Martin Luther and the Psalms: a seedbed for sola fide, sola gratia, and the nature of justification

[Laborer for the Lord]

It is my understanding that Luther's conception of the doctrine of justification by faith alone was largely shaped by his studies of Romans, Galatians (from which we have his famous commentary), and the book of Psalms. I am curious as to whether there is any recent scholarship in print that delves into Luther's theological development as it pertains to the latter. Do we know of any particular Psalms or passages that he cited at the Heidelberg or Leipzig disputations or that he otherwise set forth as providing an Old Testament basis for the forensic nature of justification? I am admittedly not too familiar with the primary sources, so forgive me if this has already been answered in a previous thread.

 

[py3ak]

This brief article makes the same point you do, but without going into detail:

Luther and the Psalms: His Solace and Strength by Steven Lawson

On 31 October 1517, Luther posted his historic Ninety-five Theses, launching his defiant protest against the vile perversions and grave abuses of the church in

www.ligonier.org

Since Luther's first book was on the penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143), that would be a logical place to look for a developing understanding:

Martin Luther & the Psalms

I was born and baptized, catechized and confirmed as a Lutheran. I knew much of Luther’s Small Catechism by heart and was thoroughly…

praypsalms.org

 

[Laborer for the Lord]

Thank you for the informative reply, brother. I was a tad disappointed that nobody had provided an answer and was thinking that perhaps I had either posted the topic in the wrong forum or at an inopportune time. I'll give these resources a read through.

 

[py3ak]

Thank you for the informative reply, brother. I was a tad disappointed that nobody had provided an answer and was thinking that perhaps I had either posted the topic in the wrong forum or at an inopportune time. I'll give these resources a read through.

You're very welcome! None of the things I pulled up in ATLAS were viewable without a subscription, so I expect there are more relevant writings I don't have access to.