Economic Activities in Support of Early Protestant Missions

Abstract

Martin Luther's ideal in missions called for their execution by the ordinary Christian witnessing individually in his calling and offering his life to Christ in serving the world under the rubric of the universal priesthood of all believers.

However, inhabitants of inland Germany were not in the best geographical position to participate in early voyages of discovery, commerce and conquest. And on some rare occasions when they had the opportunity to play a major role Luther's hope that the individual Christian would be a witness for the love and mercy of Christ was apparently loomed to disappointment.