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Recipes For Reformation: A Menu To Mark Martin Luther

Engraving of German religious reformer Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses on indulgences on the church door at Wittenberg, surrounded by onlookers, Germany, October 31st 1517. (Photo by Authenticated News/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Authenticated News
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Getty Images
Engraving of German religious reformer Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses on indulgences on the church door at Wittenberg, surrounded by onlookers, Germany, October 31st 1517. (Photo by Authenticated News/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Inasmuch as Protestant (and especially Lutheran) congregations around the world are celebrating Reformation Sunday this weekend, accordingly let us mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the cathedral door in Wittenberg, Germany, with a coffee-and-fellowship hour buffet of indulgences.

The Reformation era was marked by Imperial Diets of all sorts that resulted in excommunications, schisms and wars. Today, our diets are marked by gluten sensitivity, veganism and nut allergies, which can be equally divisive and certainly just as deadly. The following possibilities invite partakers to take up their forks and sin boldly.

What does this mean?

We should respect and love God and God's good creation that we may not despise delicious foods, for as Martin Luther himself wrote in a letter to Jerome Weller in July of 1530:

"Be strong and of good courage, and by all means throw aside these monstrous thoughts. Whenever the devil vexes you with these thoughts, seek the company of others, or drink more, joke more, make nonsense, or engage in some other form of merriment. Sometimes one must drink more, joke, make nonsense, and even commit some sin in defiance and contempt of the devil in order not to give him an opportunity to make us scrupulous about trifles."

An indulgence with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_rose">Lutheran seal</a> of approval
/ Karolin Bina
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Karolin Bina
An indulgence with a Lutheran seal of approval


Jason DeRose is NPR's Western Bureau chief; he has a master's in divinity and edits NPR's religion coverage, among other things. He's based in Culver City, Calif.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jason DeRose is the Western Bureau Chief for NPR News, based at NPR West in Culver City. He edits news coverage from Member station reporters and freelancers in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii. DeRose also edits coverage of religion and LGBTQ issues for the National Desk.

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