“This is the very essence of the reformation: man in his very nature Is destined to be free”

The aim of this paper is to put Hegel’s account of freedom in the context of his reception of Martin Luther, and of the Reformation more generally. It focuses on four dimensions of this issue: religious and social freedom; freedom as grace and reconciliation; freedom as liberation from the law; and freedom as necessity rather than arbitrary choice. It argues that Luther is a significant influence on Hegel’s thinking concerning all these issues, in ways that have not been fully explored previously.