Lutheran Theology (Doing Theology)
<!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><!—[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object><style>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }</style><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p>'Unwillingto neutralize the core Lutheran teaching that God is in the business of killingoff sinners just so that new beings might rise in faith, Paulson holds thewider Lutheran tradition accountable to Luther's own unique distinction of thelaw as accusation and the gospel as promise. Here we learn much of theLutheran tradition—Paulson himself writes in the grand style of theologicalloci, approaching doctrine as outlined from Paul's argument in Romans.Paulson's approach to faith has an inerasable edge—if theology is to avoidbeing pointless, it must be for proclamation. Here is a theology beholdento God's word that does what it says and says what it does—finally remakinghumanity out of the nothingness of sin and death.' — Mark Mattes, Professor ofReligion and Philosophy, Department of Religion, Grand View University, Iowa, USA. </p><br  /> (Mark Mattes)<br  /><br  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p>'MartinLuther did not so much set out to reform the church as he did to reformpreaching. Steven Paulson gets to the heart of Lutheranism-not as adenomination nor as a movement-but as the preaching of Christ crucified for thejustification of sinners. Tracing the trajectory of Luther's preaching insubsequent centuries, noting how it bumps up against attempts to domesticate itsassertiveness or ground its doctrine according to one worldview or another,Paulson is persistent in following Luther's own evangelical logic in making thenecessary distinction between law and gospel, God hidden and God revealed toprovide contemporary readers with a vigorous introduction to the loci ofLutheran theology. With the epistle to the Romans as his framework, Paulsondeftly gives an account of Luther's confession of Jesus Christ and withprecision and literary craftsmanship identifies the use (and misuse) of thistheology in the church which bears his name.' - John T. Pless, AssistantProfessor of Pastoral Ministry and Mission, Concordia Theological Seminary, FortWayne, Indiana, USA. </p><br  /> (John T. Pless)<br  /><br  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><span><span lang="EN-US">'Lookingover Martin Luther's shoulder as he studies the Scriptures and into his heartas it hosts the battle between Satan's deception and doubt and the Holy'sSpirit's truth and trust, Paulson plunges into the depths of Luther's way ofthinking. He penetrates the Wittenberg reformer's intricate yet simple addressof the realities of human experience with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughouthe engages other representatives of Lutheran culture and tradition, criticallyand perceptively, as they repeated or departed from Luther's insights. Thisvolume aids twenty-first century readers in reaping a rich harvest from hisinsight for the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in ourday.' - Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, USA.</span></span> (Robert Kolb)<br  /><br  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><!—[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object><style>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }</style><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p>'Unwillingto neutralize the core Lutheran teaching that God is in the business of killingoff sinners just so that new beings might rise in faith, Paulson holds thewider Lutheran tradition accountable to Luther’s own unique distinction of thelaw as accusation and the gospel as promise.  Here we learn much of theLutheran tradition—Paulson himself writes in the grand style of theologicalloci, approaching doctrine as outlined from Paul’s argument in Romans. Paulson’s approach to faith has an inerasable edge—if theology is to avoidbeing pointless, it must be for proclamation.  Here is a theology beholdento God’s word that does what it says and says what it does—finally remakinghumanity out of the nothingness of sin and death.’ – Mark Mattes, Professor ofReligion and Philosophy, Department of Religion, Grand View University, Iowa, USA. </p><br  /> (Sanford Lakoff)<br  /><br  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p>'MartinLuther did not so much set out to reform the church as he did to reformpreaching. Steven Paulson gets to the heart of Lutheranism-not as adenomination nor as a movement-but as the preaching of Christ crucified for thejustification of sinners. Tracing the trajectory of Luther’s preaching insubsequent centuries, noting how it bumps up against attempts to domesticate itsassertiveness or ground its doctrine according to one worldview or another,Paulson is persistent in following Luther’s own evangelical logic in making thenecessary distinction between law and gospel, God hidden and God revealed toprovide contemporary readers with a vigorous introduction to the loci ofLutheran theology. With the epistle to the Romans as his framework, Paulsondeftly gives an account of Luther’s confession of Jesus Christ and withprecision and literary craftsmanship identifies the use (and misuse) of thistheology in the church which bears his name.’ - John T. Pless, AssistantProfessor of Pastoral Ministry and Mission, Concordia Theological Seminary, FortWayne, Indiana, USA. </p><br  /> (Sanford Lakoff)<br  /><br  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><span><span lang="EN-US">'Lookingover Martin Luther’s shoulder as he studies the Scriptures and into his heartas it hosts the battle between Satan’s deception and doubt and the Holy’sSpirit’s truth and trust, Paulson plunges into the depths of Luther’s way ofthinking. He penetrates the Wittenberg reformer’s intricate yet simple addressof the realities of human experience with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughouthe engages other representatives of Lutheran culture and tradition, criticallyand perceptively, as they repeated or departed from Luther’s insights. Thisvolume aids twenty-first century readers in reaping a rich harvest from hisinsight for the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in ourday.’ - Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, USA.</span></span> (Sanford Lakoff)