Page 217 - Stati inu obstati, revija za vprašanja protestantizma, letnik XIV (2018), številka 27, ISSN 2590-9754
P. 217
SYNOPSES
UDC 274.5:17.035.1
Marko Kerševan
Luther’s/the Reformers’ “Copernican revolution”
in theology and the habitus of “modern man”
Luther’s “return to the pure gospel” acquired its most succinct theological formu-
lation with the four exclusive “only” phrases: sola gratia, solus Christus, sola fide, sola
Scriptura, which need to be read and interpreted as interconnected. This means dif-
ferent connections are possible, leading to different emphases and different outcomes.
Here I restrict myself to only some of these emphases and outcomes, which led to the
“Copernican revolution” in the understanding of the Christian faith. The first aspect of
this revolution was the emphasis on the person/believer as an individual, on his inner
faith and freedom in the face of all external ecclesiastical and social authority. The sec-
ond point is the believer’s orientation towards secular activity: the Christian religion is
no longer “productively” directed in its actions towards the next world and redemption;
the only sphere for the believer’s endeavours and productivity is secular activity – work
and/as a profession – in which he tests the reality of his faith and his gratitude for salva-
tion. Radicalized Christocentricity directed him to renounce the expectation that God
as an exalted power will intervene in a person’s worldly problems and remove them. In
this world a person is independent and responsible for himself.
These features are in keeping with individualism, this world’s concentration on
work/production and consumerism, and secularity, as characteristics of the “forma
mentis”, “spirit” (Weber, Troeltsch), “habitus” (Bourdieu) “of modern man”. Indisput-
ably these features contributed to their realization in the context of other modernizing
processes and factors: as their support, stimulus and also possibly alibi. Can the Refor-
mation mentality contribute today – not to an unrealistic and undesirable removal, but
– to a reformation of contemporary individualism, of the production/consumerism ori-
215
UDC 274.5:17.035.1
Marko Kerševan
Luther’s/the Reformers’ “Copernican revolution”
in theology and the habitus of “modern man”
Luther’s “return to the pure gospel” acquired its most succinct theological formu-
lation with the four exclusive “only” phrases: sola gratia, solus Christus, sola fide, sola
Scriptura, which need to be read and interpreted as interconnected. This means dif-
ferent connections are possible, leading to different emphases and different outcomes.
Here I restrict myself to only some of these emphases and outcomes, which led to the
“Copernican revolution” in the understanding of the Christian faith. The first aspect of
this revolution was the emphasis on the person/believer as an individual, on his inner
faith and freedom in the face of all external ecclesiastical and social authority. The sec-
ond point is the believer’s orientation towards secular activity: the Christian religion is
no longer “productively” directed in its actions towards the next world and redemption;
the only sphere for the believer’s endeavours and productivity is secular activity – work
and/as a profession – in which he tests the reality of his faith and his gratitude for salva-
tion. Radicalized Christocentricity directed him to renounce the expectation that God
as an exalted power will intervene in a person’s worldly problems and remove them. In
this world a person is independent and responsible for himself.
These features are in keeping with individualism, this world’s concentration on
work/production and consumerism, and secularity, as characteristics of the “forma
mentis”, “spirit” (Weber, Troeltsch), “habitus” (Bourdieu) “of modern man”. Indisput-
ably these features contributed to their realization in the context of other modernizing
processes and factors: as their support, stimulus and also possibly alibi. Can the Refor-
mation mentality contribute today – not to an unrealistic and undesirable removal, but
– to a reformation of contemporary individualism, of the production/consumerism ori-
215
