Luther's 1519 Unterricht amid the Negotiations with Papal Legate Karl von Miltitz

Abstract

After his disappointing encounter with the papal legate, Cardinal Cajetan, in Augsburg, Martin Luther returned to Wittenberg on 31 October 1518, facing an insecure and uncertain future. While he continued to preach in the town church, to teach at the university, and to work on reforming its curriculum, he wrote and published his Proceedings at Augsburg and his appeal to a future council. A condemnation from Rome seemed imminent. He seriously considered leaving Wittenberg, until he received notice from Prince Frederick in the beginning of December that he should stay. It was in this atmosphere that Luther encountered the papal legate Karl von Miltitz in the beginning of January 1519, which led to a fragile reconciliation with Rome. The agreement was silent on the matter of indulgences; transferred Luther's case from Rome to a German bishop; and contained a tract, the Unterricht, on the importance of unity with the church of Rome. The contents of this agreement and the resulting tract merit a detailed analysis in order to gain a better understanding of Luther's attitude and beliefs at the time. This understanding furthermore is significant for the contemporary ecumenical perspective on Martin Luther.