Martin Luther's Theology

by Bayer, Oswald

• ISBN13: 9780802827999
• ISBN10: 0802827993
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-16
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

It may come as a surprise to some, but Martin Luther never wrote a "theology." He delivered his theological thought in myriad ways - lectures, preaching notes, arguments, fables, hymns, and more - but never penned a systematic theology. Having scoured Luther's voluminous corpus, Oswald Bayer here reimages Luther's theology and its validity for today. The fruit of Bayer's lifelong engagement with the Reformer, Martin Luther's Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation will serve as the best comprehensive introduction to Luther's thought for a long time. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Oswald Bayer is professor emeritus of systematic theology at the University of Tubingen. The author of several books in German, he is also an ordained pastor of the Lutheran Church of Wurttemberg and president of the senate of the Luther Academy in Ratzeburg

Table of Contents

Translator's Preface	p. xii
Preface	p. xv
Abbreviations	p. xxii
Introduction: The Rupture between Ages	p. 1
Between the New and Old Aeon	p. 1
In Spite of Evil	p. 2
The Crucified One and the Message from the Cross	p. 6
Personal Story and the World History	p. 8
Apocalyptic and Courage to Live	p. 9
Hidden and Revealed God	p. 11
Basic Themes (Prolegomena)
Every Person Is a Theologian: Luther's Understanding of Theology	p. 15
What Is a Theologian?	p. 15
Gratia Spiritus (Grace of the Spirit)	p. 17
Tentatio (Agonizing Struggle)	p. 20
Experientia (Experience)	p. 21
Occasio (Opportunity)	p. 22
Sedula Lectio (Constant, Concentrated Textual Study)	p. 25
Bonarum Artium Cognitio (Knowledge and Practice of the Academic Disciplines)	p. 26
Habitus [characters not reproducible] (God-given Skill)	p. 27
The Topic of Theology: The Sinning Human Being and the Justifying God	p. 29
Sapientia Experimentalis (Experiential Wisdom)	p. 30
Oratio (Prayer)	p. 32
Meditatio (Meditation on the Text)	p. 34
Tentatio (Agonizing Struggle)	p. 35
Subiectum Theologiae (The Subject of Theology)	p. 37
Vita Passiva: Faith	p. 42
What Does "Evangelical" Mean? The Reformational Turning Point in Luther's Theology	p. 44
Perspective of the Question	p. 45
Promissio as Speech Act That Frees and Gives Confidence	p. 50
Statements That Establish and That Constitute	p. 50
"Ego Te Absolvo!" (I Absolve You!)	p. 52
Promissio as the Center	p. 53
The Question concerning Competence	p. 54
Summary	p. 55
The Distinction between Law and Gospel	p. 58
The Sequence	p. 62
Christ as Gift and Example	p. 63
Antinomianism and Nomism Today	p. 65
Knowledge and Certainty	p. 66
What Makes the Bible Become Holy Scripture?	p. 68
The Priority of the Scripture over the Hearers and Interpreters	p. 68
Church: Communion of Hearers	p. 72
The Self-Disclosure of the Holy Scripture by Means of Law and Gospel	p. 74
Spirit and Letter	p. 77
"What Drives Christ Home"	p. 81
The Three Fronts for Luther's Understanding of Scripture	p. 83
Against the Skeptical Humanism of Erasmus of Rotterdam	p. 83
Against the Formalism Advocated by Rome	p. 85
Against the Spiritualizing Enthusiasts	p. 88
The Relationship between the Old and New Testaments	p. 90
"My Katie von Bora"	p. 91
Individual Themes (Specific Elements of Dogmatics and Ethics)
Creation: Establishment and Preservation of Community	p. 95
Without Word, No World	p. 95
Justification as Creation; Creation as Justification	p. 95
Creation as Speech Act	p. 101
God's Nature as the One Who Comes Beforehand	p. 105
"Be Opened!"	p. 106
Unable to Communicate	p. 106
Word of Power in Sighing	p. 112
"Natural Theology"?	p. 114
Consummation of the World as Reestablishment of the Creation	p. 116
The Order of the World: Church, Household, State	p. 120
Main Features of the Teaching about the Three Estates	p. 122
Church as Order of Creation	p. 126
Reasonable Knowledge of God	p. 127
True Belief in the Creator	p. 130
God and Idol	p. 135
Certainty Is Concrete	p. 136
Household and State	p. 140
The Spiritual Importance of the Temporal	p. 140
Family and Marriage	p. 142
State	p. 147
Love as Criterion	p. 152
The Human Being: In the Image of God	p. 154
The Essence of the Human Being in Faith	p. 155
Human Reason - "Almost Something Divine"	p. 158
"... Created Me Together with All Creatures"	p. 163
Faith in God the Giver	p. 166
Summary	p. 166
Development	p. 168
The Response	p. 173
The Amen	p. 173
The Human Heart - a Place for Making Pictures	p. 174
Sin and the Bound Will	p. 177
The Perversion of the Human Being in Unbelief: Sin	p. 177
Basic Definition	p. 179
Differentiation within the Basic Definition	p. 181
Turning Away from God; Curved in on the Self	p. 182
The Bound Will	p. 185
The "Inherited" Sin	p. 192
Ridden by the Devil	p. 194
God's Wrath and Evil	p. 196
God's Understandable Wrath	p. 196
God's Incomprehensible Wrath	p. 198
God's Complete Efficacy Even in the Sinner	p. 199
Evil or the Evil One; "God as Devil"	p. 201
The Concept of Omnipotence and Form of Address	p. 206
The Stronger and Weaker Concepts of Omnipotence	p. 206
"Permission": Universal Talk about a Suffering God	p. 206
The Wrath of God as the Opposite Side of His Love	p. 208
Double Predestination	p. 209
Form of Speech	p. 210
The "Three Lights"	p. 211
"Through the Son, Our Lord": God as Mercy and Love	p. 214
"Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice"	p. 214
The "Happy Exchange"	p. 225
"I Believe That Jesus Christ ... Is My Lord"	p. 230
Faith in Christ the Lord	p. 230
Christ's Nature Is His Work - Christ's Work Is His Nature	p. 232
Communication of Attributes and Facing Outward	p. 234
God's Presence: The Holy Spirit	p. 239
"I Believe": "The Holy Spirit Has Called Me through the Gospel"	p. 239
"I Believe That I Cannot ..."	p. 240
"... but the Holy Spirit"	p. 241
"... Has Called Me through the Gospel"	p. 241
"... Just as He Calls the Whole Christian Church on Earth"	p. 244
"... in Which Christian Church, for Me and All Believers, He ..."	p. 245
Lively Spirit - Trustworthy Word	p. 246
Against the Spiritualists ("Enthusiasts")	p. 246
Against Rome	p. 247
Against Erasmus	p. 248
External Word and Modern Spiritualism	p. 249
The Triune God Gives Himself Completely in the Spirit	p. 254
The Church	p. 255
The Office of the Word	p. 257
The Marks of the Church (Notae Ecclesiae)	p. 259
Baptism	p. 264
Confession and Absolution	p. 269
The Lord's Supper	p. 270
The Office Connected with Ordination	p. 273
The Other Offices	p. 276
The Hiddenness of the Church	p. 278
Faith and Good Works	p. 282
Faith as the Source of Good Works	p. 282
Free for Servanthood	p. 288
Metaphysical Advance? - Ethical Advances	p. 290
Freedom	p. 294
"You Are Called to Freedom!"	p. 294
Following Christ Evangelically	p. 296
Ethics of Discipleship and Ethics of the Table of Duties	p. 299
Appropriate Evangelical Poverty	p. 303
Appropriate Evangelical Chastity	p. 305
Appropriate Evangelical Obedience	p. 305
Spiritual and Temporal Rule: God's Two Realms	p. 309
Pastoral Care Ethics	p. 309
History of Application, Misunderstandings, and Contrasting Positions	p. 311
"Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed"	p. 313
A Person Who Is a Christian and a Person Who Holds an Office	p. 318
Luther's Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount	p. 319
Ecclesiastical Law	p. 321
Current Application and Open Questions	p. 322
Concerning the Relationship between the Teaching about the Two Realms and the Teaching about the Three Estates	p. 324
Consummation of the World and God's Triune Nature	p. 326
Consummation of the World	p. 326
A Double Termination or Reconciliation for All?	p. 326
The Consummation of One's Own Life and the Consummation of the World	p. 327
End of Time	p. 330
Not the Last Thing, but the Last One	p. 333
God's Triune Nature	p. 334
Setting and Way to Speak about the Triune God	p. 334
Teaching about the Trinity, Distinguished from General Teaching about God	p. 337
The Triune God as Speech Event	p. 340
Time and Eternity	p. 342
Almighty God - Heavenly Father	p. 343
Promise and Prayer	p. 346
"Thus It Cannot Happen That the Prayer Is Not Answered"	p. 348
Promise, Dire Need, Faith, Earnestness	p. 351
Index of Names	p. 355
Index of Subjects	p. 359
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Literature	p. 371
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