Martin Luther Interpretation

As the Middle Ages began to make way there was a battle between literal interpretation of Scripture and allegorical interpretation. Medieval Interpreter, Martin Luther relied solely on the literal meaning of scripture, challenged the authority of the Catholic Church as well as the Church Fathers. Luther despised the incorporation of allegory while performing interpretation. Luther 's extreme dislike of the use of allegory came directly from extreme levels of dislike for the arrogance of the Catholic Church and it’s Officials. Luther provides great reason for this belief when he discusses his views on the Garden of Eden, compared to members of the Catholic Church. As a child, Martin Luther’s eyes were forced to be centered upon the harsh realities …show more content…
Luther claims to have been aided to go into monastery to due the sternness of his parents in his adolescence. Martin Luther indulged in writing and criticizing on the interpretation of many biblical accounts the strayed away from the plain sense. One account in particular would be Luther’s criticism on Augustine 's use of allegorical interpretation on the Garden of Eden. As Martin Luther 's path in monastery began to flourish his views began to reform, he lost sight in his once felt purpose of allegory and shifted to a pursuit of plain Scripture. Martin Luther went as far to even state, “when I was a monk I was a master in the use of allegories”(Hendel). However as he developed in his craft he surely lost reasoning for the use of allegory, his focused shifted to strictly plain sense. For Martin the use of allegory only brought about more undeserved power to the catholic church and disfigured the meaning and purpose of …show more content…
I also find value within the interpretation of the Garden of Eden provided by Augustine and the Catholic Church. As I read Luther’s interpretation I was saddened about the beauty that once was upon the Earth that has now been forever washed away due to sin. All that once was is now forever no more, we humans have ruined what God placed before us . Luther’s interpretation provides little hope for today’s reader of ever viewing that ultimate beauty and glory within the Garden. This is simply because the past is the past and the sins that were committed can not be forgotten for the Garden to be restored. The interpretation made by Luther is still however necessary, when viewing the passage as plain sense it allows the reader with insight on just how divine the holy figures in the Bible