Oswald Bayer and the proclaimed Word

The following is a compilation of one of Bayer's themes in ,,Theology the Lutheran Way":

God is in relation, in us, by speaking to us and addressing us. He addresses us in the word of promise, so that we can answer Him in faith (Bayer 20). The notes to Luther’s 1531 Lectures on Galatians say: God’s justification by humans in faith and the condemnation and denial of God through unbelief (Bayer 20). It is Christ’s office and work to put an end to the conflict between the naked God (deus nudus) and sinful humans (homo nudus) and to overcome such a fatal confrontation so that God can speak to sinners and mercifully rescue them (Bayer 21). He saves them from death and from being curved in on themselves (Bayer 21). God does not deal [act] with us, nor has He ever dealt [acted] with us otherwise than through the word of promise (Bayer 21). We in turn cannot deal with God otherwise than through faith in His word of promise” (Bayer 21). Everything depends on God’s performative word for the enactment of the promise of the forgiveness of sins and the healing of our ingratitude towards the Creator (Bayer 88). The performative word derives its competence, it’s authority, from the resurrection of the crucified Christ (Bayer 90). For Luther, worship has to do with the enactment of the word and faith, of promissio and fides (Bayer 89). For God does not deal, nor has He ever dealt, with us except through the word of promise (Bayer 89). We, in turn, cannot deal with God except through faith in the word of His promise (Bayer 89).

Gottesdienst (Divine Service) is first and last God’s service to us, the sacrifice He made for us in Christ, which He distributes to us in the particular Divine Service: ,,Take and eat! I am here for you!“ (Bayer 90). We misunderstand this Divine Service, which is meant to delight us, if we want to give as a work what we are meant to take and receive as a gift (Bayer 90). We receive through the ,,priest,“ as the servant of the divine Word, ,,the promise and the sign, and we receive the Lord’s Supper passively“ (Bayer 90). The Lord’s Supper is not a sacrifice we offer, but something we passively receive (Bayer 90). The Words of Institution are performative words that give what they say (Bayer 91). God’s giving leads to us loving others (Bayer 91).

Luther speaks of the Word and the Sacraments as performative words that are active and effective words (verbum efficax) (Bayer 130). We can call the gospel in the Sacraments as the ,,embodied word“ (Bayer 139). Theology then does not refer primarily to a ,,doing“ or ,,knowing“ or ,,feeling,“ but to a word, a particular word. For what we can say of the word we can say also of faith (Bayer 139). Only if the word is promise (promissio) is faith really faith (Bayer 139).

Theology focuses on the speech used in the Divine Service, namely, promise and faith (law and gospel) (Bayer 94). Theology is a doctrine of forms and as such it preserves the findings of form analysis (Formgeschichte) (Bayer 94). Theology also studies history in light of the promise (Bayer 95). The dependence of faith on the Word is to be recognized, objectively and concretely, as history (Geschichte), and not, subjectively and abstractly, as historicity (Geschichtlichkeit) (Bayer 100). Theology is a theology of Anfechtung: it involves trial, testing, and spiritual attack (Bayer 95). Theology is Christological: it can only speak of the God who speaks to us through the history of Christ (Bayer 95). God’s wrath and judgment are forms of His love (Bayer 96). Theology is practical and experience: God is active; we are passive (Bayer 96). Unfortunately, people of modernity understand themselves primarily as doers and actors (Bayer 111). The human heart is an ,,idol factory“ (fabrica idolorum) (Bayer 190). The other gods have their reality in their promises and enticements, as either something fascinating (fascinosum) or frightening (tremendum), in the sense of a power that is given to them by the human fabricating heart (cor fingens) (Bayer 198). The passivity associated with the political use of the law (usus politicus legis) should be understood differently than the other three passivities (Bayer 114). For when God works through His law to preserve His creation, the human agent (homo agens) works with Him (Bayer 114).

The word always comes first and faith follows the word; this is the criterion of the true Divine Service (Bayer 89). Religion is not a private matter (Bayer 89). Faith is nothing but ,,a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God“ (Bayer 92). God, and God alone, does His work in us (Bayer 92). Faith is primarily a receptive life (vita passiva) (Bayer 93). Faith kills not only works if they are misused for self-justification, faith also kills reason if it is wrongly used for the purposes of self-justification (Bayer 110). God’s unity can only be confessed and believed (Bayer 198).

Theology the Lutheran Way

I just finished reading the translation of Oswald Bayer's ,,Theologie" which in English is entitled ,,Theology the Lutheran Way". The book is a solid presentation of Luther's theological approach. The first part deals with Luther, and Bayer presents his text via two methods: 1. we passively receive Christ's gifts, and 2. theology is undertaken by Scriptural study, trials, and prayers. Bayer also puts forward the thesis that theology is both academic and liturgical, and therefore both sides of theology must remain together, even if they do so in tension. That is a classic Lutheran approach.

The translation of this work is exceptional. The German language can be verbose (by American English standards), but the translator has treated us to a smooth and easy to read translation of Bayer's text. I highly recommend it.

Two other books written by Bayer have been translated into English: ,,Living by Faith: Justification and Sanctification," and ,,Martin Luther's Theology". I have both of these books as well, and I am in the process of reading his ,,Living by Faith".

Check out this link on Bayer's biography.

Also see the website for the University of Tübingen. Bayer was a professor of systematic theology for many years at Tübingen.

The Philosphy of Identity

While reading through Oswald Bayer's book, ,,Theology the Lutheran Way", I came across this interesting quote:

,,In this sense, the modern philosophy of identity has altogether perverted the promise [the gospel] and made it into a form of self-referentiality [favoredness], directed back reflexively to the human ego, which thus claims to be able to verify itself But this philosophy is pure atheism.... People want to speak the truth about themselves but in the process they make God into a liar: Homo verax -- deus mendax [Humans speak the truth – God lies] (see, on the other hand, Romans 3,4)" (BaYer 133). [»Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true« (Romans 3,4)].

Essentially, Bayer is saying that the modern philosophy of the ego is nothing else than a philosophy that usurps the First Commandment: You shall have no other gods except Me. Bayer calls this atheism; we can also call it idolatry, for to say there is no God is essentially idolatry, for then the god that really exists is one's self. And that is nothing more than the first temptation into sin that we find in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to take and eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. That tree had been forbidden to them, and it was enforced with the threat of death. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to become like God, in essence, to take God's place and put themselves as the center of the universe and the lords of what is right and wrong.

Bayer argues that if we get caught up in this modern philosophy of identity, then we will become obsessed with the gift of our individuality and freedom. What then happens is that we end up losing the gift of the gospel and the giver of this gift, namely, God Himself (Bayer 134). Bayer argues that it is the responsibility of theology to challenge such athieistic and idolatrous philosophies and their attack on religion (Bayer 133).

The central object of theology is the gospel, and this is located in the promise that gives freedom (Bayer 134). The subject of theology is the performative word (Bayer 134). The gospel does what it promises and gives what it promises. The Holy Spirit uses the gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected for us and our sins to give us the forgiveness of our sins and our sinfulness. The gospel is a powerful word of God that performs what it promises. In this gospel we find true freedom: freedom from our sin and freedom to live as God's children who love our neighbors and help them.

The Two Commissions

Pirate Christian Radio recently aired a sermon preached by Pastor Gervase Charmley entitled ,,The Two Commissions". You can listen to it here. The sermon is the last 50 minutes or so of the podcast.

If you like this sermon, check out Pr. Charmley's blogs:

Free St. Georges
Strict and Particular

Germans not flocking to church this Easter

Deutsche Welle has a brief article on Germany and Easter.

I am sure pastors and churches in Germany would like to see church attendance rise, especially at Easter. Here in the American northeast, it seems as if Christians are of the same mindset as those mentioned in the DW article, with the same percentages even.

I have been told and taught that we are now living in a post-modern Western society. I am not so sure about that. There certainly seems to be a strong modern ideal in my corner of the American northeast. Post-modernism, while it claims to be a return to things spiritual as an essential part of the human experience, does not necessarily translate to higher attendance at religious festivals or even in an interest in faith or God.

We do seem to be living in a post-Constantinian Christian world and living more in a first century world, as far as the Church is concerned. That is not necessarily a bad thing. To be sure, it is certainly a more challenging environment where Christianity is one of many religious possibilities for people to believe. It is also an exciting time, where each challenge also brings with it God's blessings. Hopefully, it will be a time of less obession with numbers, attendance, and finances, and more attention and delight in people and relationships: people with one another and people with Christ.

Time will certainly tell the tale. Perhaps the classic Devo song from the very early 1980s sums it up best: We're all living in a post-post-modern world.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!

Christos aneste! Alethos aneste. Hallelujah!

Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist auferstanden ist. Hallelujah!

Kristus er oppstått! Han er steget virkelig. Halleluja!

Battlestar Sonatica - Baltar's Theme

This piece was written for BSG to musically score Baltar's experiences on the Cylon basestar. It has a classical sound to it, but when paired with Baltar it has a requiem-like tone in regards to who he is and what he has done.

It is interesting that the official title of this is "Battlestar Sonatica" and that it was written specifically for Baltar's character. In an earlier blog I noted that BSG seems to focus on Baltar's fall from grace and his redemption.

A couple of weeks ago I watched some of the original BSG episodes from 1978. The original Baltar character is similar to the reimaged character. Both fall from grace and both are redeemed, although in the original series Baltar's redemption is not fleshed out completely or satisfactorily.

"Battlestar Sonatica" has a somber and sad mood. This fits Baltar perfectly because, although he is directly linked to the annihilation of the colonies and also responsible for signing (at gunpoint) the authorization fo the Cylons to round up and execute Human resistance fighters on New Caprica, Baltar experiences extreme angst and Anfechtung throughout the series. This occurs all the while when he is receiving visions from God. BSG did an excellent job keeping this tension, especially when Baltar (and we the viewers) were not sure if he was only a con-man, delusional, suffering a nervous breakdown, or really chosen to be an intregal part of God's plan for Humans and Cylons. "Daybreak" finally settled the issue: he was really getting guidiance and visions from God; he really was an agent in God's plan.

The weakness of the BSG series regarding Baltar's redemption is that there was no real, specific person who took upon him or herself Baltar's guilt and paid the price for his freedom. The closest we get is when he is on trial and Lee Adama becomes his lawyer. Lee's passionate arguments persuaded the jury to find Baltar "not guilty" of his crimes against humanity on New Caprica. The deciding vote on this verdict was Adm. Adama.

No human ever tried to save Baltar out of the pure goodness of his or her heart. Lee came the closest, but his reasoning for defending Baltar was not out of kindness or love, but because he believed everyone deserved a fair trial. Lee probably wouldn't have been too heart-broken had Baltar been found "guilty" because, after all, he got a fair trial.

In a small way, Baltar and Caprica Six are BSG's Abraham and Sarah characters. Yes, they imperfectly fit that description, but both Baltar and Caprica Six believe in a monotheistic God. In Baltar's case, he, like Abraham, left a polytheistic culture and embraced the one God. Baltar's farm on Earth is akin to Abraham's settling in Canaan -- the future promised land. If we play this theme out, then Baltar and Caprica Six are the forerunners in the BSG universe for monotheism. Like Abraham, Baltar is still a sinner while also a saint, albeit in Baltar's case his sins make Abraham's pale in comparison. Nevertheless, Baltar seems to embody the monotheistic concept, faith, and justification by faith when he deserved nothing but a sack over his head and a firing squad.

Baltar, then, becomes the character who embodies hope and deliverance from God. He becomes the character who embodies hope for all people. I read one blog where the person was upset that after all Baltar and Caprica Six had done, they get to enjoy a lush piece of land on Earth. Well, that's what happens to those who are redeemed and delivered -- they get what their actions don't deserve, they get grace instead of condemnation. This is the whole point of justification -- someone else merits our salvation. There was no mediator and propitiator for Baltar, but we have one who is called Jesus Christ. He suffered, died, and rose again for us. Praise God for His great gift.