Lex efficax

The research on Luther has always paid slight attention to the law itself in its understanding of the Word of God. The neglect of the last great dispute between Luther and the Antimonians is a sign of this. Christian Schulken gives a detailed analysis of the transcripts of these disputations as an example of the language of law. The interest in the sermon finds its expression in a precise observation of Luther's linguistics in his argumentation, something which had not been studied up to now. The author shows how an examination of Luther's concept of law can explain the relevance of Antinomism for understanding Protestant theology, an issue which had previously been underestimated.