Theologian's Almanac for Week of October 30, 2022
Welcome to SALT’s “Theologian’s Almanac,” a weekly selection of important birthdays, holidays, and other upcoming milestones worth marking — specially created for a) writing sermons and prayers, b) creating content for social media channels, and c) enriching your devotional life.
For the week of Sunday, October 30:
October 30 is Reformation Sunday, traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday in October, since on October 31 — exactly 504 years ago today — Martin Luther sent his “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” (later known as the “Ninety-five Theses”) to the local archbishop. There’s a story, likely apocryphal, that Luther nailed his disputation to the front door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg — but in any case, whether he nailed it or mailed it, the event set off what became known as “The Reformation” in sixteenth-century Europe. The plural “Reformations” is more like it, since the movement took different forms in different countries, resulting in several of the Protestant denominations still around today (Lutherans from Germany, Presbyterians from Scotland, Dutch Reformed from the Netherlands, and so on).
Luther’s initial protest was against “indulgences,” essentially payments to the church made by the faithful (the proceeds of which were used to pay for St. Peter’s Basilica), solicited with the promise that they would secure divine mercy for the donor and/or the donor’s loved ones. Luther found indulgences both repugnant and theologically disastrous — and the resulting series of arguments eventually led him to arrive at the idea that not only are human beings not saved by financial transactions, we aren’t saved by any of our efforts whatsoever, but rather by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, not works.
But in practice, the sixteenth-century Reformations in Europe were as much about lived religious experience as they were about doctrinal disputes over salvation: for example, these movements led to widespread translations of the Bible into languages other than Latin, congregational singing (previously singing was typically done by specialized choirs), and reception of Communion, both bread and wine, by congregations (previously the rite was only a yearly event for many Christians, and included only the bread, not the wine; the weekly Eucharist was typically received only by clergy). For anyone interested in this reform movement in sixteenth-century Geneva, check out SALT’s own Matthew Myer Boulton’s Life in God: John Calvin, Practical Formation, and the Future of Protestant Theology.
October 31 is Halloween, or “All Hallow’s Eve.” Here’s SALT’s “Brief Theology of Halloween.”
November 1 is All Saints' Day, a festival celebrating all the saints, known and unknown. Here’s SALT’s commentary on this year’s All Saints’ Day passage from the Gospels, Luke’s story of Jesus’ instruction on living a graceful life.
November 1 is also the day Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling was first revealed in 1512. Michelangelo had worked on the ceiling for four years, illustrating themes from the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, including the famous panel, “The Creation of Adam” (though “The Creation of Eve” is actually the featured, centermost image). The German writer, Wolfgang von Goethe, wrote that without seeing the Sistine Chapel ceiling, “we cannot know what a human being can achieve.”
November 2 is All Souls’ Day, honoring those who have died (especially relatives).
October 31 through November 2 are sometimes collectively called “Allhallowtide.” And in communities of Mexican heritage, many celebrate this period as encompassing the Dia de los Muertos, “The Day of the Dead,” a time to gather to pray, remember, and commune with friends and family members who have died.
And looking ahead:
November 8th is Election Day in the United States — a day for prayer if there ever was one! Here’s the artist Judy Chicago’s “A Prayer for Our Nation.”