Music in Martin Luther’s Theology

Before we begin to undertake this study, first, I would like to pose one simple question: why examine this topic: Music in Martin Luther’s Theology? The answer is that I was a musician who made a life-changing decision to leave this career in order to pursue God’s calling into ministry. And in my theological study in recent years I have become fascinated by Reformation history, especially by the life and work of Luther, who propagated the doctrine of justification through faith alone, and who dared to write and publish the 95 theses that changed the course of world history. Moreover, I was also interested in Luther’s Anfechtung, especially in his personal encounter with the devil, which in his case explains why he valued music more highly than some of the other reformers did. It is, therefore this combined interest in Luther’s theology and my passion for music which have strongly influenced my decision to integrate both subjects into the present study. My interest soon grew as I saw that the research centered on Luther’s thoughts about music have developed and flourished recently.