Luther's Works, Volume 41:Church and Ministry III (Luther's Works). Dieser Artikel ist nicht verfügbar.Luther's Works, Volume 41:Church and Ministry III (Luther's Works)

Conflict between the church of Rome and the reformers reached its most violent peak in the five years before the Council of Trent in 1545, a council the pope had been delaying for years. Luther had not only given up hope for a "free, Christian council," but had also come to the conclusion that the authority of such a council was limited to reaffirming the ancient faith of the apostles. This radical departure from Rome's interpretation of its own authority forms the basis of Luther's new doctrine of the church -- and also of his advice to Protestant princes on the problems of ecclesiastical property. It is this doctrine of the church which is the theme of the three treatises written during this period and included in this volume.

Eric W. Gritsch was Emeritus Professor of Church History at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Among his many works are Fortress Introduction to Lutheranism (1994), Lutheranism: The Theological Movement and Its Confessional Writings (with Robert W. Jenson, 1976), Thomas Muntzer: A Tragedy of Errors (1989), and the anthology Martin Luther: Faith in Christ and the Gospel (1996).

Martin Luther stands as one of the most significant figures in Western history. His distinction as the father of the Protestant Reformation is augmented by his innovative use of new technology (the printing press), his translation of the Christian Bible into the vernacular, and his impact upon European society. Born in 1483 to middle-class parents in Saxony, eastern Germany, he became an Augustinian monk, a priest, a professor of biblical literature, a reformer, a husband and father. He died in 1546 after having witnessed the birth of a renewal movement that would result in a profound shift in faith, politics, and society. He has been both praised and vilified for what he preached and wrote. His thought continues to influence all Christians and to animate the movement that bears his name.