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Friends of the Law: Luther's Use of the Law for the Christian Life
Charges of forgery, heresy, legalism, and immorality turn on the question of whether Martin Luther taught a third use of the Law for the Christian life. For the past sixty years, well-meaning scholars believed they settled the question with dire consequences.
Friends of the Law sets forth a completely new body of evidence that shows how little Luther s teaching was understood. This new book looks at the doctrine of the Law and invites a new consensus that could change the way Christians view the Reformation and even their daily walk with God.
data tables
translations of passages not available in English
appendices
bibliography on Law and Gospel
Friends of the Law sets forth a completely new body of evidence that shows how little Luther s teaching was understood. This new book looks at the doctrine of the Law and invites a new consensus that could change the way Christians view the Reformation and even their daily walk with God.
data tables
translations of passages not available in English
appendices
bibliography on Law and Gospel
- GenresTheology
326 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 1905
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 3, 2026
Recommended to me by my Pastor, I have found this work to be a most concise work regarding the ‘third use of the law’ as well as the controversy surrounding it in more modern lutheran theology.
Engelbrect surveys Luther’s entire career, outlines his use of the law and his terms to describe the law, both for the Christian and heathen alike. Engelbrect likewise does not conduct his survey in an echo chamber, his use of primary sources of critics; Elert, Ebeling, Forde, as well as his use of both Calvin and the theologians at Trent, shows to what lengths Engelbrect conducted his research.
After the surveying of Luther, he moves on to briefly survey both the FC and Melancthons own progression of thought to show the continuity and at times divergence in thought between theologians. Anyone with an interest in the discourse around the third use will find much to ponder over in this survey of theology.
Engelbrect surveys Luther’s entire career, outlines his use of the law and his terms to describe the law, both for the Christian and heathen alike. Engelbrect likewise does not conduct his survey in an echo chamber, his use of primary sources of critics; Elert, Ebeling, Forde, as well as his use of both Calvin and the theologians at Trent, shows to what lengths Engelbrect conducted his research.
After the surveying of Luther, he moves on to briefly survey both the FC and Melancthons own progression of thought to show the continuity and at times divergence in thought between theologians. Anyone with an interest in the discourse around the third use will find much to ponder over in this survey of theology.
April 1, 2020
I thought this was a descent book that defended all three uses of the Law according to Luther. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a historical survey on the uses of the Law in Christianity. It seems though that the author needed to get his dig in on LGBTQ folks with one paragraph in the conclusion, which is a shame. Other than that part, I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews