FOLLOW US
Peace Education
Berlin Group Discusses Martin Luther and God
Written by Sigrun Botembe, UPF-Germany
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Berlin, Germany—A UPF discussion of Martin Luther and the Reformation was so interesting that it went on two hours longer than planned.
The program titled “500 Years Ago—Luther, Today—We: Looking at the Word of God—New Challenges, New Opportunities” was presented at the Berlin Bahá'í community center on September 30, 2017.
UPF members and guests from Hamburg and Berlin had a very enjoyable discussion about the Reformation—as it was in the past and how it is today.
The purpose was not to hear about Luther's life or his famous theses; these facts are well known to all. We wanted to know something more precise: How does God relate to humankind and vice versa? What kind of relationship did Martin Luther have with God?
Heinrich Krcek, a Catholic theologian from Austria, took as his starting point the various ways in which the word “credo” can be translated. Through this, he showed us how a relationship of trust between God and humankind, and especially between God and Luther, developed. Encouraged by the openness of our speaker and his easily understandable language, we asked many interesting questions and offered comments at the end of the presentation.
Sigrun Botembe, a teacher of ethics, talked about the era in which Luther lived. News events today are broadcast around the world within minutes. How much did Luther know about contemporary events? Although the new medium of the printing press helped, it cannot be compared with today’s information systems. What was happening in the world during Luther’s lifetime? Did these events influence and motivate him?
Ms. Botembe considered the enormous geographical discoveries, conflict with Islam, rivalries among the different European powers, the Inquisition, conditions in the Vatican, as well as other issues. At the end, we had a greater understanding of Luther as a child of his time.
Ulrich Ganz, a representative of UPF-Hamburg, gave the third presentation. He focused on the role of women and the family and expressed the opinion that the marriage between Luther and Katharina von Bora was a significant aspect of the Reformation. This brought us back to current issues, and we realized that reformation is an ongoing process in which all of us must engage.
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |
Related Articles
Albania
UPF-Albania Honors Ambassador for Peace on UN International Day of Peace
Peshkopi, Albania—One of the first Ambassadors for Peace was posthumously made an Honorary Citizen of the city.
Russia
Russian Peace Road Follows Poet’s Footsteps
Kazan, Russia—A small group of dedicated bicyclists traveled 120 kilometers in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan as a Peace Road event.
Estonia
UPF-Estonia Remembers UPF's Co-Founder
Tallinn, Estonia—Korean culture was part of the event honoring Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon.