An Examination of LeRoy Froom’s Understanding About Luther’s Soul Sleep

LeRoy Froom is a notable scholar among conditionalists. His two-volumes work, The Conditionalist of Our Fathers, has been a classic writing for understanding conditionalism. He believes that Martin Luther was a conditionalist. Nowadays, there are more Luther’s writings accessible and translated into English, so that to understand comprehensively Luther’s concept on soul sleep becomes possible. Scholars are divided in understanding Luther’s soul sleep. Some believe that he was a conditionalist and the other consider Luther believed in immortality of the soul. This division provides a further examination of Luther’s soul sleep especially in the writing of LeRoy Froom. By comparing Froom ideas of Luther’s soul sleep and Luther’s statements, one can identify the similarities and differences. This may contribute to better understand the writing of Froom and Luther regarding the state of the dead. This study indicates that there are more differences than similarities between these two ideas. Froom argues that the soul sleep concept of Luther shows that he was a conditionalist. He suggests that Luther believed in both the body and soul died in afterlife. This idea influences his understanding that Luther did not believe in immortality of the soul. However, a careful reading on Luther’s statements on the soul sleep shows that Luther never believed in the death of soul in afterlife. When he stated about the “soul sleep” idea, he was discussing that the soul is still alive even in the condition of sleeping. Luther explained that the dead know nothing is like someone who is sleeping and does not know about anything. The difference in concept between Froom’s interpretation of Luther’s soul sleep and Luther’s transmitted sources affects his understanding on Luther’s idea about purgatory, the Resurrection, and eternal torment. Froom comprehends that Luther rejected the doctrine of purgatory and eternal torment but seemingly Luther accepted the idea of purgatory but not its Catholic concept. He also believed that the eternal torment would be started after the Resurrection. The variances between Froom’s interpretation and Luther’s statements on soul sleeps may be caused by a combination of factors. One of the factors is that Froom may have been relying on other conditionalist scholars’ opinion when he interprets Luther’s writings. On the other hand, primary sources of Luther’s writings especially on the Lectures on Genesis, quotations of some Christian authors, his Sermons and Table Talks are also a subject of criticism as it is pointed out by Jaroslav Pelikan and Preserved Smith. However, Pelikan still argues that even some editorial works may have been done by editors but the “voice” of Luther is still maintained in his writings.