Theologica Germanica

by Anonymous, Susanna Winkworth (Translator)

This work was discovered and published in 1516 by Martin Luther, who said of it that "Next to the Bible and St. Augustine, no book has ever come into my hands from which I have learnt more of God and Christ, and man and all things that are." It has since appealed to Christians of all persuasions. "To those who really hunger and thirst after righteousness; and who long to know what righteousness To those who long to be freed from sin itself while they live on earth; and who wish to know what sin is, that they may avoid To those who wish to be justified by faith by being made just persons by To those who cannot help trusting that union with Christ must be something real and substantial, and not merely a metaphor, To all these this noble little book will recommend itself; and may God bless the reading of it to them, and to all others no less."--CHARLES KINGSLEY, Torquay, Lent, 1854. Lamp Post is proud to present some of the finest Christian literary works of all time-writings that have affected the Church, touched the hearts of its leaders, and helped shape Christianity for two thousand years; timeless books that have endured and are deserving to be included among the Christian Classics.

Genres: Mysticism, Religion, Christianity, Theology

128 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2009

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central idea of this 14th century text is self-abnegnation, the idea that to truly serve God, to truly be one with him, we must first give up our own will entirely, acting entirely by the will of God. From this central tenant a few other ideas are developed, like the idea that all sin from the Devil himself to the most idle speech is ultimately caused by self will.

The writing is beautiful and the message is good. My primary complaint would be that the work feels almost too long, short though it is. The second half belabored the point of self-abnegnation while not adding much to the original thesis. Still, a book well worth reading both for its influence and for it's own sake.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a late medieval work of contemplative theology focused on denial of self and abandonment of self-will, which is identified as the primary sin in that it involves something other than complete surrender to God's will.

Luther loved this work; Calvin thought it somewhat subversive; the Roman church later banned it; I found it dry and repetitive, the reading of it a tedious slog. There are some moments of considerable insight, and a fair bit of helpful Biblically-rooted exposition; but overall it wasn't a particularly helpful read and I wonder if it really merits all the attention it's gotten.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

1 for weight. 1 for logic. 2 for style. 1 for research. 1.5 for affections. 6.5 for affections. I read this book because Pastor de Bruyn recommended it very highly. While this book had a number of soaring passages, overall it was disjointed. It read very similar to imitation of Christ, but its insights and content was not nearly as good. The book is a series of one and a half page sermons or commentaries on various verses. It reads like how one would imagine a Catholic, Episcopalian, or mystics devotional series. If you read 50+ books a year, and enjoy classic literature, it may be worth your while. Otherwise, don't bother.

[Ethan Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mix between a devotional work and a theological work, Theologia Germanica takes on the themes of goodness and sin in the teachings of the Scriptures to relate them to the frame of mind we will best flourish or flounder in ourselves.

The authors understanding of Christian maturation/sanctification is a hopeful and positive understanding. He even uses mystical language at times, similar to Athanasius, in conceptualizing that "God became man so that man can become God"

[Dafydd Job · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, which Luther highly valued, is a bit laborious in parts but many delightful gems to be found here, more especially towards the end.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting link between pseudo-Dionysus and Boehme