Where God Meets Man: Luther's Down-to-Earth Approach to the Gospel

by Gerhard O. Forde (Foreword)

This book about Luther's theology is written out of a two-fold conviction. First, that many of our problems have arisen because we have not really understood our own traditions, especially in the case of Luther; and second, that there is still a lot of help for us in someone like Luther if we take the trouble to probe beneath the surface. It is an attempt to interpret Luther's theology for our own day. The fundamental theme of the book is the "down-to-earth" character of Luther's theology. In using this theme, Forde points out that we have failed to understand the basic thrust or direction of Luther's theology and that this failure has caused and is still causing us grief. Modern scholarship has demonstrated that Luther simply did not share the views on the nature of faith and salvation that subsequent generations have foisted upon him and used to interpret his thinking. This book attempts to bring the results of some of that scholarship to light and make it more accessible to those who are searching for answers today. The central questions of Christianity are examined in this fresh restatement of Luther's thoughtthe God-man relationship, the cross, the sacraments, this world and the next, and the role of the church. The author presents the "down-to-earth" character of Luther's theology in the hope that it will help individual Christians today to be both faithful to God and true to their human and social responsibilities.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Nonfiction, Christian

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Gerhard O. Forde was an American Lutheran theologian who wrote extensively on the Protestant Reformation and Lutheran Theology and tradition. He was professor of systematic theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and even after Dr. Forde's retirement in 1998 he remained active as a teacher and lecturer for several years.

Reviews

[Brandon Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! It helps the reader to reject the theology of the ladder to heaven that has become so commonplace in the Church today, and invites the reader to come to a place where he or she sees the Christian faith as liberation from the law, as a pathway of death and resurrection, and deals with the implications of that thought to the Christian life. What a great book! I highly recommend it!

[Jonas Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed me

I’m a seminarian on the path to ordination in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). I’ve read a lot (!) of theology books - both Lutheran and other. That being said, NO OTHER BOOK has changed me on the molecular level as this book has. This book provides the theology of a lifetime. This is definitely the first read of many.

[Ryan Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This book seeks to be a historical survey of the theology of Luther, and how this fits into the theological categories used today. The author spares no punches and goes straight to the heart of what problems people actually face in their Christian life looking for assurance. He points people to the objective means of grace as the revealed will of God for them. He posits a total rejection of the substitutionary or debt based model of the atonement, which I would disagree with him on, however, I think that it would be very inaccurate to say that he is denying the sufficiency of the atonement. He makes it very clear that Christ needed to die a real death to redeem humanity from death, so in what seems to be his "diminishing" of the atonement he is putting forth what he sees as the central importance of the death and resurrection of Christ. I rate this book four instead of five stars for two principal reasons. He brings up the issue of perseverance, and the issue of being terrified of lacking therein, not dying in a correct "state of grace", but seems to only answer the question by saying that God doesn't work that way. I did not expect a full systematic on it, but with the question raised I think he should have expanded a bit more, which he may do in other works. The other star removed is for the end of the book, where he asserts boldly that a necessary consequence of the doctrine of Luther reaffirmed in his book result in a total separation of Church and State, and in a sense with where it is placed this sort of individual liberty in a civil sense seems to take a central point in this book, even if brief, which to me is a divergence from the topic. Overall I think it was a fantastic book that everyone who enjoys reading theology should also read, and no matter how much you disagree, I think you will come out of it with a deeper appreciation for the humility of Christ, however you understand that in your theology. I look forward to reading more of Forde.

[Cool_guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gerhard Forde describes Lutheranism as a sort of materialist religion, not in the Weberian sense but in the actual experience of Christianity. God doesn't add up all your sins and good deeds to calculate if you've gained an entry ticket to heaven. Nor is he merely an example which you should follow as an inspiration and try to emulate, because he was the best guy to ever live. He calls this ladder theology, the idea that if we do enough of the right things, we transcend to heaven.

Forde contrasts ladder theology with Martin Luther's theology of the cross. We are creatures, he says, living beings created by God, rather than a holding tank for the soul. God wants us to embrace our creatureliness, but as creatures, we can't know God beyond what has been revealed to us in our own world: the death and resurrection of Jesus, represented by the sacrament (baptism, Eucharist, and the Word).

We live in God's creation, and we should admire it, but it is nevertheless not the same as the sacrament. He’s not going to show up in a beautiful vista, no matter how hard you squint at it—like one of those Magic Eye pictures.

The logical consequence of Luther's theology is predestination. If you need to experience God directly to be saved, and you don’t convert or have the good fortune to be born into a Lutheran family in northern Minnesota—or wherever else they reside—you won’t receive the sacrament. But how do you know if you're *really* receiving the sacrament? This doctrine, as we all know, fills the believer with the same horror and fear that Luther sought to escape.

It seems to me that the doctrine of predestination turns God into a liar. A Christian would retort that of course I'd make that claim, because I'm not a believer. Fair point.

Finally, Forde speaks of demons but never really clarifies what he means. He argues that—though none of us will know for certain—perhaps evil is God's way of showing good, i.e. Jesus. If this is true, then the sacrament would need to be expanded to include blood and horror.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this little book - at the same time, I was kicking myself for not having read it many years ago! This is an excellent book for getting an insight into what Luther was on about - to get the the heart of the Reformer. As a Lutheran from a non-Lutheran background, I think this would be an excellent read for those from other denominations. As I believe the Author successfully points out, it is not the Lutheran Church that is the focus, rather it is the Christian Church that is the concern of the Reformers.

The Author gives good coverage of the Two Kingdoms and how it relates (and doesn't relate) to the modern concept of separation of Church and State. Plus I think he does a good job of briefly looking at the 1525 Peasant Uprising and the theological reasons behind Luther's actions and responses at the time - whilst not excusing those we struggle with today.

This is an easy read, and I highly recommend it.

[Marissa Ilnitzki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very heady and redundant. I appreciated his explanation of "theology of the ladder"- people striving to meet and talk with God in some removed space in contrast to God being all around us. He missed the mark though on talking about other ways God is present rather than just in the earthly sacraments. I appreciated his general themes, but the book is a tad dated and left me wanting to say something back. Putting this on a shelf of books I would love to read and discuss with others.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book and should be required reading for a Lutheran. Forde does a great job of explaining the challenges that we (man) has placed into the church and how our view is corrupt, that we view our religious life as a ladder. I will need to read it again at some point, in order to more fully grasp the message...but the first go was wonderful. It's a small book, but not a quick read.

[Stephen Bozeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great classic by Gerhard Forde. Focus on communicating the best of Luther’s theology to modern ears. One of the books that led me away from all forms of ladder chasing and legalism. Highly recommended.

[Arthur O'dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop trying to climb the ladder to heaven! A short but powerful introduction to Luther's theology, in particular justification, the bondage of the will, and the theology of the cross.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this classic from time to time. Started it for Reformation last fall (Oct 31). It's accessible to lay people. The heart of the gospel, no ladders.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This concise overview of Luther’s gospel theology is excellent. I only wish it would include citings to Luther’s writings as major points are made.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Pastor recommended this book. I purchased the book and it took me a long time to read and it was a slow read for me. I actually ended up purchasing it in ebook form to try and read again at a later time. Hoping to get some thing from it a second time.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mar 3 22
Though Forde and I have our disagreements as mentioned below, I realized in some ways I wasn't really "putting the best construction" on his work. So I wrote the following piece to highlight what I think he got right: https://mbird.com/literature/at-the-c...

Jan 15 22
Forde throws substitutionary atonement out, which I think is a mistake. He backpedals a little, and ultimately says there “is no real difference” between theories of the atonement “as long as we are talking about a theology of the cross,” but later disparages it again. And he quotes/refers to Luther a lot more than the scriptures, which is unfortunate (and I say that as someone who really likes Luther!).

There’s a lot of good throughout the book too, though. I’ll have to chew it over for awhile. Review to be continued.

[Jeremy Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best book I have read on Lutheran theology. Every chapter is densely packed with good stuff.

The book is short, but it says more than longer books with the same scope.

I will be adding this to my once a year reading list. I need this book to become part of me.

I do have one beef with the way the book is written; there are no scripture references on which to ground anything he talks about. I guess one could go to Luther who uses scripture in the source material, but this book should be footnoted.

[Doug]

I can't really review this book but I can say that it helped me to better understand what I know. Some times in our actions it seems there is a very fine line between Luther's teachings of law and grace and how we approach those teachings in our life. It seems that we can move from grace to earning points easily.

[Michael Catalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book methodically dispels the idea that Christians must climb a ladder to Good through good works and behavior and, instead, espouses the idea that Good meets us where we are, understanding the human things we do. Forde grants great clarity to Luther's theology while providing commentary on current issues in the church. A must read for any interested in learning more about Christianity.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book enough. I bought a used copy on Amazon, passed it on to others, after I read it twice. Will get another copy and read it again and again. It is worth reading yearly. I never tire of hearing Where God Meets ME.

[Inger Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, accessible exploration of the core of (an) interpretation of Luther's theology. Provides a nice critique and contrast with the (perhaps louder) voices of decision theology. For me, it is a review and refresh of my Lutheran Confessions seminary class!

[Christopher Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compellingly wrong, and therefore dangerous.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I borrowed the copy I read, but I'd like to get one of my own. This is a book I will want to refer to again and again.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lot to chew on. Now that I'm finished, I kind of feel like I should turn around and start the book all over again!

[Tamara]

Recommended by Bruce Zittlow for Rick.

[Dale S Westervelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! A book that I shall quote and re-read for the balance of my days.