Luther and Calvin on Secular Authority (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)

This volume contains new, unabridged translations of Luther's On Secular Authority and Calvin's On Civil Government. These works represent the authors' attempts to balance their commitments to the maintenance of order in Church and polity on the one hand, and the overriding imperative of uncompromising obedience to the will of God as revealed in Scripture on the other. The book is intended to be readily intelligible to students and nonspecialists, but precise enough for scholars. The introduction relates the works to the thought and activities of their authors, and a glossary, chronology and bibliography are also provided.