Martin Luther's Legacy : Reforming Reformation Theology for the 21st Century

This Volume Is A Unique Interpretation Of What Martin Luther Contributes To Renewed Appreciation Of Biblical Diversity. The Church In The West Is Struggling. One Reason Behind This Is That The Prevailing Models For Theology Have Imposed Logical And Modern Ways Of Thinking About Faith That Renders Theology Academic, And Therefore Largely Irrelevant For Daily Life. By Letting The First Reformer Speak For Himself In This Book, Mark Ellingsen Shows How Martin Luther's Theological Approach Can Reform The Church's Theology Today. The Real Luther--not The One Taught By His Various Systematic Interpreters--presents Christian Faith In Its Entirety, With All Its Rough Edges, In Such A Way As To Direct One How And When To Employ Those Dimensions Of The Biblical Witness Most Appropriate For The Situation In Which We Find Ourselves. -- Introduction : Luther The Reformer, Past And Present -- Scripture And Theological Method -- God And Trinity -- Christology -- The Holy Spirit -- Creation And Providence -- Human Nature, Sin, And Free Will -- Atonement -- Justification -- The Christian Life (sanctification) -- Church -- Ministry -- Sacraments -- Eschatology -- Social Ethics -- Conclusion : How Luther Still Reforms Us Today. Mark Ellingsen. This Palgrave Macmillan Imprint Is Published By Springer Nature. The Registered Company Is Nature America Inc. The Registered Company Address Is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, Ny 10004, U.s.a. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Preface 6 Contents 8 Abbreviations 10 Chapter 1 Introduction: Luther the Reformer, Past and Present 28 The Richness of Luther’s Theology 30 How This Approach Helps Us Understand the Reformation 34 The Way Ahead 37 Chapter 2 Scripture and Theological Method 45 Reason and the Knowledge of God 46 Scripture Alone (Sometimes) 47 Luther as Dialectical Theologian: Philosophical Roots 48 Luther the Literalist: The Result of Theological Development? 50 Allegory and a Liberal/Critical Approach to Biblical Hermeneutics 51 An Inerrant Scripture 52 Towards a Narrative Theology? 53 Other Alternative Hermeneutical Approaches 56 Letter–Spirit Distinction 57 Law and Gospel 59 How and How Far Should Law and Gospel Be Distinguished? 65 On Different Uses of the Law 66 Theology of the Cross 67 Black Presence in the Bible 74 Summary Reflections 74 Chapter 3 God and Trinity 101 A God of Wrath 107 Where Is God? 109 A Triune God 111 Chapter 4 Christology 122 Christ’s Two Natures 125 The Influence of Ancient Africa 126 More on Mariology 126 An Inconsistent Alexandrian 126 Why It Matters 127 Chapter 5 The Holy Spirit 134 Who the Spirit Is What He Does 135 Chapter 6 Creation and Providence 143 How God Created and What He Did: Dialogue with Medieval and Modern Science 144 Providence 145 An Omnipotent God, Totally in Control 145 Compromises of God’s Full Control 149 A God Who Struggles with Evil 150 Chapter 7 Human Nature, Sin, and Free Will 159 Human Nature 159 Sin and the Bondage of the Will 161 Concupiscence 163 In Bondage 165 Good News not Far Away 170 Chapter 8 Atonement 181 Satisfaction Theory 182 Other Alternatives 183 Whom Is the Atonement for? 184 Christ’s Descent into Hell 184 Closing Comments 185 Chapter 9 Justification 190 Characteristic Reformation Images 194 Why It Matters 200 What Happens When You Are Justified? 204 Justification as Conformity to Christ 204 Forensic Justification 208 Who Is Justified? the Doctrine of Predestination 210 Concluding Comments 216 Chapter 10 The Christian Life (Sanctification) 240 What the Christian Looks like 243 Baptism in the Christian Life 244 The Hiddenness of the Christian Life 245 Blessed with Freedom 246 The Spontaneity of Good Works 251 Simul Iustus et Peccator 256 Third Use of the Law? 259 Sin Bravely 263 Vocation 264 The Christian as Evangelist 264 Joy in the Christian Life 265 Prayer 266 More on Joy 268 Chapter 11 Church 292 Polity 295 Concluding Findings 297 Chapter 12 Ministry 302 An Authoritative Strand of Ministry 305 Chapter 13 Sacraments 310 How Many Sacraments? 310 Baptism 311 Infant Baptism 312 The Lord’s Supper 313 Confession 315 Chapter 14 Eschatology 321 The Harsh Reality of Death: Dialoguing with Alternatives 322 Soul Sleep 323 How We Will End up: Why We Don’t Know Much 323 Who Is Saved 324 Chapter 15 Social Ethics 329 Political Engagement 333 Luther on Economics and Poverty 334 Attitude Towards Jews and Muslims 338 Treatment of Africans and Slaves 339 Homosexuality and Marriage 341 Women 343 Chapter 16 Conclusion: How Luther Still Reforms Us Today 356 Appendix 360 The Bible and Theological Method 360 Law and Gospel 361 Authority 361 Relating Reason and Faith 361 God 361 Holy Spirit 362 Creation and Providence 362 Sin and Free Will 362 Atonement 363 Justification 363 Sanctification and the Christian Life 363 Predestination and Faith 364 Church 364 Ministry 365 Sacraments 365 Eschatology 365 Social Ethics 365 Index 366 Front Matter ....Pages i-xxviii Introduction: Luther the Reformer, Past and Present (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 1-17 Scripture and Theological Method (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 19-74 God and Trinity (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 75-95 Christology (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 97-108 The Holy Spirit (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 109-117 Creation and Providence (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 119-134 Human Nature, Sin, and Free Will (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 135-156 Atonement (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 157-165 Justification (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 167-216 The Christian Life (Sanctification) (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 217-268 Church (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 269-278 Ministry (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 279-286 Sacraments (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 287-297 Eschatology (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 299-306 Social Ethics (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 307-333 Conclusion: How Luther Still Reforms Us Today (Mark Ellingsen)....Pages 335-338 Back Matter ....Pages 339-348 This volume is a unique interpretation of what Martin Luther contributes to renewed appreciation of Biblical diversity. The Church in the West is struggling. One reason behind this is that the prevailing models for theology have imposed logical and modern ways of thinking about faith that renders theology academic, and therefore largely irrelevant for daily life. By letting the first Reformer speak for himself in this book, Mark Ellingsen shows how Martin Luther's theological approach can reform the Church's theology today. The real Luther--not the one taught by his various systematic interpreters--presents Christian faith in its entirety, with all its rough edges, in such a way as to direct one how and when to employ those dimensions of the Biblical witness most appropriate for the situation in which we find ourselves. -- Publisher, page four of cover