Mickey Mattox

In my present life situation, retirement still seems a distant mystery. What does one do? Professor Timothy J. Wengert’s case sheds little light on this mystery, for in Ruhestand he seems to have become busier and more productive than ever! How does an object seemingly at rest continue to work? Attempting to make sense of this Lutheran paradox, I consider below Martin Luther’s remarks on the God who not only instituted the Sabbath but is simul requiescens et operans. Perhaps the Reformer can shed some light on the matter? My subject in what follows is Martin Luther’s understanding of God’s

The Flacian controversy in mid-16th century Lutheranism turned on the question whether as a consequence of original sin the image of God in humankind has been lost and replaced by the image of the devil. Is the fallen human being evil per se? Examining Martin Luther’s comments on the story of creation and fall in his Genesis Lectures (1535-1545), I argue that Luther’s insistence on the loss of the imago dei results in an anthropology closer to that of Thomas Aquinas than to Luther’s uncompromising disciple, Matthias Flacius Illyricus. For both Thomas and Luther, original sin is a holistic term that reflects the absence of original righteousness in the essence of the soul. Luther rejects any substantial reading of original sin that would ontologize it as the very substance of the human being. His anthropological holism means that sin has a deleterious effect on the whole human being, including all the powers of body and soul. Sin is privative, a spiritual leprosy that corrupts the whole human being.

On the five-hundredth anniversary of the 1519 debate between Martin Luther and John Eck at Leipzig, Luther at Leipzig offers an extensive treatment of this pivotal Reformation event in its historical and theological context. The Leipzig Debate not only revealed growing differences between Luther and his opponents, but also resulted in further splintering among the Reformation parties, which continues to the present day. The essays in this volume provide an essential background to the complex theological, political, ecclesiastical, and intellectual issues precipitating the debate. They also sketch out the relevance of the Leipzig Debate for the course of the Reformation, the interpretation and development of Luther, and the ongoing divisions between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.

Mattox focuses on the role of the Catholic in commemorating the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther. Within the Catholic Church, of course, Luther is a gift that has been at best awkwardly received. Still, Catholics have a role to play in the upcoming anniversary years. Recall that the work of Catholic scholars was crucial in initiating modern, critical Luther studies. Today, there is less work being done on Luther by Catholics than a generation ago. Still, in the publishing frenzy surrounding 2017, many Catholics took up issues in Luther's theology anew.

Iohannes Oecolampadius stood at the forefront of the Reformation in Basel. He not only worked tirelessly for the reform of the city's churches, but also authored pioneering evangelical works of theology and exegesis. The interpretation of Eve found in his late lectures on Genesis showcases both a new emphasis on Eve's goodness and original equality with Adam, as well as a parallel insistence on her subordination to her husband after the Fall. His conception of husband and wife as partners of equal dignity on the path toward salvation moves in the direction of companionate marriage, but it stops short of calling for women's equality in the public sphere.