Among these charges is that Melanchthon denied the Real Presence and became Reformed on the Supper. Others state that he became a “receptionist,” limiting the real presence to the moment of reception. It is important to note, however, that there are scholars who stand outside of this apparent consensus. In his biographical sketch of Melanchthon, Dr. Scott Keith notes that it is very difficult to prove these charges from Melanchthon’s dogmatic/theological writings. A rousing defense of Philip comes from a lecture given at Concordia Seminary Fort Wayne back in 1988 by the late Lowell C. Green. Elsewhere, Green has noted that Article VII of the Formula of Concord really is a compromise between Melanchthon’s and Luther’s views. I myself would like to read Melanchthon as charitably as possible.
Read MoreForget your years of running, never heeding.
For His pursuit is amorous, not hating.
Reach out and touch the hem that stops the bleeding.
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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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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.
Read More“Keep watch with me,” he said, yet still we sleep—
And, dreaming, never dream of all his sorrow.
Alone the shepherd watches while the sheep
Doze unconcerned, undoubtful of tomorrow.
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Are there any significant problems for Anselm’s understanding of truth? I don’t believe so. While there may be dimensions or aspects of truth that Anselm does not consider, his theory should seem both plausible and tenable to those who grant that God is real and all things depend on him. For if all things depend on him, then the truth of any created thing must ultimately be defined by the relation in which it stands to God, and Anselm has provided an elegant and illuminating way of conceiving what this relation is and how God establishes it.
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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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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.
Read MoreAlong the river down to death
A fairy-nymph lives in the reeds
Who told in whispered, quiet breath
Of one returning from Hades.
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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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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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Some might object that that Aquinas’s conception of virtue is wholly incompatible with the Lutheran view of good works. After all, if faith is a necessary condition for good works and true virtue, in what sense can we speak of moral virtues that are attainable through one’s natural powers, especially in the case of those who reject Christ? Gerhard provides a straightforward solution. Even though only good works done in faith are spiritually good, the works of the unregenerate can still be deemed “morally and civilly good.” We can still consider their deeds and virtues “according to the substance of the act,” which is exactly the analysis that Aquinas provides. Even if the efficient, impulsive, and final causes of the works of the regenerate and unregenerate differ, the analysis of virtue according to the substance of the act remains the same.
Read MorePoor instrument am I, and so rejected—
Now sharp, now flat, now tarrying behind.
I flout the score the flautist has selected,
Mar the tune the player has designed.
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While less prominent than other theistic proofs, the argument from desire nevertheless bears several strengths. Perhaps its greatest asset is the ease with which someone can grasp the premises and conclusion of the argument, yet the proof remains sound enough to answer common nontheistic objections. Consequently, the argument from desire belongs in the toolkit of every Christian apologist.
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The worst harm from the decades of legalized abortion in the United States is probably the millions of dead human beings that none of us ever got to know. But I would argue, almost as bad has been the entrapment practiced on millions of women who found themselves unexpectedly in a tight spot, with an innocent new life suddenly blocking the way between them and their dreams, who had no externally enforced standards to keep them from taking the easy way out, and just rolling over it. If this life isn’t developed enough to say, “Don’t tread on me,” does it count when I do? “No,” the laws told them. “It doesn’t.
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Postliberal authors like Patrick Deneen rightly understand the dire situation of the modern west and the failure of individual rights to serve as some underlying philosophical basis for a functional society. Nonetheless, one does not need to abandon the liberal tradition altogether to correct course. Friedrich Julius Stahl provides a roadmap for us today to consider how it is that we are to think about the role of law, the nature of rights, and the common good in an era of increasing secularization.
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What then are these truths that matter most? They are truths which are spiritually nourishing. This means they are truths which concern who God is, who we are as human beings, what makes for a good life, and what awaits us after death. They are truths which make us aware of what our ultimate purpose is, and what beliefs, affections, and habits can serve as appropriate means to realizing that purpose. The Bible, being full of such truths, and in fact containing all of the ones that are truly essential, is the foremost example of a great book. It is the book of books, the enduring and timeless archetype by which all other books must be measured and evaluated.
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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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It would be wrong, however, to imply that fortitude is, in any way, an exclusively masculine virtue. This is where the claim that “fortitude means ‘to act like men’” requires careful qualification. Some species of fortitude are necessary for feminine vocations. Not only that, but some expressions of fortitude are only possible in feminine vocations, as we demonstrated above with motherhood. To be a good mother is to be patient. To be a good daughter is to be persevering.
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