Late Luther’s Anthropology: Disputatio de homine (1536)

• Main Author: Rodion Savinov
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 2017-12-01
• Series: Вестник Православного Свято-Тихоновского гуманитарного университета: Серия I. Богословие, философия
• Subjects: Лютер; Реформация; антропология; теология; сущность; природа; догматика; спасение; totus homo; tota creatura; homo theologicus
• Online Access: http://periodical.pstgu.ru/ru/pdf/article/4625

The article analyzes the development of anthropological problems in Martin Luther’s theology, and reveals the transformation of this topic in the late period of the development of Luther’s theology. Main source for that investigation is Luther’s theses "Disputatio de homine"i.e. "Disputation concerning Man", 1536. Since anthropological problems are not represented as a special teaching in Luther’s doctrine, its included in the context of versatile theological searches. We proposed a model for reconstructing Luther’s ideas concerning man on the basis of difficult accents that he made in different periods of his life. In particular, early Luther in 1510-1520ss assert the impossibility to determine the nature of man because its radical destruction by sin. Salvation is carried out as a change of this sinfulness nature, "birth from above", liberating man from "slavery to the world" - it's main theme of his treatise "On Christian Freedom", - and change willfulness into an instrument of understanding will of God in treatise "The Bondage of the Will". Subsequently, late Luther in 1530s changes the approach to interpreting anthropological problems without abandoning the ideas expressed him earlier: he recognizes the possibility of knowing human nature, he connects the history of creation and the history of salvation in the concept of "tota creatura" and through this connection between creation and the Creator approaches the interpretation of the problem of predestination, not individual, but generic. This circumstance allows to consider the late period of Luther’s life which usually neglected, as an important stage in the development of his doctrine.