The theology of Martin Luther between Judaism and Roman Catholicism: A critical-historical evaluation of Luther's concept of idolatry

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Luther's theological concept of idolatry must be regarded as a pivotal component in understanding his polemic, particularly against Roman Catholicism and Judaism. The method employed to carry out this study, though it varies slightly from chapter to chapter, depends basically on a critical-historical method. It explains Luther's theological concept and contextual use of idolatry from his early lectures to his latest ones.;To investigate how Luther developed his concept of idolatry, the first part of this study seeks to answer the following questions: Does Luther see the human being as occasionally idolatrous or as naturally idolatrous? What is the role of reason in false religion? What are the criteria Luther used to distinguish between true worship and idolatry? In developing his concept of idolatry Luther appropriates Augustine's notion of human concupiscence, particularly from his anti-Pelagian writings. Against the backdrop of his discovery of the righteousness of God, Luther comprehends idolatry mainly as an inherent tendency in human nature to justify oneself coram Deo . At the same time, Luther's early lectures on Psalms and Romans indicate that he made use of his own biblical understanding of the Jews as the prime illustration of self-justification in order to criticize false spirituality within the Roman Catholic church.;Luther finds that in an attempt to justify and idolize oneself, a corrupt human nature almost invariably has a tendency to employ reason on which to build an erroneous perception of God. Luther views all idolatry as rooted in the legal knowledge of God, which results from the false attachment of law and work to reason. In this context, Luther's understanding of idolatry provides a theological basis for his polemic against Judaism and Roman Catholicism.;An idolatrous conception of God finds its expression in idolatrous worship. Luther sets out the principles by which to determine true worship. Luther derives these principles from his perception of true and false worship as found in the Hebrew Scriptures. They include three major criteria of true worship: faith, Christ and the Word. The doctrinal, soteriological, and eschatological urgency behind Luther's criteria is also identified.;In Part II, the significance of Luther's criteria of idolatry is explored particularly within the polemical context of Luther's dealing with the papacy and the Jews. The writer uses Luther's criteria of idolatry---faith, Christ and the Word---as a barometer to identify, trace, and evaluate his theological development and polemical attitudes. These observations present not only Luther's polemical shift in a close relation to his theological development, but also a theological continuity in Luther's development from "Catholic reformer" to "Protestant reformer."...