Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history. On this episode we're

visiting again with our friend Dr. Carl Truman. We had him a few episodes back and

I think then we stuck him on a deserted island. We'll try to be a little more kind

to him on this episode and we'll talk about

our mutual distant friend Martin Luther. One of Luther's crucial texts is known as the

28 Theses or the Theses for the Disputation at Heidelberg.

It's a text from April of 1518.

It's very crucial to understanding Luther and it's a text that Dr. Truman has spent a lot of time

with and Dr. Truman it's a pleasure to have you back in the studio with us.

Why is this an important text?

The 28 Theses are a crucial text for Luther for a number of reasons.

First, they're really his first opportunity to

showcase his new theology after the crisis of 1517. The end of October 1517

publishes his more famous in some ways 95 Theses against indulgences.

The text is a relatively dry text. The amazing thing is that the 95 Theses becomes the rallying cry for what will become the German reformation. 5 The he's left relatively free and so in April 1518 he travels to Heidelberg for a regular chapter meeting of the Augustinian order to which he belongs and he presides over a debate where he has written the the theses to be debated the debates actually

led by man called Leonard Byer but Luther wrote the theses that are to be

disputed at this chapter meeting and it's the first time that he gets to showcase the theology that underlies the protest of October 1517.

1517 is very much focused on indulgences.

At this point he gets to point and the more theological... 17 is very much focused on indulgences.

This point he gets to point

to the more theological foundations of that protest.

So the first thing we need to see here

...