of heteronomy: through renouncing oneself, the individual learns that
God justifies this person and makes him truthful. The Ciceronian
process ofoikeiosisis reversed. First, a person needs to develop a
personal appropriation of truth, which means, however, the renun-
ciation of theprima commendatioof self-love and self-righteousness.
Second, the old self is replaced by another kind ofcommendation,
which assumes humility and heteronomous constitution of oneself
through external powers. Third, this basically means becoming a
patient and believing new truths. Instead of one’s own truthfulness,
a new heteronomous identity is created through justification by faith.
In this manner,commendatiois not primarily a feudal term but an
expression of a constitutive appropriating relationship.
Luther usesagnitioandconfessio(or corresponding verbs) quite often
to depict the idea of inner insight and verbal confession.^168 As the
recognition of truth belongs to this context, he also employs the phrase
of the Pastoral Epistles‘knowledge of the truth’(agnitio veritatis). For
Luther, a person who consciously refutes this insight sins against the
Holy Spirit.^169 In the light of this truth, the faithful can receive both
advantages and adversities adequately, whereas the impious complain
about these.^170 While the verbrecognoscois not significant for Luther,
he can, like Thomas Aquinas, sometimes use it in the sense of acknow-
ledging pastoral offices.^171 Luther can also sometimes speak of the papal
commendation in medieval feudal terms.^172
For our study, however, the important thing is the appropriative
dimension ofagnitioandcommendatio, religious recognition being
for Luther essentially something that happens‘with respect to us’and
‘for me’. This feature has been discussed in the scholarship; it has
been regarded as forerunner of Pietism or even Cartesianism.^173
Luther’s opposition to scholastic theology has often been interpreted
in terms of this feature: while scholasticism allegedly favours objective
and universal truths, Luther offers experiential and existentialfirst-
person convictions. It should be noted, however, that this may be an
anachronistic explanation since the official doctrinal condemnations
(^168) WA 1, 321, 36 (Sermo de poenitentia1518); 2, 538, 25 (In Gal.1519); 3, 284,
17 – 19 (Dictata super Psalterium); 29, 322, 27 (Predigten1529); 31/2, 492, 12 (In Isaia);
40/2, 391, 35 (Enarr. Psalmi LI); 42, 305, 34 (In Gen.).
(^169) WA 26, 23, 26 (In 1 Tim.). (^170) WA 31/2, 487, 15–16 (In Isaia).
(^171) WA 2, 225, 15–22 (Resolutio1519).
(^172) WA 2, 191, 27–32 (Resolutio1519).
(^173) Polemically, Hacker 1966. Rolf 2008 offers a balanced view.
The Latin Traditions 93