The seeds for a new Reformation in an afterlife conversation.

Martin Luther and Pope Leo X awake in the afterlife. It is 2017, and they have been asleep since the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in 1517, the imagined execution of Luther, and the death of Leo in a strange accident. To their mutual chagrin not only does each discover the other face-to-face in “heaven,” but they learn that by divine decree they are roomed together indefinitely. The pope’s first reaction to the news is that this is his purgatory for the sins of the Medicis. Luther despairs that he is in hell: “It was works after all,” he surmises. Discussing the key issues that divided Catholics and Protestants and birthed a Reformation 500 years ago, Hinlicky creates an imaginary reconciliation in heaven between Martin Luther and Pope Leo X, who work through the controversies that divided them in their historical encounter. They even get a little help from John Wesley. In this book, Luther and Leo become the creative instruments of a renewed commitment to Protestant-Catholic ecumenical reconciliation (as signaled by the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church in 1999). "What an imagination! Paul Hinlicky goes to the heart of the tragic beauty of the Lutheran movement. And along the way he invites us to reimagine the way the gospel is calling us to faith and hope right now. What an extraordinary book!" —Richard Graham, Bishop, Metropolitan Washington, DC Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America “A fascinating thought experiment into how Martin Luther and Pope Leo might be forced to confront their differences, air their grievances, and inch toward reconciliation. Hinlicky sets up the purgatory scenes with illuminating historical backdrops that help us better understand each man’s motivations for his words and actions. As we appreciate more fully their views and their flaws, finding space for shared convictions becomes possible.” —Deanna A. Thompson, Professor of Religion, Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN; author, The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World (Abingdon Press) “Hinlicky’s imaginative construction of dialogue between Luther and Leo X bound together in purgatory is at once thoroughly engaging, theologically clarifying, and frequently amusing. The book should be of great interest to those who continue to be scandalized by the divisions in Christ’s body, especially as it suggests ways to reinvigorate the ecumenical conversation.” —Fritz Oehlschlaeger, Emeritus Professor of English, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA “Imaging a conversation between Martin Luther and Pope Leo in purgatory, Paul Hinlicky weaves together history and theology to tell the story of the progress made in ecumenical relations since Vatican II. Playful yet profound, the book brims with theological insight!” - Lois Malcolm, Professor of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

A study of Martin Luther and Pope Leo X.

Did Martin Luther wield his hammer on the Wittenberg church door on October 31, 1517? Did he even post the Ninety-five Theses at all? This collection of documents sheds light on the debate surrounding Luther's actions and the timing of his writing and his request for a disputation on the indulgence issue. The primary documents in this book include the theses, their companion sermon ("A Sermon on Indulgence and Grace", 1518), a chronoloical arrangement of letters pertinent to the theses, and selections from Luther's Table Talk that address the Ninety-five Theses. A final section contains Luther's recollections, which offer today's reader the reformer's own views of the Reformation and the Ninety-five Theses.

The Freedom of the Christian was Martin Luther's first public defense of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith on account of Christ alone. Luther's explosive rediscovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shattered the Church of Rome's foundation of works, which considered good works a part of salvation instead of a result of it. Here, Luther constructed a rich theology that relies on the full power of the Gospel, which not only grants saving faith but also nurtures that faith through good works done in the freest service. This new abridged translation from Adam Francisco, featuring a brief essay from Scott Keith, leaves no doubt that the Christian, secure in Christ, is truly free—free from sin, death, and the devil, and free to serve their neighbor.

We live in a wired world where 24/7 digital connectivity is increasingly the norm. Christian megachurch communities often embrace this reality wholeheartedly while more traditional churches often seem hesitant and overwhelmed by the need for an interactive website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. This book accepts digital connectivity as our reality, but presents a vision of how faith communities can utilize technology to better be the body of Christ to those who are hurting while also helping followers of Christ think critically about the limits of our digital attachments. This book begins with a conversion story of a non-cell phone owning, non-Facebook using religion professor judgmental of the ability of digital tools to enhance relationships. A stage IV cancer diagnosis later, in the midst of being held up by virtual communities of support, a conversion occurs: this religion professor benefits in embodied ways from virtual sources and wants to convert others to the reality that the body of Christ can and does exist virtually and makes embodied difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The book neither uncritically embraces nor rejects the constant digital connectivity present in our lives. Rather it calls on the church to a) recognize ways in which digital social networks already enact the virtual body of Christ; b) tap into and expand how Christ is being experienced virtually; c) embrace thoughtfully the material effects of our new augmented reality, and c) influence utilization of technology that minimizes distraction and maximizes attentiveness toward God and the world God loves.