Luther's Outlaw God: Hiddenness, Evil, and Predestination

by Steven D. Paulson

In this first of three volumes addressing Luther's outlaw God, Steven D. Paulson considers the two "monsters" of theology, as Luther calls evil and predestination. He explores how these produce fear of God but can also become the great and only comforts of conscience when a preacher arrives.Luther's new distinction between God as he is preached and God without any preacher absolutely frightened all of the schools of theology that preceded it, and for that matter all that followed Luther, as well. That fear coalesced in various opponents like Eck and Latomus, but in a special way in Desiderius Erasmus.For Paulson, bad theology begins with bad preaching, and since the church is what preaching does, bad preaching hides the church under such a dark blanket that it can hardly be detected. He argues that the primary distinction of naked/clothed or unpreached/preached radiates out in all directions for Luther's theology, and shows what difference this makes for current preaching. Specifically, Paulson takes up the central question of all theology (and life): What is God's relation to the law, and the law's relation to God? Luther's answers are surprising and will change the way you preach.

Genres: Christianity

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2018

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort of... radical Lutheranism? Fascinating and brilliant. I still don't know if I believe it. But I loved reading about it. He flips things upside down and inside out and basically completely up-ends and reframes the way to think about humanity's relationship to God. Freewill. Predestination. Election. Salvation. All of it.

I especially enjoyed reading a theologian who puts Erasmus and Luther in conversation with each other. I probably got a better understanding of their theologies than I would have reading their original works.

Paulson was a student of Gerhard O. Forde.
See Forde's On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther's Heidelberg Disputation, 1518.
I look forward to reading the second volume: Luther's Outlaw God 2: Hidden in the Cross.
I want to read other books in this Lutheran Quarterly series, such as Captivation of the Will: Luther Vs. Erasmus on Freedom and Bondage.

[Ron Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Distinguishing between Law and Gospel" is almost a cliche in Lutheranism. But really practicing it is harder than it sounds - partly because most of Christianity ignores the concept altogether. We all instinctively associate God with Law. We assume if something bad happens it was because of something we did or failed to do. "It's all my fault; I must have done somebody wrong" as the blues song says.
Paulson demolishes the association of God with law brick by brick. It's not easy reading, especially early on as he goes through the history of Scholasticism. But it's well worth the effort. The companion podcast on 1517.org is a great aid for understanding. I look forward to Volume 2 where he dives into some relevant passages from the Bible.

[Adam Guthmiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whirlwind of a book that explores (and builds on) Luther's doctrine of the hidden God. The problem of evil is answered (or, in true Lutheran fashion, not answered?) and the comfort of God's election in the midst of affliction is proclaimed.

[Travis Heide · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book series is a rarity that attacks both Platonism and Existentialist strains in modern Christianity. Both impulses stem from John Milton's quest to "justify the ways of God to man." Volume 2 effectively demonstrates that Psalm 51:4 means quite the opposite.