Doth Protest

Doth Protest Doth Protest is a podcast on how the theology of the 16th century Reformers can inform us today.
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from Luther’s Commentary on Galatians (the best writing in history after the Bible, if you ask one of our hosts)
01/10/2024

from Luther’s Commentary on Galatians (the best writing in history after the Bible, if you ask one of our hosts)

07/09/2024

Such a helpful explanation

This meme is so good
30/07/2024

This meme is so good

The scholarly way
05/07/2024

The scholarly way

“We must be cautious..”
04/07/2024

“We must be cautious..”

25/06/2024

Today, Lutheran churches around the world celebrate the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession.

The image below is of the Kasendorf Konfessionsbild (plural: Konfessionsbilder; literally "confessional image") that hangs in the Johanneskirche in Kasendorf, Upper Franconia, Germany. The Konfessionsbild was a genre of allegorical paintings popular among Lutherans during the 16th through 18th centuries. These images featured allegorical depictions of the Lutheran faith—Christ crucified, the sacraments, etc.—in simultaneous, layered tableaux occuring within a church, often alongside a sort of transported Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. Some also depict, interestingly, Calvinists being run out of the Lutheran church, especially those Konfessionsbilder that were made after the contentious debates (not to mention actual violence) between the Lutherans and the Calvinists in the later 16th and 17th centuries.

The Kasendorf Konfessionsbild was painted in 1602 in the workshop of the Nuremberg painter Andreas Herrneisen (1538-1610). In this image, we see the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession occuring front and center. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V sits at left, and in the middle foreground stands Saxon Elector Frederick the Wise with the Augsburg Confession. Behind him stand the German princes who signed the Confession. (Those of you who read our post last week may note that this is not strictly-speaking an accurate depiction of the events of the Diet of Augsburg. This painting, however, is not intended to be a historical document, but rather a symbolic representation of the significance of the event.) In the church behind them, multiple things are occuring at once: Christ on the cross hangs above a celebration of the Lord's Supper, with what appears to be Melanchthon (left) and Luther (right) communing laypeople in both kinds, while a representation of the Father and the Holy Spirit hover above all. Under the altar, a divine foot crushes the head of the serpent—and on the altar cloth is written the names of various heretics and false teachers, including the pope, Karlstadt, Zwingli, Calvin, and Beza, among others.

To the left, an infant baptism takes place while a pastor preaches, and it appears that confession and absolution may be taking place behind them, to the extreme left. To the right, catechesis is underway, as is a wedding, while a choir and the organist give praise to God. Alms, good works, and prayer abound throughout the background, and it appears that a man is either throwing out or preventing the entry of a devil in the upper portion of the image.

Images like this were incredibly important as the Lutheran church developed independently of both the Roman Catholic Church and other Protestant groups. These metaphorical images helped to convey complex concepts to a population that still struggled with literacy, especially the level needed to read and comprehend a document like the Augsburg Confession. Significant historical moments were joined to the major tenets of the faith in a way that anybody could understand. These were very intentionally didactic paintings: if you zoom in, you might be able to see the small explanatory script that festoons nearly the entire painting.

Though our methods of teaching the faith may have changed, today is still the perfect day to reflect on the tenants of our faith that inspired men like Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, and Frederick the Wise to risk life and limb. It can be easy to take much of our Lutheran faith for granted: of course it's all about Jesus, of course it's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, of course baptism is for the remission of sins, of course communion (bread AND wine) delivers Christ's good gifts. But all of these core tenants of our faith had to be defended in documents and events like the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession. We give thanks to God today and every day for God's good gift of right teaching and the human means through which He has passed down that good teaching to us.

--
We pray:

Lord God, heavenly Father, You preserved the teaching of the apostolic Church through the confession of the true faith at Augsburg. Continue to cast the bright beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed by the doctrine of the blessed apostles, may walk in the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (Treasury of Daily Prayer).

--
Below are some additional resources, as well as sources that we utilized in the creation of this post, that you may find interesting.

You can read more about the Konfessionsbild featured in this post on the (German-language) Johanneskirche website here:
Page 1: http://www.landschaftsmuseum.de/Seiten/Heimatpf/Konfessionsbild-1.htm
Page 2:
http://www.landschaftsmuseum.de/Seiten/Heimatpf/Konfessionsbild-2.htm

For a general overview of Konfessionsbild, you can check out the (German-language) Wikipedia entry on the subject:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konfessionsbild

Learn about the importance of the Augsburg Confession for us as Lutherans:
https://resources.lcms.org/history/the-presentation-of-the-augsburg-confession/

And also about the sources for the Augsburg Confession:
https://resources.lcms.org/history/sources-of-the-augsburg-confession/

Read the appointed readings and prayers for The Commemoration of the Augsburg Confession:
https://files.lcms.org/file/preview/augsburg-confession-propers-pdf?_gl=1*123880s*_ga*MTkwNjkxNDY5Ni4xNzE0OTYwNjIy*_ga_Z0184DBP2L*MTcxODQ4MjY1MS4yNS4xLjE3MTg0ODI3NDkuMC4wLjA.

Image source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kasendorf_St.Johannes_Gem%C3%A4lde_Augsburger_Konfession_041298.jpg

13/06/2024

Happy Anniversary to Martin and Katie Luther!

June 13, 1525 was definitely a day for the history books. Martin Luther and Catherine von Bora were married at the Black Cloister in Wittenberg, Germany. As was the custom at that time, they were married on a Tuesday. Only a few very select guests were present. Johannes Bugenhagen, who was the local parish pastor, officiated. Lawyer Johann Apel served as the official witness for the University of Wittenberg. Justus Jonas was Luther’s good friend and the Castle provost. Lucas Cranach and his wife Barbara served as representatives of the city council and may have stood in Katie’s parents’ place. It was Martin’s hope that not publicizing the wedding would keep nasty rumors to a minimum. Unfortunately, the secrecy only heightened the wild speculations about Martin and Katie’s relationship. A more formal public ceremony and celebration would be held in two week’s time.

The painting is “Luther’s Wedding” by Konrad Weigand

-Rebecca DeGarmeaux

Listening back on our episode from Fall “Luther at the Movies”, Drew accidentally says “Electric Frederick” (about 39 mi...
19/05/2024

Listening back on our episode from Fall “Luther at the Movies”, Drew accidentally says “Electric Frederick” (about 39 minutes in) and nobody caught it. 😆

06/02/2024
Which do you like better, the 1953 or 2003 Luther movie? In observance of Reformation Day, hosts Andrew and James along ...
31/10/2023

Which do you like better, the 1953 or 2003 Luther movie? In observance of Reformation Day, hosts Andrew and James along with friend of the show Kyle Tomlin go over movies made about Luther in the latest episode, and which of the two versions they each prefer. (Andrew then goes over lesser known movies about Luther made as far back as 1911!) Link to the episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doth-protest-too-much/id1549751430?i=1000633157477

In the latest episode: "Evangelism is for Me", Rev. Andrew reflects upon the fantastic recent conference for Evangelical...
27/10/2021

In the latest episode: "Evangelism is for Me", Rev. Andrew reflects upon the fantastic recent conference for Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion - USA
Listed at anchor.fm/dothprotest

Doth Protest Too Much is now hosted by Anchor.Our new website: anchor.fm/dothprotest
24/10/2021

Doth Protest Too Much is now hosted by Anchor.
Our new website: anchor.fm/dothprotest

24/10/2021
Our latest episode can now be listened to on YouTube:"Apocalypse Soon: Martin Luther and the Book of Revelation"https://...
24/10/2021

Our latest episode can now be listened to on YouTube:
"Apocalypse Soon: Martin Luther and the Book of Revelation"

https://youtu.be/MAU9kKY_uFA

This episode from the podcast Doth Protest Too Much is about Martin Luther and his interpretation of the Book of Revelation (or John's Apocalypse). Tune in t...

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