This is an excerpt from “Confession and Absolution” by John T. Pless in Common Places in Theology: A Curated Collection of Essays from Lutheran Quarterly, edited by Mark Mattes, (1517 Publishing 2023).
In part 3 of Gretchen Ronnevik's conversation with Amy Mantravadi, they discuss specifically the unusual marriage of Martin Luther and Katharaina Von Bora.
In this episode Gretchen Ronnevik talks with Amy Mantravadi about the monastic life, and in particular, the nunnery of Katharina Von Bora, before she escaped and married Martin Luther.
In this episode, Paulson discusses modern issues with the theology of the cross. A progressive form of theology attempts to attract human will by describing Christ's suffering on the cross as similar to ours.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these early Lutheran hymns – and their physical availability in hymnals – in the piety of common people living in Lutheran towns and territories.