Challenging Beliefs: Martin Luther on the Afterlife

0:00 The belief that the dead are truly dead continued into the Reformation against the Catholic Church with William Tyndale. Many Anabaptists in this period, like Michael Sattler, believed the dead are dead. However, the best known advocate of morality was none other than Martin Luther. Scripture everywhere affords such consolation which speaks of the death of the saints as if they fell asleep, and were gathered to their fathers and awaited the resurrection together with the saints who preceded them in death. Thus, after death, the soul goes to its bedchamber and to its peace, and while sleeping it does not realize its sleep. It is probable, in my opinion, that with very few exceptions indeed, the dead sleep in the utter insensibility till the day of judgment.