The Bondage of the Will, 1525 (abridged): The Annotated Luther Study Edition

In autumn 1525, Luther wrote The Bondage of the Will as a response to humanist and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam's On Free Will.

Luther's treatise is important on four accounts: First, Luther wanted to show his own humanist education. Second, against Erasmus, who had maintained that the question of free will could not be decided just on the basis of the Bible, Luther stressed the clarity imbedded in Scripture. Third, Luther stressed that his denial of the free will pertained to the issue of salvation, while in other areas of life not relevant for this fundamental existential matter, free will could be acknowledged. Finally, he introduces the distinction of the revealed and the hidden God to make clear that a Christian must focus on God as shown in Jesus Christ rather than speculating about God's potency in general. Luther's argument on the matter of the bound and free will poses a challenge and an invitation for constructive contemporary theology.

This volume is excerpted from The Annotated Luther series, Volume 2. Each volume in the series contains annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luther's context and to interpret his writings for today.

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Publisher Fortress Press
Format Paperback
ISBN 9781506413457
eBook ISBN 9781506413464
Brand Annotated Luther
Dimensions 7.5 x 9.25
Pages 122
Publication Date June 1, 2016

Endorsements

Series endorsements

"This exciting Annotated Luther series from Fortress Press comes out at a very important moment. Lutherans worldwide anticipate the commemoration of five hundred years of the reformation in 2017. I just came from a conference of Asian Lutheran theologians where various Luther reception processes have been established to cater for Sunday school children to seminary professors. In many parts of the global south where the churches are growing, there is growing desire to encounter the reformer in as direct ways as is possible. The Annotated Luther series will facilitate easy access to Luther, especially for those who could not do so in the German or Latin. This will be a great resource likely to be translated into many vernacular languages."
Kenneth Mtata
The Lutheran World Federation

"The Annotated Luther series represents a finely crafted synthesis between readable primary texts and some of the best secondary scholarship. A superb editorial team, under the leadership of Hillerbrand, Stjerna, and Wengert, has made seventy-five selections, ranging from major treatises to sermons and letters, and beautifully laid these out in six volumes, together with state-of-the-art analyses and explanatory notes. Luther the theologian, the biblical interpreter, the pastor, the social/political thinker—all are given their due, and the resulting multidimensional portrait combines balance with a newly sharpened focus. In sum, a signal achievement."
Denis R. Janz
Loyola University New Orleans

"The Annotated Luther series provides a very welcome resource for meeting Luther again in the contemporary world. With language refreshed for our time, we can see more clearly Luther as a man who is actively grappling with a society undergoing dramatic challenges economically, religiously, and socially. By providing skilled commentary from scholars around the world and from diverse theological perspectives, this work will be of great help for modern Christians seeking to adapt and extend the insights from the Reformation to modern challenges."
Maria E. Erling
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

"As no other comparable series, The Annotated Luther provides the reader, whether lay or ordained, with a collection of the Wittenberg reformer's most important writings that is at once learned and highly accessible. Here Luther's works are presented in up-to-date translation with helpful introductions, explanatory notes, and engaging images. A must for the student and scholar of Luther alike!"
Ronald K. Rittgers
Valparaiso University