Theology the Lutheran Way

Theology the Lutheran Way PDF

Author: Oswald Bayer

Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing

Published: 2007-09-14

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 0802824528

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Rather than asking if theology is theoretical or practical -- a question that reveals a fundamental lack of understanding about the nature of theology in general -- it is better to ask "What exactly is theology?" It is this question that Oswald Bayer attempts to answer in Theology the Lutheran Way, clearing up misconceptions about the essence of theology. Along with Luther himself, Bayer claims that theology, rather than being something that we do, is really what God does. Based primarily on the third section of Bayer's original German work of the same title, this book evaluates certain approaches to theology that have been influential, from Schleiermacher's understanding of theology to debates with Kant, Hegel, and Bultmann. It also includes a substantial section on Luther from the original in order to clarify the Lutheran tradition.

The Role of Justification in Contemporary Theology

The Role of Justification in Contemporary Theology PDF

Author: Mark C. Mattes

Publisher: Augsburg Books

Published: 2017-01-01

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1506427286

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In this significant book Mark C. Mattes critically evaluates the role of justification in the theologies of five leading Protestant thinkers -- Eberhard Jungel, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jurgen Moltmann, Robert W. Jenson, and Oswald Bayer -- pointing out their respective strengths and weaknesses and showing how each matches up with Luther's own views. Offering both an excellent review of recent trends in Christian theology and a powerful analysis of these trends, Mattes points readers to the various ways in which the doctrine of justification has been applied today. Despite the greatness of their thought, Jungel, Pannenberg, and Moltmann each accommodate the doctrine of justification to goals aligned with secular modernity. Both Jenson and Bayer, on the other hand, construe the doctrine of justification in a nonaccommodating way, thus challenging the secularity of the modern academy. In the end, Mattes argues that Bayer's position is to be preferred as closest to Luther's own, and he shows why it offers the greatest potential for confronting current attempts at self-justification before God.

Bound Choice, Election, and Wittenberg Theological Method

Bound Choice, Election, and Wittenberg Theological Method PDF

Author: Robert Kolb

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2017-01-01

Total Pages: 395

ISBN-13: 1506427103

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Galvanized by Erasmus' teaching on free will, Martin Luther wrote "De servo arbitrio", or "The Bondage of the Will", insisting that the sinful human will could not turn itself to God. In this first study to investigate the sixteenth-century reception of "De servo", Robert Kolb unpacks Luther's theology and recounts his followers' ensuing disputes until their resolution in the Lutheran churches' 1577 "Formula of Concord".

Harvesting Martin Luthers Reflections on Theology, Ethics, and the Church

Harvesting Martin Luthers Reflections on Theology, Ethics, and the Church PDF

Author: Timothy J. Wengert

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2017-02-26

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 150642712X

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As profound as Martin Luther's ideas are, this giant of church history was concerned above all with practical instruction for daily Christian living. Harvesting Martin Luther's Reflections highlights this concern of Luther, mining his thought in key areas of doctrine, ethics, and church practice. Gathering noteworthy contributions by well-known Luther scholars from Europe and the Americas, this book ranges broadly over theological questions about baptism and righteousness, ethical issues like poverty and greed, and pastoral concerns like worship and spirituality. There are even rare discussions of Luther's perspective on marriage and on Islam. As a result, Harvesting Martin Luther's Reflections is both a state-of-the-art discussion of Lutheran themes and an excellent introduction for newcomers to Luther's work.

Living By Faith

Living By Faith PDF

Author: Oswald Bayer

Publisher: Fortress Press

Published: 2017-01-01

Total Pages: 103

ISBN-13: 1506427146

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"Living by faith" is much more than a general Christian precept; it is the fundamental posture of believers in a world rife with suffering and injustice. In this penetrating reflection on the meaning of "justification," Oswald Bayer shows how this key religious term provides a comprehensive horizon for discussing every aspect of Christian theology, from creation to the end times. Inspired by and interacting with Martin Luther, the great Christian thinker who grappled most intensely with the concept of justification, Bayer explores anew the full range of traditional dogmatics (sin, redemption, eschatology, and others), placing otherwise complex theological terms squarely within their proper milieu -- everyday life. In the course of his discussion, Bayer touches on such deep questions as the hidden nature of God, the hope for universal justice, the problem of evil, and -- one of the book's most engaging motifs -- Job's daring lawsuit with God.