Religion and Politics—From the Perspective of Lutheran Christianity

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author has skillfully described the relationship between religion and politics from the perspective of Martin Luther's theory. To some extent this doctrine paves the way for self-secularization of Protestant Christianity. It looks that the separate of Church and State under the influence of European Enlightenment in the eighteenth century resulted from this original doctrine in which religion was limited to the private sphere and politics enjoyed the complete domination in the public sphere. This became the basis of liberal democracy in the Western world which was later mimicked by or imposed on other countries. However, Luther's idea of the relationship between politics and religion was based upon his "doctrine of the two kingdoms' which the author explains in this essay in detail. 

My only suggestion is that author needs to look at the current situation in the world from a wider global perspective. For instance, the author must look at how Hindutva (Hindu-ness) in India is influencing BJP politics to threaten the minorities (Sikhs, Muslims and Christians) who are struggling to survive there. The author has mentioned Islamic use of religious politics in Middle eastern countries and Theravada Buddhism example in Sri Lanka in his analysis. If the author can offer a wider framework to take into account, for instance, Sikh doctrine of Miri-Piri (Temporal and Spiritual domains) he/she will be able to throw more light on Lutherean concept of two kingdoms. Anyhow, this is a suggestion for author's rethinking on this very important issue in the modern world. 

On the whole, the article reads very well. There is a lack of bibliography at the end. I am sure it will be provided in the revision process.    

Author Response

I included in the 1. Chapter references to Sri Lanka, to Hindutva in India and its consequences to minorities and to Sikh doctrine

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The Author of the article touches on an interesting topic of religion and politics relationship in the perspective of Protestant Christianity. This aim is quite original, especially with the Author's arguments about explaining some misunderstandings in treating Lutheran concepts. The Author also usually quotes Luther directly making some of arguments more conving.

However, the Author's attempt of presentation the Protestant Perspective on Religion and Politics lacks some quality elements.

1. The Perspective of Protestant Christianity is not defined in the paper. It seems to have been simplified and taken for granted that Lutheran ideas are representative for the Protestant Perspective. This issue should be examined and discussed in more length. For example, the Author's perspective does not mention Reformed Theology ideas that - in Calvin's thought - do differ when looking at the state and its laws. While Luther proposes the reason as the tool for this sphere, Calvin's recommendation are straight laws of God. Also, Anglosaxon reformed views on church and state do differ from Luther's - Church of England developped in union with the state, while Roger Williams concept of separation much deepened the distinction of church and state.
2. The number of references does not seem enough for the quality scientific journal. Most paragraphs lack a reference and it is not sure whether these are the Author's ideas or these ideas have justification in Luther's works or other scientific work.
3. The structure should be corrected. It consists of only two points, and in the second of these there mixed the themes of religion and politics, with Christian duties not concerning the state obligations. That makes the narrative incoherent. Also, more content about religion and politics should be found there, and propably less of general theology and Christian duties, if the paper is to be coherent with its title.
4. The paper lacks the ending or summary section. Its ending words about the need of freedom of religion in contemporary world are not logical consequance of previous narrative - these ideas are presented only in the beginning of the paper.
5. The bibliography should be added at the ending, and the number of cited positions - both Luther's sources and other scholar works - should be greater. Particulary, the narrative is not contextualized to scholar works - there is no any reference to works on Luther, and scarce any on religion and politics. That much dimnished the quality of scientific research in present form.

Author Response

I changed the title from Protestant Christianity to Lutheran Christianity. With this many of the remarks are clarified, like all of No. 1 and also No. 3 where the coherence of the paper is questioned because of not concentrating on Lutheran Christianity. Also, the critique of missing consequences of the narrative in No. 4 is dealt with the change of title.

To No. 2 I like to say, that this is a short article and not a book. I have written extensively on the topic. Everybody in the field knows that I am an expert and that it is as I say. This remark applies also to No. 5.  

In general, I made some improvements in terminology and formulations to do justice to the concerns.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The Author managed to find a solution for the lack of coherence connected with the term Protestant/ Lutheran, but the Author's application of the solution remains partial. The title has been changed from Protestant to Lutheran, and that certainly provides much more coherence, but in the text, as well as in the abstract, there remain unchanged terms of Protestant Christianity still suggesting identity of Lutheran and Protestant Christianity. Therefore, the Author has partially improved suggestions no 1 and 3.

Suggestions no 2, 4 and 5 have not been taken into account at all. The number of references and sources has not been increased. Specifically, the research remains uncontextualized in regard to scholarship dedicated to the topic of political ideas of Luther, and the number of different sources remains low. The text still lacks  more content dedicated to politics, bibliography and the coherent summary section. Changing the title does not yet makes the summary section fully logical.

Also, the Author's response confirming himself as an expert in the field, and His certainty that "it is as I say" is not convincing. While it is not the reviewer's attempt to question the Authors' being the expert, the review is attempted to be blind, therefore the reviewer refers only to the written text, and the text itself does not seem to be, in my opinion, of high enough quality to be published in "Religions" in the present form.

 

Author Response

1. With the change of headline from Protestant to Lutheran Christianity the headline is fitting to the manuscript as it is mainly on Luther’s and the Lutheran construction of the relation of church and state, of religion and politics. Once and a while it was necessary to widen the view generally to Protestant Christianity, which does not suggest that Lutheran and Protestant Christianity is identical.
2. On the limited space of a contribution to a journal, the article concentrates on the fundamental outlines of Luther’s (and also generally the Lutheran) construction of the relation of religion and politics, which was in the terminology of the time the relation of church and state. The article works mainly with original texts and – because of lack of space – less with secondary literature. Also, the analysis of Luther’s ideas on politics and his construction of the relation of religion and politics in the context of the discourses of his time could not be presented on the limited space of the article. But also, the article does not want to be a historical study. On this, one would need the space of a book. Also, the article is one in systematic theology. Therefore, a chapter on actual religious politics is included, because the article wants to present a reasonable alternative to today’s tendency to religious politics in many parts of the world. For all these aspects of the article the number of references and sources has been kept limited. The contextualizing of the political ideas of Luther would have made the article too much an historical study. But the given task of the editor of the special number of “Religions” was to present a systematic present day oriented study on the Lutheran understanding of the relation of religion and politics.
3. The summary gives a good overview about the article in order to stimulate to read the full article. The bibliography concentrates on the most important literature, as everybody can make a recherche on every university library OPAC or in the Index Theologicus (Ixtheo). With all these databases bibliographies can concentrate on a few publications.