Luther and the Church
This article by Martyn McGeown examines Martin Luther's ecclesiology (doctrine of the church), demonstrating how Luther defined the church as the spiritual body of Christ composed of believers rather than as a hierarchical papal institution. The author highlights both Luther's points of agreement and disagreement with other Reformers, particularly regarding sacraments, while acknowledging the challenge of systematizing Luther's scattered theological writings on the subject.
Reformed ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) treats the following topics: the nature of the church, the gathering of the church, the attributes and marks of the church, the power and government of the church, and the means of grace of the church. In his ecclesiology, Luther disagreed with the other Reformers on some matters (especially on the sacraments), but in the main points there is considerable unity. Luther was not a systematizer of doctrine. Unlike Calvin, he did not write an...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org