I Am Afraid That The Schools

Originating in Luther's To the Christian Nobility of the German States (1520), this warning — in its original form addressed to universities rather than schools — argued that any institution that neglects the diligent teaching of Scripture becomes spiritually ruinous. Luther was attacking the scholastic university curriculum, which he believed had displaced Scripture with Aristotelian philosophy. A variant citing "schools" rather than "universities" also circulates, likely drawn from Luther's Table Talk, suggesting he returned to the theme throughout his career.