Martin Luther (1483-1546) has always been a controversial figure. For hundreds of years Luther has been loved or hated. The Catholic church of the Reformation era tried to kill him and political rulers sought to silence him. He was viewed as a heretic both by the Roman Catholics and the Radical Reformers. Luther himself was a brash, outspoken German prone to colorful outbursts and abusive language. His vernacular alone was potent enough to secure the hatred of many.
Yet to most Protestants Luther is rightly viewed as the bold reformer who stood up to the corruption of the Church--both in terms of its morality and doctrine. While his language could be colorful and abusive, it could also be warm and pastoral. The same fire that burns flesh also warms hearts.
Now it seems Pope Benedict XVI is seeking to unite the lovers and haters of Luther. A recent news story reports that Benedict will gather with a group of Catholic theologians in September 2008 where he will argue that Martin Luther wasn't actually a heretic after all. One of those theologians, Cardinal Kasper, said: “We have much to learn from Luther, beginning with the importance he attached to the word of God.” Luther challenged the authority of the papacy by holding that the Bible is the sole source of religious authority. In his own time, Luther was declared a heretic, (see the papal bull issued by Pope Leo X) who was simply a "druken German" who would "change his mind when sober”.
Many Protestants will no doubt welcome Rome's reassessment of Martin Luther. The spirit of dialogue between Catholics and Protestants (most specifically Evangelicals) is an important and historic development. Those who oppose this dialogue quickly forget that Martin Luther yearned for such opportunities, though he never received them.
No, dialogue between Catholics and Evangelicals is essential and non-negotiable. But because it is so important, it is also so dangerous. The danger is the contemporary tendency to trivialize the substantive. As they embrace the more general and non-controversial elements of Luther's ideas (e.g. the importance of Scripture), the Catholic Church will most certainly ignore the key differences. Thus, many Catholics and Protestants will claim that the differences of the groups have moved closer to resolution where in reality they have simply been obscured.
Prayer for dialogue, but pray for genuine dialogue.
Ecumenism is a sign not that our differences are growing smaller, but that our discernment of what those differences were is lacking. Rome is no less a false church today than it was in 1517, but we have lost our hold on the Word of God and are far too easily led astray.
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