On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther's Heidelberg Disputation, 1518

by Gerhard O. Forde, Martin Luther

While there is increasing interest in the "theology of the cross," few people have specific knowledge of what makes it different from other kinds of theology. Gerhard O. Forde here provides an introduction to this theological perspective through an analysis of Luther's Heidelberg Disputation of 1518, the classic text of the theology of the cross. The book first clarifies the difference between a theology of glory and a theology of the cross and explains how each perspective shapes the very nature of being a theologian. The main body of the book provides commentary on the Heidelberg Disputation — the only complete analysis of this document currently available. Underlying Forde's exposition is the contention that one ought not speak of the theology of the cross as merely another item among a host of theological options; instead, one must pursue what it means to be a theologian of the cross and to look at all things through suffering and the cross.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity, Church History, Philosophy

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 1997

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

[Matthew Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forde’s book titled, “On Being a Theologian of the Cross” is definitely a small shot of espresso. It only pushes past 100 pages but is a rich explanation of the heart of Martin Luther’s 1518 Heidelberg Disputation. He divides the 28 Theses of Luther into 4 digestible sections that are explained below.

The Problem with Good Works: Theses 1-12
Forde shares the dangers and problems with works in connection to salvation by grace through faith. Works become seductive when one is tempted into believing and/or depending on them as a basis for one’s worth or value eternally speaking. As a result one becomes addicted to their spiritual projects so as to acquire one more nature of works righteousness. Furthermore, works are a problem because they are ‘good’ on the outside but when done apart from faith they are in essence evil.

The Problem with the Will: Theses 13-18
Forde expounds on the problem of mankind’s will. It is bound due to the fall and becomes aggressive of the thought of having someone over top of it. Forde goes on to explain that the will is free to only do good in a ‘passive voice’ context yet free to do evil in an ‘active voice’ context.

The Great Divide: The Way of Glory versus the Way of the Cross: Theses 19-24
In theses 19-24 Forde lays out that a Theology of Glory and a Theology of the Cross can be thought of as two completely different theologies. From here the theses flesh out the implications of these two theologies in expressing that a supporter of Glory Theology consciously or subconsciously actually destroys and obstructs the cross of Christ. One of the ways that this happens is through a Glory Theologian’s rejection of suffering and reality in the context of their theology.

God’s Work in Us: The Righteousness of Faith: Theses 25-28
The final portions of Forde’s book focuses on the flow of righteousness. Does righteousness flow to faith or from faith. Furthermore Forde spends time on talking about the motivation of the Gospel.

Evaluation: In my humble opinion Forde’s book is one of the best and most important books that one could read in understanding the difference between Glory and Cross Theology. From Forde it is evident that one must analyze and understand their theological presuppositions when approaching scripture. The reason being, the lens of Glory Theology can subconsciously twist, impede and warp one’s reading of the Bible. Does man ascend to God or does God descend to mankind? Is righteousness obtained through active works or is it received in the passive voice as a gift. In other words, the two main exegetical presuppositions of Glory Theology (i.e. ascent theology and active righteousness) become a problem when these presuppositions are not addressed or realized when one approaches scripture. For when one approaches scripture with a lens of glory theology, the scriptures are read by putting the starting point and spiritual burden on mankind.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A text that every Lutheran should read -- that every Christian should read. This book is on the list of books that every confirmand should be handed for their classes.

Quotes:

It's not that we want to fulfill the law and can't, it's that we don't even want to:
"It is commonplace among evangelical Christians to believe that we can't perfectly fulfill the law, but we often try to because we assume that if we only could we would do it. So we believe that we must try to do something at least, and then, it is assumed, Christ will make up for our "shortcomings." But here is the bombshell: doing the law does not advance the cause of righteousness one whit. It only makes matters worse." pg. 24

"The law says, 'do this,' and it is never done. Grace says, 'believe in this,' and everything is already done." pg. 107

"Therefore sinners are attractive because they are loved; they are not loved because they are attractive." pg. 113

[Rick Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Luther. Forde's commentary...eh, there are some issues.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and convicting read. God does not discover but creates that which he loves. Great stuff.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

8 pages of quotes were highlighted - here's a few of the best....

"the soul's insatiable "thirst for glory" is not ended by satisfying it but rather by extinguishing it"

..."when we have no fear of the Lord and we instead presume to come before the Lord bustling with self-confidence in our own accomplishments, enjoying ourselves in our works, as Luther puts it, our works are deadly sins even if we think they are done with the help of grace. For then our works stand between us and God; they usurp the honor belonging only to God. This is a transgression of the first commandment. The self sets itself as an idol. Piety is no protection. "

"They see God working exactly through the horror of the cross. God's hidden and alien working in the cross is such that it reflects back on us and exposes our own lives. Thus the works do not become the occasion for pride, but rather humility and despair. We are led therefore not to credit our own account but to judge ourselves and to confess. The human works that once seemed attractive and good now have no form or beauty and are the cause of sorrow and despair."

"The law says, "do this," and it is never done. Grace says, "believe in this," and everything is already done."

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and understandable, Gehard O. Forde comments on the Martin Luther's Heidelberg Disputation. This book rocked my world, mostly because it helped me to understand a lot of the language that Luther used. I absolutely adore that one of my textbooks for a class will be a book I use for the future.

Main brunt: Justification is by faith alone, in Christ alone. Works cannot justify us. Theologians of the Cross understand this. This book gave me language to describe circumstances I have seen in the Christian world for years. Crazy that 500-year-old church literature is applicable to today. As the author of Ecclesiastes says: "There is nothing new under the son," and I would add with a cheeky grin, "Even heresy." Very glad to see the truth that scripture points to.

[Jenny-Flore Boston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theologians of glory do not understand the cross nor can they participate in Christ's sufferings -- they are too busy trying to find out the invisible things of God rather than accepting humility and taking up their cross. Theologians of glory avoid suffering in any capacity and claim it is a great evil, failing to realize that it is their good works that attempt to earn God's grace is the real evil.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luther is credited with initiating the start of the reformation, so reading this was very educational. I didn’t know much about him other than the 95 thesis. So it was good to read some of his doctrines.
At times it felt like we were walking in circles, but was a great way to look at our focus on works. Presenting life as two theologians was very helpful.
I’m glad I read this

[Annelise · Rating 3 out of 5]

"On Being a Theologian of the Cross", which I read at college for Christian Doctrine, walks through Luther's Heidelberg Disputation. Forde breaks each point down and explains it clearly. The book, of course, talks a lot about grace, faith, works, and what it means to truly be a 'Theologian of the Cross' rather than a 'Theologian of Glory'.

[Caden Cramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

About half way through, I realized I was a theologian of glory and was offended but by the end I realized that being a theologian of the cross is the only way. This is one book I’m sad is over because the enjoyment I had while reading it

Note: slightly antinomian towards the end

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply one of the most profound books I have ever read: the profound act of the Cross of Christ; the profound biblical texts thereof; the profound Luther as biblical expositor; the profound Gerhard Forde as translator of such truths.

[Élizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je pense que j’ai commencé à m’habituer au style d’écriture et à apprécier la lecture seulement après la première moitié. Vraiment heureuse d’avoir persévéré!

[Luis Dizon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gerhard O. Forde’s “On Being a Theologian of the Cross” is an illuminating exposition of Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation (1518). He unpacks the meaning of the 28 theological theses that Luther presented before the Augustinian order, and how these theses provide the foundation of for Protestant soteriology when it comes to the contrast between Law and Gospel, the bondage of the will, and absolute sufficiency of God’s grace when it comes to salvation.

All of this is presented in terms of a contrast between what are called the “Theology of Glory” and the “Theology of the Cross.” The “Theology of Glory” is used as a catch-all for sorts of theologies that look at God and salvation from the lens of human merit and human achievement. By contrast, the “Theology of the Cross” is the type of theology that sees everything from the lens of the work of Christ on the cross. Under this theology, human works or human will give way to God’s grace as displayed on the cross, or as Paul puts it, “it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Romans 9:16).

The book is divided into four chapters, each of which corresponds to a section of the Heidelberg Disputation. Chapter one, “The Problem of Good Works,” focuses on theses 1-12. Its aim is to show how we cannot attain God’s favour by any works that we do. Forde points out that while we recognize the problem of bad deeds, a more subtle danger arises in the form of good deeds that we think are meritorious before God. Such deeds turn out to be deadly sins if we glory in them or rely on them for our salvation. Contrasted with such human works are the works of God, which consist in humbling ourselves before God and relying on His grace.

Chapter two, “The Problem of Will,” focuses on theses 13-18. Here, Forde discusses a common error that theologians of glory fall into, which is to ascribe salvation to an act of will. Against this such a theology is the classic Augustinian notion of the bondage of the will, which Luther brings up and defends. His point is that our will, as long as it is in bondage to sin, can only choose what is earthly, not spiritual goods (cf. Romans 8:5-8). Forde thus states that the cross itself “is the evidence that we did not choose him but that he, nevertheless, chose us (John 15:16).”

Chapter three, “The Great Divide: The Way of Glory versus the Way of the Cross” focuses on theses 19-24. Here is where Luther first explicitly uses the term “theologian of glory” and “theologian of the cross.” He argues that any proper theology must be a theology of the cross. The contrast between the two is that a theologian of glory “calls evil good and good evil,” whereas a theologian of the cross “says what a thing is.” This entails resisting any tendency to shrink back from the absolute dependence on God entailed by the Gospel and to return to some form of self-effort.

Finally, chapter four “God's Work in Us: The Righteousness of Faith,” focuses on these 25-28. Here is where Luther brings his discussion into full circle. Having eliminated all works and willpower as conditions for salvation, he lays out how it is our faith alone that puts us right before God. By faith, he teaches, God’s love reaches into us and creates what is lovely in His sight (contrasted with human love, which merely seeks what is already there that is lovely). Such individuals He counts as righteous, and they can, by grace, boast that everything has already been done for them in Christ.

The Heidelberg Disputation can be a confusing read for those who are unfamiliar with the historical background of Luther and the Reformation, and Forde does a good job of clarifying the central points of his theology as found in the document. He takes Luther's points and shows how they are still applicable to our understanding of God and salvation today. I highly recommend this book as an introduction to Luther’s thought, and to broader Protestant theology in general.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I had read the Heidelberg Disputation as part of Luther’s Works, Volume 31 - and whilst I did enjoy reading through this “strange” academic approach (and that volume had other disputations in it as well), I was far from having a good understanding. This fine little book is a way to better understand it - and I would say a must read for all those interested in what Luther meant by his two theologians - the theologian of the cross, and the theologian of glory.

Whilst this book has helped my understanding, I am still far from understanding - which some would argue is perhaps appropriate. I would warn that just like Heidelberg Disputation itself, this book is not an easy read. I found myself often re-reading paragraphs to help wrap my head around things!

I do plan and reading this book again, once I’ve got even more Luther under my belt :)

[Jay Winters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Closing: Forde's concise book of reflections on the Hiedelberg Disputation that become the foundation for the Lutheran concept of "Theology of the Cross" is a short read that is relatively easy to read, given the complexity of the document that it seeks to unpack (the Hiedelberg Disputation).

In in, Forde separates Luther's 29 Theses into manageable chunks that then form systematic boxes to understand each of the unique points made by each thesis. Forde does a good job of structuring his book to allow entry into the complex and often counter intuitive thinking of the Theology of the Cross.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who was seeking to gain entry into understanding the concepts of the Theology of the Cross, anyone who wanted a refresher course before diving deeper, or anyone who wanted to use it as a devotional guide.

Book Opening: It is with a little trepidation that I'm opening this book again after years of putting it away at the seminary, but I'm working on a body of work that looks at generations and the theology of the cross and seeing what the two have to say to one another.

For those of you that are not Luther-dorks, the Theology of the Cross is a Lutheran theological lens through which we see what is happening in the work of Christ and our own lives. Essentially it boils down to this: We sin. God works His good work in us. The End.

A "Theology of Glory", the antithesis of "Theology of the Cross", puts stuff into the mix of that three sentence approach: We sin. [Well, sorta, but not really, at least not as much as that guy.] God works His good work in us [after we show we're worthy by doing some work on our own], [and then He applauds us for a job well done, something He couldn't or wouldn't do on His own.] [etc] [etc].

So, to get my motor running before I jump into bigger books on the topic, I'm reading Forde's quick little reflections. Here we go.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books was a mixed bag. First the good. Forde does a better job in this book than I've ever read anywhere of defining what the theology of glory is. You can find a number of books that do a good job of defining the theology of the Cross; but they usually give that definition with something along the line of "as opposed to a theology of glory, which is bad." Forde really goes into it thoroughly.

I have some reservations. Forde refers critically to LCMS as being extreme in affirming the Formula of Concord on the same level as the Augsburg Confession. My response is that the Formula of Concord is part of the Book of Concord which must be taken as a whole. We affirm all of it. Therefore, both, as component parts of that whole, do have to be taken that way.

Forde also undervalues Scripture in his effort to affirm preaching. He says, in his final chapter, that the Bible is the record of God's acts in the past, but that only preaching says in the present, "This is for you now!" To be sure, there are parts of the Bible that are principally records of past acts. There is little direct communication to us as we read that Menahem was an evil king who did not forsake the ways of Jeroboam. But there are also many parts that speak very directly to the reader today as surely as to the people to whom they were originally written, most obviously the Epistles, which speak directly to every reader in whom the Holy Spirit works faith (AC V; FCSD II.50).

[Alexis Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and challenging read. Forde summarizes and explains, well, Luther's Heidelberg Disputation. Specifically, he explores the tension between being a theologian of glory (works) and a theologian of the cross (grace/faith) and the merits and risks of each position. Forde is definitely a little denser than many modern Christian writers--some of the passages need to be re-read a few time to really 'get' his points. Still, I've no doubt he's a much easier read than the original Disputation, so I'm not complaining. I'm still wrapping my head around some of Luther's theological positions (as a recovering theologian of glory, some of this stuff is still really counter-intuitive), and many of Forde's/Luther's statements seem rather hyperbolic. I suspect this means I am not yet fully a theologian of the cross.

This is definitely a book that would, I imagine, improve upon re-reading (and re-re-reading, for that matter). There's a lot in here, especially for such a short book, and since I know I am constantly being tempted to embrace the theology of glory, I will need to revisit Forde often.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was closer to a 4.5-star work; it was superb through to about the last chapter where there were some minor points Forde made about works that I did not believe to be entirely in line with Scripture or that he could have been a bit more complete on for the sake of clarity (I also know that he rejects the 'Third Use of the Law' from the Lutheran Confessions so that may have played into my view of his commentary on Theses 26 & 27; his view on the 'Third Use' is also one reason why I cannot recommend any of Forde's other range of works).

BUT, that said: this is the best I have read of the topic of 'theology of the cross vs. theology of glory' and I highly recommend the work to every Christian. Really, the contrast of these theologies is Christianity 101 level stuff -- because at its heart is justification in Christ, which is what the Lutheran reformers hung the entire Reformation upon.

Also, SO many churches on the Evangelical (i.e. 'pop culture Christianity') landscape are wholly invested in the egregious 'theology of glory' and folks need to dig into WHY it is such a poisonous spiritual worldview.

[JD Veer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it is not explicitly portrayed as such, I definitely saw the theology of the Cross as a hermeneutical tool for interpretation. It sheds a very different, powerful, vibrant light on common passages of the Bible.

The focus here is the theologian of glory in me, in us. The one that wants to eclipse the responsibility of God in our suffering and dismiss the goodness of suffering. The suffering talked about here is the suffering of the patient whose operation is done/inflicted by the surgeon. Calling this suffering bad is calling the Cross bad. Let us not despise the Cross by trying to work ourselves up, but let us embrace the Cross as it is, an attack on the best we can offer, and hold dear the faith that says : "EVERYTHING is finished".

[J]

"For this reason, whether God works or not is all the same to him. He neither boasts if he does works, nor is he disturbed if God does not work through him. He knows it is sufficient if he suffers and is brought low by the cross in order to be annihilated all the more"

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this book twice. I am sure I will read it again. The Heidelberg Disputation has enough to keep one thinking for a lifetime.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great overview of the Theology of the Cross. It provides insight on Martin Luther's views and why the grace of God isn't always attractive to Christians.

[James Horgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just occasionally a book pops up on the top of your reading list that is a gem. And this is a gem.

A short work by a Lutheran minister in the mainline US Lutheran denomination who, later in his life, came to a position which he described as 'radical Lutheranism'. To this Reformed reader it seems he stumbled away from Liberalism into perceiving justification by faith.

Many are familiar with Luther's 95 Theses, which sparked the Reformation in 1517 as his hammer nailed them to a church door in Wittenberg. If you have ever read them you will find they have a very medieval flavour in their opposition to indulgences.

A year later Luther sought to sharply distinguish the way that justification by faith wholly undercuts every form of works religion that sat, festering, in every form of Catholic theology. This contrast was expressed in terms of opposing a Theology of Cross versus a Theology of Glory.

To be fair to Luther, he himself understood this as just one way of expressing this dichotomy and his later ministry was not couched in these terms. But this distinction served its purpose at this highly charged moment prior to Papal and civil wrath being poured upon him.

At the heart of the theses is number 22 : A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the cross calls the thing what it actually is.

Bear in mind this is speaking of the place of works in the Christian life. If you do not understand the thesis in that context, I venture to say you are probably not a Christian and you need to read this book. For those of us who do understand what this means, however dimly, the book is a paean to our coming as naked, bereft sinners to Christ's cross where everything that takes us there: our awareness of sin, our repentance, our faith, are gifts of God.

This is not a book to skim. It is one to ponder. The writing sparkles with wit and pokes in the eye every attempt we make to claim even the teeniest credit for our salvation. Here's a sample.

"The question of will and its freedom over against God and his sovereign grace has, of course, always been a difficult one for biblical faith. When it is asserted that we are saved by divine election, the protest is always raised, "We aren't puppets, are we? If everything happens by divine will, how can we be held responsible? We just can't accept such a God" There must be some freedom of choice!" But the point is that this kind of protest is precisely the proof of the pudding. It is evidence of theologians of glory at work defending themselves to the end. They actually admit that they cannot and will not "will" God to be God. Theologians of the cross who "see what a thing is" perceive what is going on here. They see finally that the will is bound to itself and cannot will God. This is just an honest observation of the truth of the matter, seeing the way things are. The will cannot move. It must say no to God, it wills so to do, and so will do it. If there is to be salvation, it cannot come by the will's own movement. That means there must be a death and a resurrection. The cross stands behind the question of the will. The cross itself is the evidence that we did not choose him but that he, nevertheless, chose us (John 15:16)."

There are many paragraphs and sentences of similarly pungent writing, whether from the author or in quotes of Luther who wrote his own commentary on the Theses.

Do I have any quibbles? Yes, three.
a. I was unconvinced by the explanation of Thesis 15 which suggested there was no covenant of works with Adam.
b. There was an unwarranted pop at those who try to explain what is happening in the atonement in forensic legal terms as if this is somehow a return to a Theology of Glory.
c. There is a denial of the Third Use of the law which is not Luther's actual position and overdoes the heuristic of the Theses.

These short paragraphs aside the rest of the book is still rated at five stars since it arrests the reader so forcefully and caused me to wonder at the grace of Christ to me, a sinner, at the foot of the Cross.

[austra]

A concise and clear exposition of Martin Luther’s 1518 Heidelberg Disputation, regarding theolog(ies), righteousness, and faith. Here, theology is the truthful speech about God as God has chosen to be known, namely, in the crucified Christ.

Luther’s fundamental distinction between a theology of glory and a theology of the cross is a central subject in this book, which are explained not as two emphases within the same system but two opposing theologies. A theology of glory begins with human capacity, reason, moral effort, and religious aspiration, assuming that righteousness can be achieved or at least cooperated with, and thus operates by ascent from humanity toward God; even when grace is affirmed, it subtly supplements human effort rather than replacing it. By contrast, a theology of the cross insists that God reveals himself precisely where human expectations are contradicted: in weakness, suffering, and the cross. And that righteousness comes only by God’s descent to sinners who are incapable of ascending to him.

This is why Luther, via Forde, speaks so sharply about "good works". The problem is not that works fail to save, but that they become spiritually destructive when they are trusted as a basis for righteousness, since works done apart from faith are rooted in self-reliance rather than trust in God. Similarly, the human will is not merely weakened but bound; it is actively free toward evil and only capable of good in the passive sense of being acted upon by God. This then eliminates any notion that faith or salvation begins with human choice.

The main question explored here is whether salvation is structured by human ascent or divine descent, and the answer, following Luther, is unequivocal: sinners are not loved because they are attractive or righteous, but become righteous because they are loved, for the law demands and is never done, while the gospel gives what it demands by declaring that in Christ everything is already done.

[David Goetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We are inveterate theologians of glory" (83). And Forde's goal, in these reflections on Luther's 1518 Heidelberg Disputation, is to shine a spotlight on the relentless attempts of Old Adam and Eve, those "old beings," to make their own way in the world, to see grace as "something of a supplement to whatever is left of human will and power" (16). He effectively shows that even moral earnestness is at root just a sneaky way to reject God as the source and sustainer of our life. He does a better job than pretty much anyone else I've encountered of showing the filthy-rag nature of even the best works of our flesh.

What he calls for instead, in exposition of Luther and conversation with him, is the theology of the cross. The creative love of God flows through the cross, through suffering, and only thereby makes us new. Forde frequently uses the language of addiction to delineate the difference between the theology of glory and the theology of the cross. As for the alcoholic "the humility to confess, 'I am an alcoholic,' is not a mark of despair but of hope," likewise the most hopeful course for us old beings is to say, "In my flesh I am dead," whereupon the Spirit of God makes us alive together with Christ.

You'll find pretty typical Lutheran emphases here: the distinction between Law and Gospel (though, as is somewhat frequent in recent Lutheran theology, there doesn't seem to be much space for the use of the law as a rule in the life of the Christian); the utterly passive nature of the person vis-a-vis the love of God, which creates what it requires; the alien and proper work of God; and so on.

In sum, the Christian life, including the work of doing theology, must be marked each moment by mortification and vivification, by repentance and faith. A much-needed reminder to inveterate theologians of glory, who are simul iustus et peccator!

[Mary Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is important because it outlines in the most profound terms what it means to be in Christ when our natural impulse is to restore ourselves to glory without him. This exploration of Luther’s theses in the Heidelberg Disputation was super helpful in explaining his theology and making clear the difference in two groups: theologians of glory and theologians of the cross.
Forde and Luther both compare us to addicts— addicted to sin and self— who are in desperate need of an intervention. This book tells us that the cross is our intervention. It is our good works done in pursuit of our own glory that keep us from seeing our need of the cross. Many of Forde’s (and Luther’s) claims can be summed up in the simple words of Paige Brown… “If you can justify yourself, who needs Jesus?”

This quote is too long but insightful:
“We adjust our doctrine of God to fit our glory projects. If God doesn’t “play fair,” how can our works count? Thus do we render God innocuous by our flattery. Instead of being brought to the praise of God, we bend our efforts to justify him. True knowledge of God, therefore, does not come on a theological platter. We are predisposed to distort things, to see wrongly, and to speak falsely. We construct a doctrine of God amenable to our projects. So the only way to know God is through suffering, the suffering of the one who saves us… God can be known and had only suffering the divine deed of the cross. The cross does not merely inform us of something, something that may be “above,” or “behind” it. It attacks and afflicts us. Knowledge of God comes when God happens to us, when God does himself to us. We are crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:19).” (89-90)

[Sooho Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I thought it fitting to read at least one thing Luther-related--and I'm very glad I did.

The Heidelberg Disputations (1518) is arguably Martin Luther's most seminal contribution (more than the 95 Theses!) to the Reformation and to the broader Christian theological tradition. However, his dialectical imagination can be quite perplexing! Therefore, Gerhard O. Forde, a Lutheran professor of Lutheran theology at a Lutheran seminary (he must be the right guy for the job!), sets out to unpack these 28 theses (tongue-twister!) as one coherent stream of argumentation for being a theologian of the cross, contra theologian of glory.

"Justification by faith alone" makes (fuller) sense when considered as the result of being a theologian of the cross. Unlike theologians of glory, theologians of the cross "say what a thing is" and are constantly beset and established by the cross--they cannot say less or more than God's cross before man.

Forde, in his introduction, confesses that it is very difficult to explain how to be or what is a theologian of the cross. And perhaps this is where Luther would say, "One becomes a theologian by living, by dying, and by being damned, not by understanding, reading, and speculation."

cf. www.sooholee.wordpress.com

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very densely “packed” discussion of Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation of 1518. I found it quite hard to easily grasp much of the author’s explanation, despite my being a lifelong Lutheran (68+ years). Don’t be surprised by the denseness of the material, as this is a college-level text. It will force you to reconsider and “unthink” what may have been your mainstream education in the Lutheran church. I was lucky to have a retired pastor (the one who suggested reading it) as a member of the men’s bible study group I have been in for almost 10 years. I would strongly, strongly suggest that if you decide to read it, it is best to be part of a bible study group with someone in the group who is well schooled in Lutheran theology, someone not just able to expound Lutheran beliefs, for the reason mentioned above regarding the book’s complexity. A thought a number of us in the group had was perhaps it would have been better to read the book in reverse, i.e., first being able to see Luther's final conclusions and then working backwards to read Luther's preliminary explanations of the Disputation. Of course reading it that way would not really have helped much. One thing this book did do was give me a much greater respect for Martin Luther’s thinking and ability to challenge the Catholic Church in the 1500’s.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forde does not ramble on. In a quick read he dissects the Heidelberg Disputation. He states the thesis and explains it succintly. I have read reviews saying that it is repetitive, but tat is Luther not Forde. Luther was trained in jurisprudence in Scholastic and Humanist Germany. The way of building an argument is to build on previous statements. There is repetition. Its a sales tactic. You get the customer to say yes to all of the little questions so that the big question is less of a leap. Luter discusses the differences between theologians of glory and the cross only after talking about what a theologian is. This is a nice sort read, barely over 100 pages. Easy to read in an afternoon or few sittings. It is may come as a surprise that tis, not te 95 Theses is truly what set off the Reformation. A great resource for the academic and the layman!

[Stephen Kilbøurn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short, but dense, book goes through the 28 points Luther made in the Heidelberg Disputation. It builds the case distinguishing between a Theologian of Glory and a Theologian of the Cross.

Theology of Glory looks at grace as a supplement to free will. It is like encouraging an addict to stop. A Theologian of Glory knows that something more drastic is needed than encouragement to break our addiction.

The Theologian of Glory is always looking through the poor and needy as a route to God. It is a respector of persons constantly looking for the invisible things of God hoping to see something behind the poor and needy. However, the Theologian of the Cross knows that God creates out of nothing.