Preaching and the Confirmation of the Sacrament: A Lesson from Nazi Germany
In the wake of Adolf Hitler’s ascension to power on January 30, 1933, as German pastors and theologians began to realize the dangers of National Socialism, one of the principal reforms Confessing Church leaders advocated was weekly celebrations of Holy Communion in the divine services on Sunday mornings. This marked a significant change from previous practice. By the turn of the century in Europe and North America, most Protestant churches had long since given up celebrating Holy Communion on a weekly basis, relegating the Sacrament to only a few times a year.
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Union with Christ in the Epistle to Diognetus, Ambrose, and Luther
Christ, in whom alone is our righteousness before God, not only makes us just from without, but personally comes and dwells within us. He simultaneously stands before the Father as our head, our representative, our mediator, our Savior, and sits with us in our struggles, our sufferings, and our daily failures and sins. He never ceases being our mediator before God, and he never leaves us personally stranded like sheep without a shepherd. We are declared righteous due solely to what Christ has done for us on our behalf, and we are daily renewed and strengthened as Christ is in us and is leading us toward that celestial city at the end of this often painful and difficult life.
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The Lutheran Doctrine of Justification in a Patristic Perspective: A Critique of Alister McGrath's Iustitia Dei
McGrath’s conclusions should be rejected as they are drawn from a biased and partial selection of church fathers that fails to accurately represent patristic thought and cannot support such wide and generalizing assertions as those made by McGrath. His treatment of specific church fathers should also be questioned, such as his treatment of Victorinus, which presents a view of Victorinus’s theology difficult to square with his own writing on the relevant issues.
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The Core Failures of Pro-Nazi Christians in the Third Reich
But race was not the only idol pro-Nazi Christians were tempted to worship. Many pro-Nazi Christians considered Hitler himself to be a savior figure, a new messiah that Providence sent to save Germany. He became an idol too. Hitler presented himself as a man mediating between the people and Providence, and we know the people put their trust in him to lead Germany into the Thousand-year Reich. Even as the Allies invaded Germany and the end was all but certain, there were still some who earnestly believed that Hitler could snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat.
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The Theology of Johann Gerhard: Exploring His Relevance in the Twenty-First Century, Part II
Gerhard’s works, albeit not as well-known as they should be, change the lives of those who read them. They truly transcend time. Because of Gerhard’s focus on the resurrection, on comfort, on theological acumen, on suffering, on oratio, meditatio, tentatio, on life, and on loss, his words and his insights hit his reader in ways that can only be received as if it were Jesus himself speaking to us. I am certainly not saying that Gerhard’s words are Spirit-inspired, but they are inspired words. Gerhard knew the heart of man, both in its depravity and in its deep need, and was able to speak God’s word clearly and rightly to it.
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The Theology of Johann Gerhard: Exploring His Relevance in the Twenty-First Century, Part I
Gerhard is a theologian for the twenty-first century, even though he came about four hundred years too early. His theology stands the test of time, but not many have read him today. His devotional work is exemplary, but we just have not spent the time in it that we should. The first part of this essay will serve as an introduction to Gerhard and his work. In a subsequent part to be published separately, we will explore some of examples of Gerhard’s work and why it is important for today.
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Theology: Theoretical or Practical?
Theology, the study of God and divine things, is the paramount discipline because it concerns the highest and most sublime realities. All Christians should aim to be good theologians, as all are called to believe and confess the truth. Yet, there is no Christian consensus regarding the classification of theology as a genus. In other words, there is no agreement about whether theology is a theoretical or practical discipline. This is an important matter, as it shapes how we understand the purpose of theology.
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"Holy Images Are Not Forbidden": Martin Luther against Iconoclasm
How does this discussion relate to modern Protestant Churches being afflicted by a lack of imagery? This isn't merely a stylistic choice, a preference for stylistic minimalism. For how you worship is a confession of what you believe. As with Luther, we should see and use iconography and images, especially the crucifix, as devotional aids. (They do say a picture is worth a thousand words!) The perspective of Luther and the iconodules demonstrate to us the need there is to recapture some of that love for iconography today.
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