The Significance of the Glory of Christ in the Thought of Martin Luther from the Late Medieval Perspective

In this study, we first briefly survey the late medieval thought that fell short of the glory of Christ, focusing on the sources and methods, the person and the work of Christ, and the theology of glory (scholasticism). At the heart of the problems with the late medieval theology is its anthropocentric doctrines of Revelation, Christology, and Soteriology that displaced the authority of Christ by the church and its tradition, the office of Christ by the Pope, Mary, and the saints, the work of Christ by human virtues/merits, the Word of the cross by scholastic thought, covering up the glory of Christ. We then historically and systematically examine the thought of Luther, how he restored the theocentric doctrines of Christ by exalting sola Scriptura (sovereign authority of Scripture), solus Christus (His exclusive identity and all-sufficient work), sola fide (justification by faith alone), and sola gratia (through grace alone) from the perspectives of the sources and methods, the person and the work of Christ, and the theology of the cross. Luther profoundly deepened the doctrines of the Word of God, justification by faith, the nature of sin, and the cross. We show that the glory of Christ plays a central role in his thought, which had a significant impact on the Reformation, for the church to recover the Word, the way, the glory of Christ, and to counter the unbiblical doctrines, teachings, and practices based on human reason, speculations, and works in the late Middle Ages.