Essay: 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility
Reformation scholar MICHAEL BRUENING, in an article first published on The Conversation, says that to peasants, the Reformation seemed to promise the chance for a complete reordering of an unjust society…
In the US, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod president calls for excommunicating white nationalists
United States RNS The president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has called for the excommunication of unrepentant white supremacists in the church’s ranks, rebuking an extremist effort to exert influence within the conservative Lutheran denomination. In a letter dated 21st February, LCMS President Matthew Harrison said he was “shocked to learn recently that a few members of […]
Martin Luther’s pandemic advice goes viral — 500 years later
Chicago, US RNS It has been more than 500 years since German monk Martin Luther’s words went viral, thanks to what was then some cutting-edge technology. In 1517, Luther’s famed 95 Theses helped spark the Protestant Reformation after they were distributed far and wide with the help of the printing press, the 16th century’s version […]
ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton lightens up on social media with viral neon Luther rose
Chicago, US RNS As churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America closed to slow the spread of COVID-19, Elizabeth Eaton, the presiding bishop of the country’s largest Lutheran denomination, began offering weekly video messages from her home. But viewers were captivated by more than her words of comfort or calls for prayer and action […]
Saints of Past Ages: Before Martin Luther, there was Erasmus – a Dutch theologian who paved the way for the Protestant Reformation
KATHERINE LITTLE, scholar of medieval Christianity at the University of Colorado Boulder, looks – in an article first published on The Conversation, at the life and legacy of Erasmus…
GERMANY: CAMPAIGN POSTERS IN “LUTHER COUNTRY” RAISE SPECTRE OF ANTI-SEMITISM
KEN CHITWOOD, writing for Religion News Service, reports from Germany…
THE INTERVIEW: ERIC METAXAS ON TRUMP, BONHOEFFER AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICA
BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, speaks to best-selling evangelical US author and radio host, Eric Metaxas…
Christian rock band retells story of Reformation in ‘Luther: The Rock Opera’
Matteson, Illinois, US RNS The Protestant Reformation was a little bit like social media, featuring charismatic influencers, cutting-edge technology and viral content, according to Michael Bridges. It started when a man decided to stay up late and update his status, posting 95 things on his wall. He hoped his friends would like, comment on or share them. […]
‘Mr Eternity’, Martin Luther bio and ‘Doubter’s Guide’ on Australian Christian Book of the Year shortlist
The story of Arthur Stace – Sydney’s Mr Eternity, a book on Martin Luther, a “Doubter’s Guide to Jesus” and a history of the Bible in Australia are among the 10 books short-listed for the 2018 SparkLit Australian Christian Book of the Year. The list includes Roy Williams & Elizabeth Meyers Mr Eternity: The Story of Arthur […]
On Reformation anniversary, US Lutherans bridge divides with other faiths
RNS 500th anniversary of Reformation at Washington, DC’s Lutheran Church of the Reformation. PICTURE: RNS/Adelle M Banks Five centuries to the day when German monk Martin Luther is said to have nailed 95 theses to a church door in Germany, leaders of the largest Lutheran denomination in the US gathered to celebrate how they’ve bridged […]