The Sola behind the Solas: Martin Luther and The Unity and Future of the Five Solas of the Reformation

The five Solas of the Reformation have a complex history and remain sources not only of doctrinal coalition but conflict. This essay examines the traditional five Solas - sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria - as present in nascent form in the writings of Marti...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bender, Kimlyn J. 1969- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2019
In: The Evangelical quarterly
Year: 2019, Volume: 90, Issue: 2, Pages: 109-131
IxTheo Classification:KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance
KDD Protestant Church
NBF Christology
Further subjects:B sola gratia
B Scripture alone
B Martin Luther
B grace alone
B DOCTRINAL theology
B Reformation
B evangelical theology
B Sola Fide
B soli Deo gloria (faith alone
B Sola Scriptura
B Christ alone
B Christology
B Solus Christus
B Protestantism
B God's glory alone)
B Apologetics
B the five solas of the Reformation
B Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The five Solas of the Reformation have a complex history and remain sources not only of doctrinal coalition but conflict. This essay examines the traditional five Solas - sola fide, sola gratia, sola scriptura, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria - as present in nascent form in the writings of Martin Luther. While the technical terms themselves and their grouping are a later development, the incipient form of each sola is nevertheless evidenced in Luther's corpus of writing. Having surveyed their presence and inter-relationship in Luther's thought, the essay argues for the unity of the Solas and their continuing and valuable ability to express and articulate facets of the one revelatory and salvific economy of God, particularly when their function is seen not only as serving polemical ends of rejection and negation, but also and more beneficially outlining positive and properly ordered relations between faith and works, grace and gratitude, Scripture and tradition, Christ and the church, and God and the world. The essay concludes that if one of the Solas serves as the first among equals and the interpretive key to the others, it is that of Christ alone, and thus argues for a Christological interpretation of them all.
ISSN:2772-5472
Contains:Enthalten in: The Evangelical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/27725472-09002002