Heidelberg Disputation

[1] It was here that Martin Luther, as a delegate for his order, began to have occasion to articulate his views.

In the defense of his theses, which culminated in a contrast between divine love and human love,[2] Luther defended the doctrine of human depravity and the bondage of the will.

Martin Bucer, the reformer of Strasbourg, heard Luther here and became an avid follower.

[3] This disputation also led to Johann Eck's challenging Martin Luther to the Leipzig Debate.

[4] The Heidelberg 28 theses were the basis of the disputation and represented a significant evolution from the 95 theses of the previous year from a simple dispute about the theology behind indulgences to a fuller, Augustinian theology of sovereign grace.