Atola Longkumer
500 years ago, in Wittenberg, Germany, Martin Luther, a professor of the Bible, nailed 95 theses at the door of the church. It was October 31, 1517. This momentous action set off in motion seismic changes across Europe, in the history of Christianity and invariably in the world. Luther’s 95 Theses were prepared as arguments against existing teachings and practices of the church in the sixteenth century. While historians debate whether the 95 Theses were really nailed to the door of Wittenberg’s church, Luther’s 95 Theses surely triggered revolutions, schisms, and ushered in modern Europe from its medieval captivity. It set in motion the Reformation and multiple reformations within Christianity and European history, consequently the modern world.
Luther’s study of the Bible as a professor unlocked new understanding and interpretation of God’s grace and humanity’s salvation. The new understanding was radically different from the existing teaching of the church. Against the practice of selling of the indulgence certificates, Luther prepared his disputation that human justification could not be bought by human efforts such as good works or money or indulgence but by God’s grace alone and received solely by faith. The keywords that undergirded the Reformation and its many forms are the famous Latin phrases: Sola gratia, Sola fide, Sola scriptura (grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone). While Luther remains the central figure for the beginnings of the sixteenth century Reformation, there were many others who were his companions, conversations partners, and interlocutors, whose interpretations and renderings of the Bible were as critically important to the reforms that were initiated. Some of the important contributors to the Reformation and its seismic changes were: Philip Melanchthon, Katharine von Bora, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin among many others.
The disputations prepared by Luther against the existing teachings and practices deeply challenged the church in Rome. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor summoned Luther at the Diet of Worms (a town near Frankfurt) in 1521, it was here the famous speech of Luther – “Here I Stand” – was given in defence of his new interpretations about the church and God’s grace for human salvation:
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. God help me. Amen.” (according to historians, the phrase “Here I stand” is a later addition)
By refusing to recant his new interpretations of the Bible, Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1521. To simplify the many events and centuries long history this act set in motion, the excommunication of Luther and the subsequent events began the parting of the church into Roman Church and the Protestants – the rubric term given to the variety of Christian groups that held on to the basic teaching of Luther – salvation by God’s grace alone as opposed to good works or the church as encapsulated in the Latin phrase: extra ecclessiam nulla salus (outside the church there is no salvation). In more than one way, seeds of the ideas for western civilization post-medieval period were sown in the Reformation that Luther’s disputation provoked. Individual freedom, hymn singing in the church (and therefore the stirring cantatas and oratorias of J.S. Bach, F Handel have their roots in the church music Luther started), translation of the Bible into vernacular languages, relationship between state and religion, rule of law, and mass education all trace their beginnings to the reforms Luther initiated.
500 years of the Reformation is celebrated this year. Germany leads the global community in hosting the many memorable events on the occasion of the 500 years anniversary and has organised year long celebrations with variety of events: seminars, academic consultations, concerts, pilgrimages, museum exhibitions, church gatherings, and worship. There are even special offers for tourists and visitors to Germany this year. (www.luther2017.de)
Among the many events, is the historic ecumenical worship jointly celebrated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman Catholic Church in 31 October 2016, in Lund, Sweden. Together with the prayer and worship, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Roman Catholic Church jointly produced a dialogue report titled: “From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017.” The joint report is a call to work towards healing of divisions and coming together in the common witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.
The commemoration of the 500 Years of the Reformation is an opportune time to reflect on many levels the diverse issues in global affairs as well as ecclesiastical matters and at local levels. 500 years of the Reformation might not mean much to many Nagas, although, ironically the indelible fact that the Nagas are Christians – mostly of the Protestants stripe – education, bibles in vernacular languages, and even the idea of nation states have their roots in the sixteenth century Reformation and its multifaceted ideas. There is much to reflect on and participate in the momentum of dialogue between divided traditions and some basic notions of being church and Christians.
Particularly the role of money and power in the church and society can be given some deep reflections to draw up reforms in our society and church. A basic critique of the sixteenth century Reformation was against the existing teaching of the church that salvation could be bought by money and good works. In an interesting way, this kind of theological understanding might be operational today in many Naga churches and Christians. Some of the perceived practices in many Naga churches: the relationship between giving large amount of money to the church and the recognition bestowed upon the donor of such amount; the lay leadership of church that is drawn from individuals perceived as powerful; the importance given to state bureaucrats and politicians, have tendency to be read as a acceptance by the church based on money power and political influence. Is there a theology that is operating on the premise that giving money to the church would nullify the wrong doing, such as the stealing of money that is meant for development and the welfare of the poor?
It is significant that the historic protest rally against the corruption in Nagaland took place in the 2017, the 500th year of the Reformation. False security in wealth, hypocrisy of good works in lieu of clean and ethical practices need be denounced. Rituals such as regular church attendance, giving large amount (disproportionate to one’s honest income) cannot take the place of honesty, integrity, compassion and above all love of God.
Materialisms that have seeped into the church today: opulence, wastefulness, extravagance in pulpit decors, money power, and clergy detachment from the people were the same evils that existed at the dawn of the Reformation in the sixteenth century.
In the 500th year of the Reformation, an appreciation of the Reformation in the sixteenth century will be an opportune time for the pressing reforms needed in Naga church and society today.
