Dr. Giovanni Tortoriello: Scala Christus est. Reassessing the Historical Context of Martin Luther's Theology of the Cross

(NB: Wednesday): Dr. Giovanni Tortoriello: Scala Christus est. Reassessing the Historical Context of Martin Luther's Theology of the Cross

In 1518, in the famous Heidelberg Disputation, Martin Luther described himself as a “theologian of the cross” and harshly criticized those he called “theologians of glory.” This seemingly small event became the center of debate and confrontation for the next 500 years. The “theologians of glory” attacked by Luther in the Heidelberg Disputation are usually identified with Gabrel Biel and the Erfurt exponents of the via moderna. Challenging this academic consensus, I will attempt to demonstrate that Martin Luther’s theology of the cross developed in reaction to the irenic tendencies of the Renaissance. With the spread of Platonism, Hermeticism, and Kabbalah in the late fifteenth century, the identity of Christianity shifted and the boundaries between the different religions thinned. In response to this attempt to minimize the differences among the various religions, Luther reiterated the centrality and uniqueness of the salvific event of the cross. Confessional biases and theological prejudices have obliterated the role that Platonism, Hermeticism, and Christian Kabbalah played in the early Reformation debates.

Afternoon-seminar (we speak English, when the title is in English, if it is in Danish, the paper is in Danish and the language of the seminar is mixed)

All seminars can be followed over zoom: https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/7217059883?pwd=eUhEeENrSFRjNDFiZHNsMjQwOTJxUT09