Faith and Reason in Martin Luther

Abstract

Siegbert W. Becker explores Martin Luther’s paradoxical stance on reason, highlighting its dual role as both a divine gift and a spiritual adversary. Luther praised reason as essential for human life and logic, yet condemned its use in theological matters, calling it the “devil’s bride.” Becker situates Luther’s views within the rationalistic climate of the late Middle Ages, contrasting them with Aquinas’s natural theology. While Luther acknowledged the value of reason in secular and ethical domains, he insisted that faith is a divine gift, not a product of rational deduction. He rejected philosophical apologetics and analogical proofs, asserting that Scripture alone is the foundation of faith. Yet, Luther used reason to dismantle unbelief, arguing that enlightened reason serves faith. Becker concludes that Luther’s apologetic method rests entirely on Scripture, not human logic or experience, affirming sola Scriptura as the ultimate defense of Christian truth. Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).