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The chapter discusses one of the great riddles of the Reformation: Why would the question of indulgences, originally an internal controversy of merely theological relevance, trigger such a major political and cultural event in the history of Europe? The author focuses on four aspects of this controversy: the economic influence of early modern capitalism, Luther's scandalous rhetoric and its political consequences, the radical quest for freedom in his protest against the Roman Catholic Church, and—as Foucault has pointed out—the subtle question of power involved in the medieval institution of confession. The four aspects may explain the political dynamic triggered by the controversy, but the riddle nevertheless remains unsolved. The scope is then extended to a topic raising much debate in contemporary political theology, namely how and to what extent theological discourse also applies to political and economic issues, whether in history or at present. Finally, the chapter addresses the question of how the theological imagination, in particular the apocalypse, influenced and inspired the expected future and the political logic of Revolution, first by Thomas Müntzer and later within Marxism, thus exploring its utopian expectations and theological mystery.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27304-0_8

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