GOD AS SOVEREIGN OR KING? Revisiting Luther’s Political Theology in the Context of Southeast Asian Public Theology

Abstract

This article revisits Martin Luther's doctrine of the "Two Kingdoms" (Zwei-Reiche-Lehre) through both theological and political lenses. Building on foundations laid by Augustine’s Civitas Dei, it traces how Luther’s thinking on political and spiritual authority evolved during the Reformation and has been misread over time, most dangerously during the Nazi era. Rather than a blueprint for authoritarianism or church withdrawal, Luther's theology presents a dynamic tension between divine law and human governance. This study employs a hermeneutic framework to clarify key theological categories such as usus elenchticus legis (the accusatory use of the law) and usus politicus legis (the political use of the law), highlighting how these shape our understanding of power, justice, and the church’s role. Special attention is given to the Southeast Asian context, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia, where political power often cloaks itself in religious legitimacy. The argument is that a rediscovered reading of Luther enables churches not only to speak prophetically to unjust regimes but also to shape faithful civic engagement in plural societies. The paper ultimately proposes a constructive Southeast Asia public theology rooted in the Lutheran tradition that avoids both quietism and triumphalism, and affirms the church’s responsibility to witness, serve, and resist in the public sphere.

Keywords: Two Kingdoms; Political Theology; Martin Luther; Augustine; Civil Religion; Southeast Asia