week 6 respond

Susan Bacon

Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards

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            Nearly two centuries separate Martin Luther (1483-1546) and Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). These two theologian/educators lived in separate countries: Luther was a German theologian during the Reformation Era; Edwards was classified as “America’s greatest theologian” during the Great Awakening. Despite these obvious differences, they share common theologies of education and significant aspects of their theology.

Summary of Martin Luther’s Theology of Education

            As set forth by William Marsh, Martin Luther’s “new hermeneutic” consisted of three primary components: the supreme authority of Scripture (sola Scriptura), a Christological concentration (solus Christus), and distinction of law and gospel. [1] Luther stands out as a monumental figure in church history due to his challenge to the pope and Roman Catholic theology as well as its religious practices. Asserting the sole authority of Scriptures was a rejection of the Catholic church’s position that the authority of the papacy derived from the prophets and apostles. His Christological concentration is described as an “intrascriptural warrant” where the entirety of the Bible is meant to show Christ. [2] Luther’s third emphasis on law and gospel conveys a main subject of Luther’s thought: “the sinning human being and the justifying God.” [3] This emphasis led to Luther’s concentration on justification through God’s grace by faith in Christ alone (sola Gratis/sola Fide), which further separated him from Catholic practices of indulgences and other mandates.

            Luther’s theological thought was reflected in his theology of education. Luther asserted that the supremacy of Scripture needed to be reinstituted through the full scope of one’s educational journey. [4] This was applicable to all aspects of life, both ministerial and secular endeavors, and translated into his emphasis upon the priesthood of all believers. His understanding of law and gospel was also reflected in a distinction of the gospel’s impact within the spiritual estate, to which Christians belonged, and the law’s rule over the secular estate, to which non-Christians belonged. Luther saw a public role of the pastor and the teacher/schoolmaster as necessary to “inform and instruct the various estates on how they are to conduct themselves outwardly in their several offices and estates, so that they may do what is right in the sight of God.” [5] As an aside, to me this has the sound of “law;” a “need-to” or “do-better” emphasis, rather than an encouraging, supportive influence.

Another important contribution of Luther was his stress upon the role of parents in their children’s education—an emphasis on proper development of the whole person, balancing spiritual/character formation and training for vocation. [6] In summary, Luther was a significant educator as well as theologian during the Reformation Era.

Summary of Jonathan Edward’s Theology of Education

Jonathan Edward issued one of his most important books, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, two hundred years after Luther’s death. Although he admittedly followed John Calvin rather than Martin Luther, elements of Luther’s theology is evident. Edwards existed in a world that differed in many ways from Luther’s. Edwards reacted to his context of two extremes—passionless intellectualism (Enlightenment thought) and unbridled emotionalism—by charting a moderate course. As with Luther, Edwards served as a parish pastor all of his life, which included a time of revival, and he incorporated his theology of education into his ministry.

Justification by faith alone was an important theological foundation for Edwards, as it was for Luther. This was the topic of Edwards’ Master’s thesis, as well as a series of sermons, which Edwards attributed as “the major catalyst that the Holy Spirit used to begin an extraordinary time of revival.” [7] This led to the core of Edwards’ preaching and teaching: “a desire to provide a vehicle by which the Holy Spirit could effect a lasting change in the affections of his listeners;” and secondly, “that his listeners could know with a degree of certainty that the affections they experienced were real and from God.” [8] Edwards’ emphasis upon the role of the Holy Spirit and concern for a believer’s religious experience are important distinctions from Luther.

Both Luther and Edwards focused on justification of faith, but Edwards extended faith into a manifestation of experience. Luther struggled with the appropriate expression of faith, even to the point of questioning the inclusion of the book of James in the canon due to a concern that “good works” should not be emphasized over faith. Edwards, however, did not concentrate on “works.” Like Luther, saving faith was preeminent for Edwards. But for him, the Spirit’s work in the heart was the “driving force of the affections” and “true religion, in great part, consists in holy affections.” [9] The affections of man’s heart emanated into love to Christ and joy in Christ.

An explanation of the different emphases of Luther’s and Edwards’ theology may be explained by their immediate context. Luther was addressing extreme impositions of Catholicism in the lives of his parishioners. Edwards was balancing the extremes of emotionalism and exalted reason. Luther stressed divine grace and acknowledged freedom of human will. Edwards pursued how divine grace moves human hearts and will. Luther reflected the Reformed Era; conversely, Edwards was steeped in the Revival.   

Similarities in Luther’s and Edwards’ Theology of Education

            Despite the span of two centuries, both Luther and Edwards founded their theology of education on the same premise: education should be pleasurable. Luther’s early education experience was “a hell and purgatory in which we were tormented with casualibus and temporalibus, and yet learned less than nothing despite all the flogging, trembling, anguish, and misery.” [10] Edwards stressed that teaching should cease to be a “dull, wearisome task, without any suitable pleasure or benefit.” [11] Both left legacies of curriculum development that provided useful and practical structures for teaching. Both saw importance in teaching of the arts by including music and languages. Both perceived education as the means to improve mankind: for Luther, educational reform was necessary so that a new generation of Christians could be “freed” from Rome’s captivity in order to permeate society with faith and love; [12] for Edwards, if affection of love and pleasure were kindled in the learning process, a genuine hunger to learn would result. [13] Edwards extended his methodology to include a Socratic-like process where teachers proposed questions to the students for discussion.

            Both Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards were preeminent theologians of their time, and they left strong legacies of the importance of education. Both stressed that a teacher is always to be a learner. And both portrayed a pastoral ministry that emphasized the pastor as teacher, with a passion for transformation by a gracious God through the gift of faith in Christ Jesus.

 Bibliography

 Haykin, Michael A.G. with Dustin Bruce. “Jonathan Edwards: Influencing and Shaping the Heart.” In A Legacy of Religious Educators: Historical and Theological Introductions, edited by Elmer L. Towns and Benjamin K. Forrest, 253-277. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press, 2016.

Marsh, William M. “Martin Luther: Education for the Preservation of the Gospel and Society.” In A Legacy of Religious Educators: Historical and Theological Introductions, edited by Elmer L. Towns and Benjamin K. Forrest, 109-136. Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press, 2016.

 

[1] William M. Marsh, “Martin Luther: Education for the Preservation of the Gospel and Society,” in A Legacy of Religious Educators: Historical and Theological Introductions, edited by Elmer L. Towns and Benjamin K. Forrest (Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press, 2016): 112-122.

[2] Ibid., 117.

[3] Ibid., 118.

[4] Ibid., 119.

[5] Ibid., 121.

[6] Ibid., 125.

[7] Michael A.G. Haykin, with Dustin Bruce, “Jonathan Edwards: Influencing and Shaping the Heart,” in A Legacy of Religious Educators: Historical and Theological Introductions, edited by Elmer L. Towns and Benjamin K. Forrest (Lynchburg, VA: Liberty University Press, 2016): 259.

[8] Ibid., 264.

[9] Ibid., 265.

[10] Marsh, “Martin Luther,” 110.

[11] Haykin, “Jonathan Edwards,” 266.

[12] Marsh, “Martin Luther,” 119n.52.

[13] Haykin, “Jonathan Edwards,” 271.

 

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