Augustine with a Twist: The Similarities and Differences of the Political and Theological Ideas of Augustine and Luther Jessica Hindman

Martin Luther, one of the foremost leaders of the Protestant Reformation, sought to reject much of the doctrine and authority of the Catholic Church, yet many of his theological and political ideas are extremely reflective of the Catholic luminary St. Augustine. While major differences do exist between Augustine and Luther in some areas, especially the areas of the authority of kings and nobles over peasants and slaves, most of Luther's arguments can be linked to Augustine's in some way or another. Some areas in which the two men greatly agree include their thoughts on the existence of false Christians (i.e. sinners who masquerade under the title of Christians), and their assertions that wars bring unnecessary misery to life. Even though each author discusses these themes in different ways and for different reasons, including different aspects and examples of the idea, the premises for each author's arguments on these ideas are similar. Some topics written upon by Luther that are somewhat, though not entirely, similar to Augustine's ideas include Luther's assertions that true Christians do not necessitate temporal law yet thrive in it, and Luther's insistence that man must abide by both temporal and...