RT Article T1 Luthers Zwei-Regimenten-Lehre und ihre Bedeutung für die politische Ethik der Gegenwart JF Catholica VO 77 IS 3 SP 170 OP 184 A1 Leonhardt, Rochus 1965- LA German PB Aschendorff YR 2023 UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1876024283 AB This article deals with the political ethics of the Wittenberg reformer Martin Luther. It begins by explaining that, according to Luther, every human being finds himself in two relationships: On the one hand, he is in relation to God, and on the other hand, he is in relation to the world and thus to his fellow human beings (coram deo/coram mundo). It was particularly important for Luther that the two relationships are categorically differentiated. This has important consequences for political ethics, which is shown in the second section using Luther's book on secular authority (1523). Although the secular legal order is irrelevant to true Christians because they never do evil, since there are very few true Christians, it is indispensable so that the law of the strongest does not prevail. Because this legal protection for the weak is willed by God, Christians also participate in it out of love for their neighbour by rendering obedience to the authorities and cooperating in the enforcement of the law. However, the competence of the secular legal order must not be extended to people's inner convictions. The third and last section asks about the significance of Luther's teachings for contemporary political ethics. This is done by taking into account its reception history. While Luther's political ethics since the 16th century was mostly understood as the basis of a Christian ideal of the state, it has been interpreted in German Protestantism since the 20th century as the basis of an un-derstanding of the state oriented towards freedom of faith and conscience as well as religious pluralism. K1 Christian Ethics K1 Liberty of conscience K1 Luther, Martin, 1483-1546 K1 Pluralism K1 Political ethics K1 Religious Diversity K1 Religious Ethics K1 Sixteenth Century K1 Utopias K1 Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)