Martin Luther's Understanding of God's Two Kingdoms: A Response to the Challenge of Skepticism. By William J. Wright. Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2010. 208 pp. $29.99 paper.

摘要

This book offers a new proposal for the origin of Luther’s two kingdoms ideanand a strong correction of recent scholarly interpretations of the idea. WilliamnWright argues that a key source for Luther’s idea was Renaissance humanism,nespecially as it engendered skepticism through its critical methods andnpolemics against scholasticism. According to Wright, Luther found crucialnanswers to such skepticism in Lorenzo Valla’s conviction that earthly mattersnmust be known and studied differently from spiritual matters. Building uponnthis, Luther’s two kingdoms concept became his Weltanschauung, hisnworldview. It shaped the whole body of his theology, including themes suchnas law and gospel, flesh and spirit, reason and faith, and the sacraments.nThus, Wright argues that the prevailing view of Luther’s two kingdoms sincenthe nineteenth century—that it is a political doctrine, perhaps even meant tonjustify irresponsible conduct in earthly affairs—is decidedly incorrect. Thenbook proceeds by describing modern interpretations of Luther’s twonkingdoms idea, by examining early Italian and later northern humanism, andnfinally by examining the contexts in which Luther utilized the idea and hownhe applied it to Christians’ earthly life.