In 1961 the Wall went up. It divided East Berlin from West Berlin. It came to symbolize the Cold War and a divided Germany, East Germany and West Germany. My high school German teacher did not think she would live to see the Wall come down and Germany reunited. But she did, several years after she retired from teaching.
Here is an animated video by Deutsche Welle:
The Berlin Wall
Flags
Bayern, USA, Deutschland
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Living by Faith
,,Living by Faith: Justification and Sanctification“ is the first book of Oswald Bayer translated into English by Lutheran Quarterly Books. It is a brief book (86 pages) and is a quick and easy read. Overall, it is a good primer to introduce the novice into the theological world of Dr. Bayer, professor emeritus of the University of Tübingen.
There are many gems in this book, and I especially found chapters 3-5 to be theologically rich. Chapter 3 deals with the passive righteousness of faith, chapter 4 deals with faith comes by hearing, and chapter 5 deals with faith and sanctification.
Bayer’s passive righteousness of faith is a concise summary of what can be read in his ,,Theology the Lutheran Way“ book that is also translated into English. He also lays down some basic groundwork on the three estates (Church, household, and government) as places where God sanctifies us and uses us to sanctify others.
Bayer exhorts the power of God’s proclaimed Word. ,,Faith comes by listening to preaching. It derives from the Word of God, the external verbal Word. The passive righteousness of faith takes place only in virtue of the Word“ (Bayer 42). He does mention from time to time the Sacraments: ,,The future of the world derives from the present-day newness of the presence of God; the new creation now disclosed in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper turns the old perverted world into the past and restores the original world as creation“ (Bayer 65).
On page 50, Bayer challenges the formal and material principles of Protestant theology: ,,For many years Protestant theology has inappropriately distinguished between its formal principle (the authority of the Bible) and its material principle (the doctrine of justification)”. He counters with a quote from Luther’s preface to the Bible, “All the true and proper sacred writings agree on one point. They all preach and promote Christ. The proper touchstone for evaluation the books is whether we find that they truly promote Christ on not, for all scripture bears witness to Christ“ (Bayer 50).
Overall, Bayer’s book is a very sound treatment of Lutheran theology, especially as it relates to justification and the proclamation of the gospel.
There are many gems in this book, and I especially found chapters 3-5 to be theologically rich. Chapter 3 deals with the passive righteousness of faith, chapter 4 deals with faith comes by hearing, and chapter 5 deals with faith and sanctification.
Bayer’s passive righteousness of faith is a concise summary of what can be read in his ,,Theology the Lutheran Way“ book that is also translated into English. He also lays down some basic groundwork on the three estates (Church, household, and government) as places where God sanctifies us and uses us to sanctify others.
Bayer exhorts the power of God’s proclaimed Word. ,,Faith comes by listening to preaching. It derives from the Word of God, the external verbal Word. The passive righteousness of faith takes place only in virtue of the Word“ (Bayer 42). He does mention from time to time the Sacraments: ,,The future of the world derives from the present-day newness of the presence of God; the new creation now disclosed in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper turns the old perverted world into the past and restores the original world as creation“ (Bayer 65).
On page 50, Bayer challenges the formal and material principles of Protestant theology: ,,For many years Protestant theology has inappropriately distinguished between its formal principle (the authority of the Bible) and its material principle (the doctrine of justification)”. He counters with a quote from Luther’s preface to the Bible, “All the true and proper sacred writings agree on one point. They all preach and promote Christ. The proper touchstone for evaluation the books is whether we find that they truly promote Christ on not, for all scripture bears witness to Christ“ (Bayer 50).
Overall, Bayer’s book is a very sound treatment of Lutheran theology, especially as it relates to justification and the proclamation of the gospel.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Critical-destructive and critical-restorative
Dr. Armin Wenz puts forth the following one-two theme toward the end of his EXCELLENT essay entitled, "The Holy Scriptures as foundation and means of grace for the Church":
1. The chief relationship between Scripture and tradition can be described as critical-destructive (Wenz).
2. The second relationship between Scripture and tradition can be described as critical-restorative (Wenz).
While I was taught this and believe this, I have never seen these Reformation truths set forth with such powerful words. Wenz goes on to describe each relationship: "The rediscovery of Scripture and justification led the Reformers to the understanding that many traditions in the Church act contrary to the Scriptural message and had often replaced central aspects of the gospel. The second relationship between Scripture and tradition ... is indicated that Scripture has an effect on tradition and the work of Christians and that is salutary for the Church to build upon" (Wenz).
Wenz concisely and theologically puts forward the Holy Scripture and tradition, and does so in the appropriate order. Some traditions are detrimental, but others are salutary. The judge of traditions is Holy Scripture. If a particular tradition is detrimental to or according to the Holy Scriptures, then that tradition must be either reformed or removed. If a particular tradition is salutary, then that tradition should remain and be encouraged.
This sound Reformation approach is found throughout Wenz's essay, and there are many other beautiful gems in that essay as well.
1. The chief relationship between Scripture and tradition can be described as critical-destructive (Wenz).
2. The second relationship between Scripture and tradition can be described as critical-restorative (Wenz).
While I was taught this and believe this, I have never seen these Reformation truths set forth with such powerful words. Wenz goes on to describe each relationship: "The rediscovery of Scripture and justification led the Reformers to the understanding that many traditions in the Church act contrary to the Scriptural message and had often replaced central aspects of the gospel. The second relationship between Scripture and tradition ... is indicated that Scripture has an effect on tradition and the work of Christians and that is salutary for the Church to build upon" (Wenz).
Wenz concisely and theologically puts forward the Holy Scripture and tradition, and does so in the appropriate order. Some traditions are detrimental, but others are salutary. The judge of traditions is Holy Scripture. If a particular tradition is detrimental to or according to the Holy Scriptures, then that tradition must be either reformed or removed. If a particular tradition is salutary, then that tradition should remain and be encouraged.
This sound Reformation approach is found throughout Wenz's essay, and there are many other beautiful gems in that essay as well.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
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).
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).
Thursday, June 25, 2009
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 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.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
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.
,,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.
Monday, May 04, 2009
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
If you like this sermon, check out Pr. Charmley's blogs:
Free St. Georges
Strict and Particular
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