Luther on
Church and State
About This Site
Luther on Church and State exists to bring Martin Luther's biblical theology to bear on the key discussions in church and society.
Why Now?
For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is self-evident that religion in general and Christianity in particular plays a major role in contemporary American society and politics. While the 1960s saw vocal political engagement of politically progressive Christians as part of the Civil Rights movement (think of Martin Luther King), there has been a resurgence of conservative political Christianity in the past five decades (think of the "Pro-Life" movement, the Promise Keepers, Liberty University, Dominionism, and "Christian Nationalism").
Yet those who represent Christianity in the public square most visibly--who loudly argue that this or that policy is permitted or required by Christianity--are more often than not informed by theologies often vastly different than that of Martin Luther. As a rule, these theologies--consistent with American religious demographics--are Pentecostal, Catholic, and Reformed in origin.
This leaves those who as pastors and laypeople must or wish to think about life in this world as Lutherans often short on helpful resources. Lacking Lutheran resources, they often turn to those who are prominent in the desired political milieu. Unaware of the important doctrinal (and practical) differences between Luther's social teachings and those of today's Christian thought leaders, they appear to believe that as long as they remain "faithful Lutherans" in a few select areas of doctrine--infant baptism, "free will," and "the real presence," to name a few--there is no harm in borrowing from what others are saying on the issues of the day. After all, those others do speak of biblical principles, quote the bible, and talk about Jesus! Do we not all wish to follow God's law and establish a "Christian nation" in the end?
Sadly, it appears that this thinking has found its way into the hearts and minds of Lutheran pastors, professors, church leaders, and laypeople. As a result of this uncritical adoption of non-Lutheran social teachings, churches and congregations are divided along political and cultural lines.
Moreover, the amazing resources for life in the 21st century found in Luther's pertinent writings often remain hidden in the tomes of collected works editions gathering dust in the study of many a pastor and seminary professor. And I believe that this harms not only the Lutheran church. It also harms civil society by needlessly creating and exacerbating divisions among the people who live in this land.
About Myself
My name is Holger Sonntag. I was born and raised in Germany. Baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Germany, I studied theology and earned a doctorate in New Testament theology at the University of Heidelberg. After that, I studied some more theology at a seminary of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and was ordained into the ministry in the United States.
While serving as a pastor in Minnesota, I started to work on translating Luther's works from German and Latin into English for Lutheran Press. You can find most of those translations for free on its website. The more I translated Luther, the more I realized that many, even most Lutherans do not know or understand what Luther taught. Too strong are the cultural forces of a type of generic, cultural Christianity (in a progressive or conservative flavor), not by Luther's theology.
I also realized that many treasures are hidden on the pages Luther penned 500 years ago that can be very helpful for life in the complexities of a our society that is replete with (conflicting) visions of what the good life should look like. Simply put, Luther knew that this world is fallen, but--unlike some Christians today--this knowledge did not lead him to endorse rigid legalism or government brutality as the answer. Rather, it led him to advocate for love--concretely, patience, prudence, mercy, and equity--in human life together whenever possible, so that human life would be spared and the proclamation of the gospel could proceed in peace.
The Christian life of love Luther outlined in publication after publication reflects the saving gospel itself: Christ the King did not come to crush those who violated God's perfect law. Rather, he sacrificed himself for them to have mercy on them so they would be saved, not lost. While Luther remained uncompromising on the truth of this gospel, he proved remarkably flexible when it came to daily living when the situation required it to save lives.
Over the years, I've been able to delve deeper into these treasures of Luther's social teachings. To appreciate these treasures more fully, it's been helpful to serve on two combat tours and as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. Equally helpful is my current career as an attorney for the State of Washington.
Given the rise of violence in society and conflict in the church, I believe that now is the time to share the results of those studies with those who desire to learn from Luther how to lead a peaceful Christian life in our time.