African Plume

“Five Hundred and Nine Years Later, the Problem Remains” By Akin Ojumu In Part III of this commentary, we examined the final thirty-three of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, particularly the questions that exposed the theological inconsistencies, financial exploitation, and moral contradictions underlying the sale of indulgences. Luther insisted that religious authority must be subjected to theological scrutiny and that uncomfortable questions must be answered with sound arguments rather than suppressed through intimidation. That was October 31, 1517. Here we are, 509 years later, and the fundamental problem has not disappeared. The names have changed. The religious institutions have changed. The theological vocabulary has changed. The merchandise has changed. But the temptation to elevate religious personalities above theological scrutiny remains alive and well. THE MODERN MERCHANTS OF SUPERNATURAL POWER In some contemporary Christian circles, the sale of indulgence certificates ha...

“When Asking Questions Becomes an Act of Rebellion” By Akin Ojumu In Parts I and II of this commentary, we examined the first sixty-two of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, issued on October 31, 1517. We saw how Luther challenged the theological claims of indulgence preachers, questioned the limits of papal authority, condemned the financial exploitation of ordinary Christians, and insisted that the true treasure of the Church is the Gospel of God's grace. In Thesis 62, Luther made a declaration that cut through the entire controversy: “The true treasure of the Church is the most holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” Not the wealth of the papacy. Not the magnificence of St. Peter’s Basilica. Not indulgence certificates. Not the supposed power of religious officials to dispense spiritual benefits. The Gospel. But Luther was not finished. In the remaining thirty-three theses, he confronted the scandal of indulgence preaching even more forcefully. And then he posed a series of...

“When the Church Turned God’s Grace Into a Money-Making Enterprise” By Akin Ojumu In Part I of this commentary, we examined the first thirty-one of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, issued on October 31, 1517. We saw how an inconsequential Augustinian monk and professor of theology began questioning the extravagant claims being made by indulgence preachers within the Roman Catholic Church. Luther wanted to know how ecclesiastical officials could claim authority to remit penalties, deliver souls from purgatory, and dispense spiritual benefits in ways that appeared to exceed the authority granted to them. But the controversy was about much more than the theological limits of papal authority. It was also about money. Lots of money. At the heart of the controversy was a religious system in which spiritual privileges had become closely associated with financial contributions. Ordinary people were being persuaded to part with their money in exchange for promises of spiritual benefits, incl...