Luther’s Teaching on Church and State

Presented by Associate Professor Rick Strelan

Luther's 'doctrine of the two kingdoms' arguably directly influenced attitudes of and towards the Third Reich; Machiavellian and Marxist thought; and the rise of secularism. Luther was not a 'modern' and needs to be understood on his own terms and in his own times. This paper attempts to do that within the obvious limits.  Luther's consistent dialectic will be seen as a key to understanding his views on the relation between 'church and state'.