The Bondage of the Will: In Modern, Updated English

"The Bondage of the Will" by Martin Luther is a critical text in the history of Protestant theology and the Reformation movement. We have updated this timeless work into modern, updated English so you can understand exactly what Luther wrote nearly 500 years ago.

Written in 1525, this treatise was a response to the humanist scholar Desiderius Erasmus's work "On Free Will," which defended the idea that humans possess the ability to choose between good and evil, and thus have some control over their own salvation. In contrast, Luther's work asserts that human beings are incapable of achieving salvation through their own free will and are entirely dependent on God's grace. This concept is central to the doctrine of predestination, which holds that God has already determined the fate of each individual and that faith alone, rather than good works or personal merit, is the key to salvation.

Luther's arguments in "The Bondage of the Will" are grounded in his interpretation of biblical texts, particularly from the writings of the Apostle Paul. He contends that human nature is inherently sinful and corrupt, and that any apparent good deeds or moral choices are merely the result of God's grace working through the individual. In this view, free will is an illusion, as all human actions are ultimately determined by God's will. This perspective was highly controversial at the time, as it directly challenged the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which emphasized the importance of good works and personal merit in achieving salvation. Luther's treatise played a significant role in shaping the theological foundations of the Reformation movement, as well as influencing later Protestant thinkers such as John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards.About Martin LutherMartin Luther (1483-1546) was a German theologian, monk, and seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation, whose critiques of the Roman Catholic Church's practices and doctrines led to a schism within Western Christianity. His publication of the "Ninety-five Theses" in 1517, which condemned the selling of indulgences and called for reform, sparked widespread debate and ultimately resulted in his excommunication. Luther's translation of the Bible into vernacular German made the scriptures more accessible to the common people, and his emphasis on the doctrines of sola fide (faith alone) and sola scriptura (scripture alone) as the basis for salvation and religious authority, respectively, laid the groundwork for the development of various Protestant denominations. Throughout his life, Luther continued to write influential theological works, such as "The Bondage of the Will" and "The Small Catechism," which shaped the course of Christian thought and practice for centuries to come.