A Hospital for Incurables and the Generational Altar – Martin Luther's "Sermon on the Estate of Marriage" (1519) | Standing on Shoulders – Episode 38

A Hospital for Incurables and the Generational Altar – Martin Luther's "Sermon on the Estate of Marriage" (1519) | Standing on Shoulders – Episode 38

July 13, 2026 · 1h 13m

About this episode

The episode discusses Martin Luther's 1519 sermon on marriage, exploring its significance in redefining the institution in a historical context.

In this episode of Standing on Shoulders, hosts Reverend Micah Gaunt, Reverend Mark Kranz, and Reverend Tysen Bibb kick off their "marriage suite" series. Focusing on Martin Luther's early 1519 sermon on the wedding at Cana (John 2), the hosts unpack how Luther's very first public work on holy matrimony sought to define, elevate, and sanitize an estate that medieval scholasticism had long treated as a secondary consolation prize to celibacy and holy orders. Season 2 Reading List: The Shepherd of Hermas The Confession of St. Patrick The Confessions , St. Augustine The Imitation of Christ , Thomas à Kempis The “Marriage Suite” of Martin Luther “A Sermon on the Estate of Marriage (1519),” LW 44:7-14 “The Estate of Marriage (1522),” LW 45:17-49 “On Marriage Matters (1530),” LW 46:265-320 Selections from The Examination of the Council of Trent , Martin Chemnitz The Magdeburg Confession Some of these works are available for free online, and we will post links to the suggested editions we will be reading. Others are available in print from multiple publishers. Just like your Bible, the best version is the one you read. However, we…

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