Luther's heritage in the light of the modernizations in politics and economics

Abstract

The tradition of political thinking has “naturally” linked Lutheran legacy to the individualism and to the emergence of capitalism, without enough profundity in the particularities that have characterized such a bound. It is evident that one of the strongest marks of Early Modern Times has been the advancement of industry and the gradual legalization of aspects that until then were only linked to the sacred. It is also true that, even then, religious power was in a situation of privilege regarding the possibility of being obeyed, of interpreting the Revelation and of applying discretionally its will.