Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) [Paperback]

John Calvin (Author), Martin Luther (Author), Harro Höpfl (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0521349869 | ISBN-13: 978-0521349864

This volume contains new, unabridged translations of Luther's On Secular Authority and Calvin's On Civil Government. These works represent the authors' attempts to balance their commitments to the maintenance of order in Church and polity on the one hand, and the overriding imperative of uncompromising obedience to the will of God as revealed in Scripture on the other. The book is intended to be readily intelligible to students and nonspecialists, but precise enough for scholars. The introduction relates the works to the thought and activities of their authors, and a glossary, chronology and bibliography are also provided.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dr Höpfl has provided his readers with an excellent translation of two seminal reformation texts realting to secular authroity ... It deserves to become a standard text for any concerned with sixteenth-century political thought.' Journal of Theological Studies

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German, Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 27, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521349869
• ISBN-13: 978-0521349864
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Latin

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not exhaustive, but useful and well translated, June 5, 2002

By 

Mark Bell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) (Paperback)

As with all of these Cambridge "Political Writings" series, this book is perhaps better title "Essential Political Writings" or "Basic Political Writings", for it is far far from comprehensive, in fact it contains only a chapter of one of Calvin's "Institutes" and a small piece by Luther. Yet as is also the case with this Cambridge series, it is an excellent translation with a very good introduction. This is a very useful text and is as essential for academics as it is fascinating for the generally curious. Highly recommended, as long as the buyer does not believe it is a one-stop-shop for the "secular" (whatever that word means in then 16th century) thought of these two reformers with regard to government.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Comparison of two views on the relationship of Church and State, April 16, 2010

By 

Bror Erickson "Your Brother in Christ" (Tooele Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) (Paperback)

This book deserves a couple of reads. Serious theologians, pastors, political parishioners can all benefit from a careful reading of this book. Today with the religious right, and secularists battling it out in every political campaign, a culture war doing the culture more harm than good from both sides, this book needs to be read more.
For the most part, aside from some commentary you have Luther's writings and Calvin's writings on both sides. Tricky is to see the subtle difference that becomes profound in practice. Luther says that there are two authorities to which all CHRISTIANS are subject. Calvin starts his treatise saying that all men are subject to both these same authorities. This makes a profound difference in what the church is and what the state is. For Luther the church is about the gospel proclaiming the forgiveness of sins, and the only people that are subject to whatever authority it has are Christians who have been won for Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. They willfully follow the churches teachings concerning morality, and subject themselves to the forgiveness of sins. The two authorities are the church and state. Christians don't need the state to tell them to do good, in so far as they are Christian, but saint and sinner, as they are the state will need to curb the activity even of Christians at times for the good of society.
However, the state is about enforcing laws and keeping peace. To this end all people need be subject to it. The state can't afford to forgive sins, or confuse its role with that of the church. To the state has been entrusted the sword, and it isn't for good looks.
Calvin though would confuse this by making all people subject to both the church and the state, there may as well be only one authority then. And sadly as Calvin's Geneva showed this becomes the case. Rather than being about the forgiveness of sins, the church becomes a persecutor, another arm of the state enforcing man made laws in the name of Christ.
This book does much to show the differences between the two men. Luther was not a Calvinist.