The Ethics of Martin Luther

Althaus wrote The Ethics of Martin Luther as a companion to his book The Theology of Martin Luther. Here Althaus thoroughly and succinctly summarizes Luther's Christian ethics. This is the book to read to see what Luther has to say about living the Christian life. Althaus shows that for Luther justification through faith is not only a theological principle but is the foundation of the Christian life, as it informs his ethics. Readers will learn from Althaus with many quotations from Luther what it means to live a life based on justification through faith by grace. Additionally, Althaus expounds on Luther's ethics based on natural and Christian law, vocations and stations in life, the two kingdoms and governments, love, marriage, parenthood, work, economics and the state. I especially appreciated how Althaus showed the relationship between justification through faith alone and good works in Luther's ethics. Readers will learn how Luther saw faith and works as hand-in-hand. For him, the Christian does good works as a result of salvation by grace through faith. He or she is obedient to God in joy and freedom as a necessity from salvation and not for the obtaining of salvation. It was helpful to see this correlation explained so well in this book. He also explains the tension for Christians who are at the same time saints and sinners in the world. I also think Luther's ethical teachings about Christians' roles in work, society and family are especially relevant and profound today. His ethics of economics flow from Scripture and would make a good basis for teaching in the church today as well.

I had read previously Althaus' Theology of Martin Luther, and have found it to be the best one volume resource of Luther's theology yet written. Althaus has a deep knowledge of all of Luther's writings. Often, especially with the new "finnish interpretation of Luther", the developement of his thought is not carefully taken into account. In this companion volume to the Theology of Martin Luther, Althaus discusses Luther's ethics. He overviews Luther's idea of Vocation, marriage, work, the state, the two kingdoms, and the law. Luther's ideas of ethics were revolutionary in the time period. He abolished the distinction between sacred and secular which had become popular with the rise of monasticism and was also taught by his anabaptist opponents. Luther saw that all men were able to serve God in their specific stations so long as they were serving their neighbor. Luther's theology of the two Kingdoms was contrary to the model of the Papacy that prevailed since the time of Gregory. The church and the state were seperate entities which should never be confused, as opposed to the Roman and Calvinistic teaching, but Luther also distances himself from the anabaptist position. A Christian is involved in both sacred and secular affairs. This book is essential for understanding the thought of Martin Luther.