Lex Charitatis: A Juristic Disquisition on Law in the Theology of Martin Luther

This classic work by one of Europe's most respected twentieth-century legal minds tackles law through the eyes of Martin Luther. Johannes Heckel first reveals the basic features of Luther's doctrine of law in its totality, drawing from an overwhelming amount of material from all genres of Luther's writing. Heckel then considers how Luther viewed law as the framework for the existence of a Christian in this world. He develops a picture of Luther's position on law by grounding it in Luther's theology, arguing that his concept of natural law has to be understood in terms of the divine and the secular. Finally, Heckel shows the practicality of Luther's position by focusing on the places in which a Christian interacts with legality in this world -- church, marriage and family, and politics. / "When Johannes Heckel's Lex Charitatis appeared more than half a century ago it brought new clarity to the much disputed issue of Luther's understanding of the law and of God's governance of his created order. . . . Having Heckel's work in English will assist scholars and students alike in putting Luther's insights to use in the context of twenty-first-century problems." / -- Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary