Luther's Concept of the Natural Law as the Basis for Universal Ethics

The paper makes an inquiry into three areas of Luther's up until now less known natural theology: natural cognition of God (cognitio Dei naturalis), natural human reason (ratio) and natural law (lex naturalis). All these areas are related to the proposed theme concerning the foundation of universal ethics. The German reformer Luther illuminates all three parts on the biblical dialectical background, in which he points to God's original intention with human beings on the one hand and to the concrete historical situation of human beings after Adam's fall into sin on the other hand.

Keywords: Theology; Ethics; Natural Law; Luther Martin