology; second it brought about the reconfiguration of Europe and their vast colonies; third the event reenergized the Roman Catholic missionary outreach to the Philippines and the rest of Asia.
The Heart of the Reformation
Let us now turn to the heart of the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s protest against the sale of indulgence became controversial because of his sense of timing, his skillful use of popular language, and the help of the printing press in amplifying his theological beliefs. Mark Noll writes: “The torrent of words that flowed from Luther’s pen represent a marvel in his age and became a treasure for study thereafter, especially in the twentieth century as more complete editions of Luther’s works have become more readily available.” In the USA, there were total 55 volumes of Luther’s Works published in Philadelphia by the Fortress Press from 1955-1976.
The disputations around the 95 Theses forced Luther to write more and published several books. The period from 1518 to 1520, he published five works, namely: 1) The Treatise on Good Works in which he insisted that only faith in Christ is expected from believers; 2) The Papacy in Rome where he called the pope as anti-Christ for keeping people ignorant of the gospel; 3) Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation where he resisted papal tyranny on the economic, political and spiritual life; 4) The Babylonian Captivity of the Church where Luther dealt with the seven sacraments as tools of domination in the lives of people, and insisted that only the Lord’s supper and baptism are the two valid sacraments; and 5) The Freedom of the Christian where he characterized a Christian “as perfectly free lord of all, subject to none; at the same time “as perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to everyone.”
The heart of Luther’s Reformation is the doctrine of justification by faith. For Luther this doctrine is most important because it is God’s act of declaring a sinner righteous by faith alone through God’s grace. He said: “This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” Luther understood justification as being entirely the work of God, insisted that [justification] “actually is the righteousness of Christ … merely imputed to us… through faith. Faith is that which brings the Holy Spirit through the merits of Christ. Thus faith is a gift from God … a living, bold trust in God’s grace…”
Luther affirmed this conviction in early1518, as part of his struggle to clarify about the importance of the question on salvation: how do human beings stand before God? How can the sinner be considered righteous before the just God. Luther found the key to the answer to these questions from Paul’s letter to the Romans (1:17) that human beings are justified not by their pious works but by God’s free grace through faith. To Luther, faith is the most important of the three theological virtues because through faith the unrighteous receives God’s righteousness. Thus, the centrality of justification led Luther to a radical evangelical understanding of the church, its ministry and sacraments.
To fathom Luther’s radical evangelical understanding of justification, we have to situate him in proper historical perspective. Let me do this by discussing the four foundational cornerstones of Luther’s Reformation.
First is Catholic piety which Luther practiced inside the monastery. It caused a deep-seated crisis in his life that led him to experience “the dark night of the soul”. It was an experience that never brought him peace of mind but instead endless anxiety and desperation. Thanks to the spiritual sensitivity of his superior (Johann von Staupitz) “who diverted him from his deep-seated crisis and pointed him to the Bible, to God’s will to salvation and the picture of the crucified Jesus, before whom all anxiety… disappears.”
Secondly, Luther’s emersion to the stream of medieval mystical tradition especially that of Bernard of Claivaux, and the insights he learned from the book Ein Theologia Deutsch that shaped Luther’s “sense for being humble, small, nothing before God, to whom alone honor belongs… and finally, his faith in the suffering of Christ.”
Thirdly, Luther’s concept of justification can be related to the refreshing water that he drunk from the well of Augustinian theology. From that well Luther learned the “insight into the deep-sense of sin as selfishness and self-deception which remained decisive for Luther’s understanding of justification.” From that well, he drew also the significant insight into the omnipotence of the grace of God.
Fourthly, Luther was influenced by William of Ockham, British theologian who held the view on God’s omnipotence, grace and justification, conveyed through parsimonious simplicity known as Ockham’s Razor. The only necessary entity is God, everything else is contingent. “Nothing ought to be posited without a reason given… or proved by the authenticity of the Sacred Scriptures.” This is what Martin Luther learned from his teachers and they are clearly illustrated in simple language (parsimony) in the Ninety-Five Theses and his “Here I Stand” Declaration of April 18, 1521.
Consequences of the Reformation
Certainly, it is not easy to understand the complex consequences of the Reformation. Let me enumerate four: the disruption of Church unity; translation of the Scriptures; and liturgical reforms with hymn singing; reorganizing the church. Let me elaborate each of these. Disruption of Church unity. The Reformation led to thousands of divisions, something like nearly 45,000 Protestant denominations around the world. (Elwood’s 1964 Monograph, NRMs & Para-Churches). And yet, we cannot deny that there was an intense desire among the reformers to safeguard the unity of the church. Robert McAfee Brown insists that “Christian unity was at the heart of the Reformers … it continues to be the primary concern among the Protestant ecumenical leaders.” This claim is documented in a significant book, Unitive Protestantism. The contemporary concern for Church unity is “primarily to be explained as the outcropping of an element original to Protestantism, though hitherto largely frustrated.” Ecumenism got its boost from Pope John XXIII’s dramatic act of convening the 21st Ecumenical Council known as Vatican II (1962-1965).
Translation of the Bible. Luther’s work of translation contributed significantly to the success of the Reformation. The German New Testament was published in 1522, while the Old Testament was completed in 1534. Luther continued to work on refining the translation of the Bible until the end of his life. He proudly spoke of his translation work as his life’s vocation, working vigorously to make the Bible accessible to every German. Luther’s work quickly became the most popular Bible translation, and they played a major role in the spread of Luther’s doctrine throughout Germany.
Liturgical reforms. From 1525 to 1529, Luther laid down a new form of worship service. Luther wrote a German Mass, which catered to the simple people. The Mass became a celebration where everyone received the wine as well as the bread. Luther’s liturgical service included congregational singing of hymns and psalms, as well as recitation of the Creed in unison. Luther composed several hymns (i.e., “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”) and introduced the art of music to everyone, clergy and laity, men, women and children. Luther introduced the new order of worship in 1527, and he devised the catechism as a method of imparting the basics of the faith to the congregations.
Reorganizing of the church. The Reformation brought about the needed reorganizing of the church based on personal faith and experience, by writing a clear summary of the new faith in the form of two catechisms. In 1529, he wrote the Large Catechism, a manual for pastors and teachers. And a more simplified version (the Small Catechism) to be memorized by the people. The catechisms provide easy-to-understand teaching materials on the basics of the faith. Luther incorporated questions and answers in the catechism so that the basics of Christian faith would not just be learned by rote memory. The catechism is Luther’s most important work. For example, the Small Catechism is a model of clear religious teaching. It remains in use today, along with Luther’s hymns and his translation of the Bible. It proved especially effective in helping parents teach their children.
Reformation as a Continuing Challenge
Fifty years ago in 1967, a Jesuit Church historian raised question “Is the Protestant Reformation a Catholic Celebration?” Father John Schumacher, having felt the impact of Vatican II, answered his own question in the affirmative. The French theologians call this rapprochement, which means coming into a better, closer, and positive understanding. This is most needed in our context considering that the Philippines is predominantly Roman Catholic. This process begun even before Vatican II when Hans Kung published a pioneering ecumenical book, Justification: The Doctrine of Karl Barth and a Catholic Reflection (1957). This book paved the way for a common understanding on the doctrine of justification.
Küng argues that Barth’s critique of Catholicism could be reduced to a single question: ‘Does the
Catholic theology of justification take justification seriously as the sovereign act of God’s grace?’ Barth worried that the Roman Catholic theology of grace divided the work of salvation between God and human beings, thus making humans responsible in part for their own salvation. Küng concludes his study with a bold assertion: ‘[O]n the whole there is fundamental agreement between the theology of Barth and that of the Catholic Church. Within this area of discussion Barth has no valid reason for a separation from the ancient Church…. It is without any doubt, then, that today there is a fundamental agreement between Catholic and Protestant theology, precisely in the theology of justification—the point at which Reformation theology took its departure. Küng’s work set in motion a process of dialogue between Lutheran churches worldwide and the Roman Catholic Church that ultimately resulted in the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.
It is true that Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI engaged in some dialogue with the Lutherans and other Protestants, but Pope Francis is really pushing dialogue and collaboration to its limits. At the start of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on October 31, 2016, Pope Francis traveled to Sweden and took part with Protestant leaders in launching a year-round commemoration of the 500 years of Reformation anniversary. At the Lund cathedral in Sweden, Pope Francis heralded a year of events commemorating the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reformation. The Pope led in common prayers asking “forgiveness for divisions perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions”. It was so fitting that both the leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches have issued a joint statement calling for a “healing of memories” of past divisions. The commemorations are the latest step in a growing rapprochement between Catholics and Protestants traditions. The Pope’s active participation in the commemoration is proof that Pope Francis has put ecumenism and healing of past wounds at the heart of his papacy.
The animosity and resentments left by the Reformation only began to heal after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) Pope Francis believes that while theologians iron out their differences, concrete actions between the two churches like caring for the poor, migrants and refugees could be undertaken. Earlier this June, Pope Francis went so far as to praise Luther as a great reformer. He also admitted that the Roman Catholic Church had its share of culpability: it “was not a role model, there was corruption, there was worldliness, there was greed, and lust for power. [Luther] protested against this. And he was an intelligent man.”
The meeting of Pope Francis and Archbishop Antje Jackelén in Sweden exposed the remaining rift between and among our churches: the role of women. Through these series of Commemoration activities, it is my hope that we could come up with concrete actions. From the Catholic side, they should show humble repentance by deleting from memory Pope Leo X’s Bull of excommunications against Luther. From the Protestant side, we should work harder towards mutually recognizing the ministries of other churches and practice a more inclusive Eucharistic hospitality.
Let us hear the pleading of Hans Kung: “Merely celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation without really ending the schism means incurring yet more guilt. May the pressure exerted by theologians, grassroots Christians, Christian communities, and many committed men and women help the church leadership in Rome and elsewhere … not to miss this historic opportunity … otherwise more people will turn away from the Church…! In today’s globalized, secularized world, Christianity will only come across as credible if it presents itself in truly reconciled diversity.”
A Concluding Parable
William Bausch, in his book Storytelling: Imagination and Faith, insists that stories help us to remember because it is in remembering that we can experience healing of memories and be made whole. Let me now share with you a parable to conclude:
A middle-aged man died while serving his jail sentence. His life was an embodiment of all forms of wickedness. When he was brought before the judgment throne, the whole detail of his life story was read. Afterwards, he was confronted by panel composed of Abraham, David, Peter and Luke.
Abraham started, saying: “A guy like you should never be allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven.” “Father Abraham,” the man pleaded, “I do not want to defend myself, except to ask for mercy. Surely, you understand me since you yourself was a liar saying that your wife was your sister, but by the grace and mercy of God, you became a blessing to all nations.”
David’s turn to speak: “Abraham has spoken correctly. You have committed the worst crimes, and you don’t deserve to be in the kingdom of heaven.” The guilty man cried: “Your majesty, it is true I am a wicked man but I dare ask for forgiveness. Surely, you can be merciful to me since you committed adultery with Bathsheba, and to cover up your sin, you arranged for Uriah’s death. I, too, ask for forgiveness just as you were forgiven.”
Peter spoke next: “Unlike David, you have not shown love for God. Through your wickedness, you have wounded the Son of God.” The man replied, “As the prince of the apostles, I beg from you forgiveness and mercy. Though you walked by the Lord’s side and listened to his words daily, you have denied him three times in the moment of his greatest need.”
Then, Luke the beloved physician said: “You must leave right away. You are not worthy to stay any longer.” The man vowed his head in sadness. After a while, he looked up and dared to speak: “I am guilty as charged. Yet I know there is a place for me in God’s kingdom. Abraham, David, Peter will plead my cause because they know too well of human weaknesses and the mercy of God. You, beloved physician, will open the gates to me because you have written of God’s great love for a sinner like me. Don’t you recognize me? I am the lost sheep but the Good Shepherd carried home. I am your younger prodigal brother.”
At that point the gates of the kingdom were opened and Luke embraced the sinner. The worst of sinners was justified before God! Martin Luther, before he died on 18 February 1546, he wrote that we all are beggars, daily begging for God’s grace and forgiveness!
Thank you for your attentive listening. ===============================
Keynote Lecture delivered during the Third Annual Theological Forum sponsored by the Samahan ng Teolohikal na Edukasyon ng Pilipinas (STEP THREE) as part of the 500th Year Commemoration of the Protestant Reformation, held at Brokenshire College, Davao City, on October 13, 2017. Dr. Melanio LaGuardia Aoanan is an ordained pastor, United Church of Christ in the Philippines. He was the first Dean of Theology (1982-1988); Executive Officer for Spiritual Life, Values Formation and Research (1988-1995); and Fifth President of Southern Christian College (2007-2010). He served Silliman University as Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy and Religion Department (1975-1982); He served as Professor at Union Theological Seminary (1995-2007); Adjunct Professorial Lecturer VI at the doctoral program of De La Salle University (1997-2006). He also served as Administrative Pastor at the Church Among the Palms, UPLB Campus (2000-2004). He started the Master of Arts in Theology at Brokenshire College as Program Director since 2010 up to the present.