Martin Luther’s Hermeneutic Turn in the Conception of the Iustitia Dei
Abstract
The fact that the doctrine of justification became the fundamental theological core of the Reformation and the Protestant tradition has been closely linked to the discovery of God’s justice as the event of salvation. This article explores the limits of the classical conceptions of righteousness that Martin Luther (1483-1546) encountered in his time, and the way in which the reading of the Epistle to the Romans led to a new understanding of iustitia Dei and, consequently, of justification by faith. By situating the Gospel as the interpretative key, there is an overcoming of the notions of justice inherited from the philosophical tradition to the extent that one returns to the biblical sources. This hermeneutical turn was much more than an anecdotal event; it represented a turning point not only for Luther’s work as a reformer, but also for the subsequent development of Protestant theology.Downloads
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