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I very much enjoyed
reading the article “Wesleyans
and Reformation Sunday” (Fall
2006 issue). I will condense it down for my
congregation. One glitch: John Wesley was reading the
commentary on Romans, not Galatians [when he
felt his heart “strangely warmed.”]: “In the evening I went
very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate-Street, where
one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the
Romans…”
Paul Rowley ’77
Hammondsport, NY
Milieu asked author John Tyson to respond:
Rev. Rowley is correct to point out that John
Wesley’s journal reports that he heard someone reading from
Martin Luther’s Roman’s commentary just prior to
having his “heart strangely warmed.” I appreciate him
calling my attention to that detail, and I am grateful that
he read this column with such a careful eye.
The reason I wrote that it was Luther’s
Galatians Commentary that Wesley heard being read
at Aldersgate Street is that I believe Wesley was mistaken
in what he wrote in his journal! There are several reasons
to think this:
-
Luther’s Romans commentary is generally called
his Romans Lectures, because it is based on his
class notes from the early years, when he taught a
Romans class at Wittenberg University.
-
While the content of Luther’s commentaries on Romans
and Galatians (like that of the books on which
they comment) is somewhat similar, Luther wrote
Romans before 1517; that is, before he posted
his 95 Theses and broke with Roman Catholicism.
It is not as focused on Protestant salvation themes as
is his later (1531) Galatians Commentary.
Luther’s Romans Lectures is a pastoral commentary
which focuses primarily on the theological role of the
Word of God; whereas his Galatians Commentary
stresses the difference between faith and works, as well
as justification by faith alone. The reaction that John
Wesley had to what he heard being read at Aldersgate
Street is more consistent with the contents of Luther’s
Galatians Commentary than his Romans Lectures.
-
Luther’s Galatians Commentary was (and is) quite
famous among Protestants, and was widely read (in Latin)
all over Europe. Theology students (even Houghton
College students!) continue to study it today. Luther’s
Romans Lectures was not nearly so famous, and
never enjoyed such a wide readership.
-
Charles Wesley’s journal for May 17, 1738, reports that
a Moravian man, named Mr. Holland, had introduced him to
Luther’s Galatians Commentary, which he was
reading that week with great appreciation.
-
Holland was very likely one of the people involved in
the society where John heard Luther’s commentary being
read (on May 24, 1738). Based on the earlier reference
given by Charles Wesley, Holland was likely the person
John Wesley heard reading from Luther’s work, and it was
probably from Luther’s Galatians Commentary, not
Romans.
-
If one of the two Wesley brothers was mistaken about
which book the Luther material came from, it is more
likely that it was John—who merely heard the book being
read—than Charles, who was actually reading it. However,
it is also possible that the Wesleys actually
encountered two different books by Martin Luther within
the span of one week.
So,
for these reasons, I humbly suggest that John Wesley might
have heard Luther’s Galatians being read, but thought
and recorded that it was his Romans.—John R. Tyson
Milieu welcomes your comments.
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