Edinburgh Research Archive logo

Edinburgh Research Archive

University of Edinburgh homecrest
View Item 
  •   ERA Home
  • Divinity, School of
  • Divinity thesis and dissertation collection
  • View Item
  •   ERA Home
  • Divinity, School of
  • Divinity thesis and dissertation collection
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Iustitia Christi and Iustitia Civilis in Lutheran ethical theory from 1840 to 1960

View/Open
WilliamsGA_1967redux.pdf (39.09Mb)
Date
1967
Author
Williams, George Arthur
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
 
 
The concept of iustitia Christi and iustitia civilis is one which appears to have had relevance for Lutheran ethical theory since the time of Martin Luther himself. In this thesis it will be my task to investigate this concept in order to ascertain what that relevance might be. In order to do this I have chosen to survey this concept in the writings of five theologians.
 
I will begin in my first chapter to investigate the interpretation which Martin Luther gave to this concept in order to be able to see what relationship, if any, the later theologians bore to him. As such, this first chapter really will serve as a general introduction for the entire thesis.
 
In the second chapter I will study the work of Friedrich Schleiermacher who, although not a Lutheran, must be included in this work for three reasons. First, we must study his writings because of the impact and the challenge which he made not only upon Reformed theology, but upon Lutheran theology as well. Second, we must study his work because he himself considered there to be no theological reason for a distinction to exist between the Reformed and Lutheran communions. Third, we must include Schleiermacher because of the Present situation that exists in Lutheran ethical theory which finds theologians more and more returning to his work in order better to understand what the relationships between the disciplines of Christian ethics and philosophical ethics might be. The fact that by the year 1840 Schleiermacher had published his finest works and making his ideas felt is the reason that I have selected this date as my first time limitation, notwithstanding the Luther chapter, which, as I said, serves as an introduction to the concept.
 
In the third chapter I will turn to the writings of Ernst Troeltsch. With Troeltsch my study enters the twentieth century.
 
In the fourth chapter I will pursue my study of the iustitia concept in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
 
Chapter five will be an investigation of the position taken by Helmut Thielieke. It is with Thielickeos works that I will conclude this study, hence, I have chosen the date 1960 as a general limitation for this thesis, not to signify the literal cessation of Thielicke's theological output , but in order to gain a sharpness and compactness by such a limitation. As such, the range of this thesis includes the first half of the nineteenth century and the second half of the twentieth.
 
It will not be my purpose to go into groat detail concerning the major features of the theologies of each man. This would be pointless in view of the purpose of the thesis. What we will be looking for in each case is how the theologian relates the two iustitias to each other and what result this has for his ethical formulations. We will also be looking to see what features are carried forward and incorporated into the theologies of the later theologians and which ones are disposed of.
 
I will allow the theologians themselves to speak as often as possible and, where not possible, to paraphrase their ideas. Except where good English language translations exist, especially in the cases of Luther and Schleiermacher, the translations are my own.
 
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1842/34444
Collections
  • Divinity thesis and dissertation collection

Library & University Collections HomeUniversity of Edinburgh Information Services Home
Privacy & Cookies | Takedown Policy | Accessibility | Contact
Privacy & Cookies
Takedown Policy
Accessibility
Contact
feed RSS Feeds

RSS Feed not available for this page

 

 

All of ERACommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsPublication TypeSponsorSupervisorsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsPublication TypeSponsorSupervisors
LoginRegister

Library & University Collections HomeUniversity of Edinburgh Information Services Home
Privacy & Cookies | Takedown Policy | Accessibility | Contact
Privacy & Cookies
Takedown Policy
Accessibility
Contact
feed RSS Feeds

RSS Feed not available for this page