This volume is the first attempt to bring together in a comparative study all the evidence concerning the development of the ideas of Luther and Melanchthon on the cura religionis of secular magistrates. Besides yielding a more complete historical narrative than has hitherto been available, this approach has made it possible to show (among other things) that Luther’s ideas on the subject developed and changed over time in tandem with developments and changes in Melanchthon’s ideas and in response to the same historical pressures. Where past studies have tended to emphasize the differences in their thinking, this one demonstrates their essential agreement and considers their common worries about the dangers inherent in magisterial responsibility for the church.