REFORMATION THEOLOGY AND THE MYTH OF FAUST

I. Martin Luther's Break with Rome:

   1517 95 Theses against Indulgences

   Central Theological Themes
            1. Human nature as fallen (St. Augustine)|
            2. Salvation by faith alone: not by effort or good works
            3. Scripture as only source of religious authority
            4. Rejection of Catholic hierarchy (Pope and priests) and
                  of Catholic "works righteousness" (earning salvation)

   Attack on "ECCLESIASTICAL MAGIC" of Catholicism

      1. Attack on Mass and transubstantiation; role of priest in turning
           bread and wine into body of Christ seen as magical;
            words of the consecration seen as incantation: "This is my Body"
            Latin: "Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum" source of "HOCUS POCUS"

      2. Attack on devotion to saints, shrines, rosaries, statues
            ICONOCLASM: breaking of statues, religious objects

      3. Attack on "ECCLESIASTICAL MEDICINES" offered by church
            as protection  against demons and witches:
            e.g. holy water, images, relics, exorcism--
                  all now classified as "superstitious" by Protestants

     Role of the devil is expanded by Reformation

            1. Polemical attacks on Pope as Anti-Christ
                  All enemies as agents of the devil

            2. New literary genre:  TEUFELSBUCHER ("Devil books")
                  personification of vices as demonic
                  e.g. Sauffteufel = devil of drunks
                  1550's to 1590's: multiple editions

II. FAUST LEGEND
      Image of scholar as sorcerer from Renaissance magic
                          interest in "occult" topics at universities
           George Faustus of Heidelberg 1540
                          real scholar with reputation for magic
      1587: 1st  FAUSTBUCH (Faust Book) published in Germany

      1588-92: Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus in England

III. Why does the witch panic occur in 16th-17th C. after Reformation?
       Issue of availability of remedies vs. fear of the witch