Dr. Martin Luther: A Bold Scholar and Reformer
By Peter Cimala, Europe Regional Representative

Martin Luther (1483–1546) is known as a reformer of the church. But we must not forget that he became a doctor of theology and a university professor first. Being a reformer was neither his intention nor his original “job.” Rather, he was a learned and gifted monk seeking to fulfill his vocation as a biblical scholar in a variety of ways.

Luther’s devotion to interpreting the Bible to the best of his ability led him to attempt to make the Scriptures more available to everyone. He described his own scholarship as follows:

“I was forced and driven into this position in the first place when I had to become Doctor of Holy Scripture against my will. Then, as a doctor in a general free university, I began, at the command of the pope and emperor, to do what such a doctor is sworn to do, expounding the Scriptures for all the world and teaching everybody.” (LW 13,66)

Today, it is not hard to imagine that Luther would be active in the department of biblical studies of a contemporary theological faculty. His university background was important to him during his life; for example, as we know from his letters, he was often depicted with a doctor´s cap (Doktorhut). His bold theological claims and formulations were based on his deep research of the biblical texts. Importantly, the Old Testament was his starting point. In particular, his lectures on the Psalms helped him to understand the biblical message many years before his rediscovery of the Gospel and justification by faith based on the exegesis of Romans 1:17.

In Luther’s story, we see a connection between academia, church, and society as well. As an example, consider his German translation of the Bible, which demonstrates his conviction that every Christian has the right to read and study Scripture in his or her own language, and which documents well his understanding of the authority of Scripture. Luther embodies the integration of personal faith and learning, a true person of both academia and church. He was a doctor – a theologian with a university degree – and a person of the church, preaching, teaching, interpreting and translating the Bible in understandable language.

Luther is an example of intellectual courage. It was not easy to challenge the teachings of the church or the Pope in the 16th century. He was aware of the danger he would face because of his bold claims and public activity. Others who made similar efforts before him suffered greatly, such as John Huss, a Christian scholar from Prague who was burned to death in 1415. But Luther was willing to defend the truth of the gospel and his convictions, as expressed in his famous statement, “Here I stand, I can no other” (1521).

Luther’s story shows why the university matters. He influenced other students and scholars as well as German and European society in a way that would permanently impact the course of history. His Bible translation became very significant in the development of the German language. His academic degree and excellence allowed him to formulate his arguments and to defend his “rediscovery” of grace–the Protestant Reformation’s sola gratia.

Luther’s career, self-understanding and heritage demonstrate that Protestantism has been connected to the university from the beginning! There are different challenges now than in his time, but today’s Christian scholars globally share a similar calling to boldness, endurance and the integration of faith and learning. Dr. Martin Luther should be remembered and presented as an example of a bold Christian scholar.