Martin Luther’s School of the Cross

This paper makes the case that a concept called “the school of the cross”exists in Martin Luther’s theology and that it is helpful for understanding Luther’s views of sanctification and Christian progress. This “school of the cross” (scola crucis in Latin) is both textual and contextual: textual, because it comes directly from Luther’s personal history and writings; contextual, because it brings together many frequently hard-to-connect pieces of Luther’s theology. Additionally, Luther’s school of the cross engages personal, communal, and dynamic aspects of life together. As the paper shows, this scola crucis fosters a theology of experience that has room for suffering, wonder, and joy and invites lifelong growth in empathy, hope, and courage.