Luther on Faith and Love: Christ and the Law in the 1535 Galatians Commentray, Kim Sun-Young

There has been a distinct tendency in modern scholarship to underestimate Luthers teaching on love by overemphasizing his teaching on justification. Calling this tendency into question, Sun-young Kim advances the thesis that Luthers teaching on faith and love operates as the overriding thematic pair in the dynamics of Christ and the lawstructurally and conceptually undergirding the 1535 Galatians commentary. The research situates itself in the landscape of Luther scholarship via a special attention to Finnish Luther scholars and scholarship.

Luther on Faith and Love argues that in the discussion of proper righteousness and holiness, Luthers redefined love emerges in harmony with faith. His views on Christian freedom, the Christ-given law of love, the twofold way of fulfilling the law, and his Christological premises demonstrate the logical rationale for reintroducing love. This love, designated as a fruit of faith, is incarnated in three major relations: love toward God, toward others, and toward self.