God Does Not Work in Us Without Us: On the Understanding of Divine-Human Cooperation in the Thought of Martin Luther

Roman-Catholic scholars tend to interpret Luther's emphasis on the exteriority of salvation as a critique of the goodness of creation. Through an analysis of De servo arbitrio, this article shows this to be wrong. While emphasizing the unconditionality of God's work in both creation and salvation, Luther still insists that humans are created in God's image as his co-operators, thus repeating the divine lordship over creation. This is further emphasized in other works that go beyond De servo arbitrio in finding Christology to be a key to the relationship between God and humans. Luther thus has an integrated understanding of all aspects of human life as the area of divine creation and should not be seen as a forerunner of a modern, secularized worldview. This role rather belongs to Erasmus, who insists that God stands idly by while humans make up their minds about how to live their lives.

Automated summary

This article argues against Roman-Catholic scholars' interpretation of Luther's emphasis on salvation as an exterior concept. By analyzing "De servo arbitrio," the author demonstrates that Luther's belief in the unconditionality of God's work does not contradict the idea that humans are created in God's image as co-creators. This challenges the view that Luther foreshadows a modern, secular worldview, with Erasmus being a more fitting candidate for this role.