Мястото на добрите дела в Лутеровото учение за servum arbitrium
The Place of the Good Deeds in Luther's Teaching about Servum Arbitrium

Summary/Abstract: By referring to two of M. Luther's major works, the following article makes an attempt on the question, whether Luther's teaching of servum arbitrium ("the enslaved will") can and should be possibly considered as a denial of the need of good works and merits. The text is divided into several sections: (1) the main problem is introduced by turning to one originally Augustinian idea of the Fall as cause of evil in the world; (2) the main points of Luther's teaching of servum arbitrium are considered by following the contents of De servo arbitrio and the history of the controversy between Erasmus and Luther from 1524 - 1525; (3) in the point of view of both traditional contemporary catholic interpretation, it is asked whether the Lutheran idea of servum arbitrium denies the need of merits and good works. A negative answer to that question is given and proved by referring to the idea of the outer man from Luther's major work The Freedom of a Christian man. The main consequence of the article is that, in terms of ethics, Luther's understanding of the nature of human will does keep merits and good works as a strict life principle.

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