Martin Luther's Theology: Its Historical and Systematic Development

25. Humanity as Creature of God

Chapter 25 HUMANITY AS CREATURE OF GOD THE CREATION OF THE WORLD As often as particular aspects of Luther's view have been researched, until now only David Lofgren has attempted a comprehensive description of Luther's theol­ ogy of creation. Lofgren's intent was to pursue Luther's ideas throughout almost all the important dogmatic themes, with a salvation-historical sketch as the basis. In this way ideas customarily treated in a doctrine of creation are in the back­ ground .' No doubt, Luther could develop the idea of die creation in areas for die most part not dealt widi under die rubric of creation, just as he elsewhere breached die wall of specific doctrines.2 Nevertheless, it is advisable, and not merely for reasons of conceptual clarity, to give preference to his statements about the creation of die world and humanity. In his catechisms but also in various lectures,3 Ludier dealt chiefly widi questions of die creation and preservation of die world and humanity, 1 In this respect Lofgren's book, DieTheologie der Schopj'ung, has been criticized in reviews. 2 See also Hagglund, "Luthers Anthropologic," 63: "Theological anthropology does not consist of isolated remarks on humans' conditions and qualities, which then are used as building blocks in theology , but it is integrated into the entire doctrine of creation and redemption." 3 Naturally, Luther refers most often and in greater detail to questions of creation in his Genesis lecture of IS3S-1545. Still, the problems having to do with the transmission of the lecture are so complicated that a description of Luther's idea of creation can only secondarily be supported by its statements . In his description, Hagglund has collected the most important text complexes where Luther speaks of creation. 240 HUMANITY AS CREATURE OF GOD 241 though here too he gave greater breadth to the idea of creation.4 Particularly for this reason we may treat the creation and preservation of the world and humanity here. In a host of places Ludier spoke of the creation and of the preservation of the world, in the course of which he united the two activities respecting tiieir content, diough he distinguished diem respecting die idea and die concept. For example, in die Disputation ConcerningJustification (1536), he said: "That whatever God creates, he also preserves is simply true and must be granted, but still it does not follow tfiat human nature is unspoiled, which is corrupted daily. For God has made creatures changeable. . . . For as he creates, so he preserves. Thus we have been created so diat we can be changed."5 Similarly, die Small Catechism distinguishes creation and preservation: "I believe diat God has created me and all diat exists; diat he has given me and still sustains my body and soul, all my limbs and senses, my reason and all die faculties of my mind, togedier widi food and clodiing, house and home, family and property."6 The unique­ ness of Ludier's exposition of die article on creation consists first in its existential ref­ erence, dien in its inclusion ofjustification: "all diis he does out of his pure, fadierly, and divine goodness and mercy, widiout any merit or wordiiness on my part."7 Despite die emphasis on die existential, however, we may not overlook diat diis article has as its content die creation of die entire world as well as of all odier living creatures. The statement on creation contains a series of important aspects diat Ludier emphasized continually in die most diffuse contexts.8 First, it was directed against die Aristotelian idea of die eternity of die world. For diis reason, die tradi­ tional formula creatio ex nihilo was especially important to Ludier. It expresses God's absolute sovereignty, but also die world's finitude. In support of his statement regarding die creatio ex nihilo Ludier appealed first to Psalm 33:9: "For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood fordi"; next, to 2 Maccabees 7:28: "Look at the heaven and die earth and see everydiing diat is in diem, and recognize diat God did not make diem out of tilings that existed. Thus also mankind comes into being"; dien to Romans 4:17: "[God] who gives life to die dead and calls into exis­ tence die things diat do not exist."9 4 See A. Peters, Kommentar zu Luthers Katechismen, edited by Gottfried Seebass. 3 vols. (G6ttingen :Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1990-94), 2:56-91. 5 LtV, vol. 34, pp...