Luther's Ecclesiology

[statimsciens]

Does anyone know how Luther envisioned the organization of the church after the reform? How was the institution supposed to be organized in his view? A synod or some other council?

 

[Steadfast]

Luther does not appear to have had one. He was perfectly happy with the church order as it existed in Germany in his day.

However, it is a Lutheran commonplace that polity is an adiaphoron. Most Lutheran churches today combine Congregational and Presbyterian forms with a smattering of Synodical Episcopalianism.

The ELCA and the LCMS, the two largest churches are, actually, very similar in government, one difference being that the ELCA will call Bishops what the LCMS calls District Presidents. In neither case does the office carry any authority beyond a certain presidency in order and in both cases the positions are elected and there is no corresponding idea of an official charism or succession.

Our ELCA friends may correct me if they like…I do not mean to sound as though I know all about them. My wife was ELCA before I stole her away, that afforded me the opportunity to make inquiries is all.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I’d like to hear this too. I am only aware of his desire to dissolve certain attributes of the Church, like the Papacy or teachings like Purgatory, etc… So perhaps his idea was simply “whatever remained” after that.

 

[Steadfast]

I’d like to hear this too. I am only aware of his desire to dissolve certain attributes of the Church, like the Papacy or teachings like Purgatory, etc… So perhaps his idea was simply “whatever remained” after that.

He just didn’t think it was a big deal, or, more accurately, he didn’t think the polity needed to be reformed; i.e. he doesn’t appear to have had any problem with Bishops.

He clearly had a problem with simoniacs like Albrecht of Brandenburg, but he never drew the conclusion that abuse nullified use.

 

[ralphinal]

When you take a long look at the matter, I think church set-up was a minor issue with him. It would almost lead one to conclude that he never even thought much about it. I doubt that as he was not a dumb man. More than likely, he did not think through the possibility that he would be breaking away from the Catholic Church and would need such things as structure or councils. Once it occured, it seems like he left well enough alone.