Perspectief 2017-36

Perspectief 30 Werk van jonge theologen but does not discourage them from defying the law. If it is indeed called for, bearing the potential resulting punitive measures are a way of taking up one’s cross. 104 3. Individual support Martin Luther, whose teachings constitute the basis for Lutheran theology, spent almost a year as a refugee from the 1521 Diet of Worms onwards 105 . Luther’s experience as a refugee is for some Lutherans a motivation to be welcoming towards refugees today, including for the American Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 106 . It must be noted however that his situation was not comparable to that of many asylum seekers today: his life was not in immediate danger 107 . The flight of Lutheran refugees from Europe to North America, particularly after the First and Second World War, added to the solidarity of Lutherans with refugees in general 108 . One prominent Lutheran who justifies her opinion on the refugee crisis with theological arguments is German chancellor Angela Merkel. The daughter of a Lutheran pastor, she is known to be a practising Christian and is the leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) 109 . Recently, Merkel has expressed herself strongly in favour of resettling refugees in Germany and in the rest of Europe, while simultaneously supporting increased border controls, and has been open about the Christian motivations behind her political viewpoints. Her positive attitude towards refugees has not been beneficial to her 104 Matthew 16:24. 105 For an analysis of Martin Luther’s life, see Kolb, R. (2009) Martin Luther: Confessor of the Faith Oxford, OUP Oxford. 106 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (undated) Refugees accessed June 1, 2016 at http://lirs.org/our-work/people-we-serve/refugees/. 107 Terpstra (2015) Religious Refugees in the Early Modern World: An Alternative History of the Reformation Cambridge UK, Cambridge University Press, p. 142. 108 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (undated) History accessed June 2, 2016 at http://lirs.org/our-work/about-us/historyfaith/. See also Gassman, G. & M. Oldenburg (2011) Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism Lanham MD, Scarecrow Press. 109 Esler, G. (2012) Germans can’t escape their Lutheran past accessed June 1, 2016 at http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17489035.