In this first of three volumes addressing Luther's outlaw God, Steven D. Paulson considers the two "monsters" of theology, as Luther calls them: 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.
Steven D. Paulson is professor of systematic theology at Luther House of Study, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Introduction 1. Battle of Words 2. Moses, the bloody Husband 3. Amen Gloss 4. Hiddenness and Law 5. Saving Erasmus 6. No More Sleeping God 7. Judas and Necessity 8. The Painful Awareness 9. How Evil? 10. God, Evil, and Suffering Conclusion: Future Volumes of Luther's Outlaw God
"As suffering injustice, 'outrageous fortune,' and pain, humans encounter a God who seems not only indifferent to their plight but even pitted against them. Masterfully expositing both Scripture and Martin Luther's Bondage of the Will, Paulson shows that in the face of such disempowerment and destabilization human security is achieved neither through theodicies (defenses of God) nor self-improvement programs but instead through unguarded trust that, for Jesus's sake, God will grant sinners new life. Since preachers are at the forefront of proclaiming this promise, they especially will find this book most helpful in discerning when, where, and how to offer Christ as the 'preached God.'" --Mark Mattes, Grand View University "Paulson's book is compelling in the way it opens up and explains Luther's complex argumentation and shows how these two themes are intricately interwoven throughout. The author's style is clear, direct, and engaging. This makes the book accessible to readers at all levels, but students and teachers of theology will find it especially helpful as they ponder Luther's treatment of the deus absconditus." --Jeffrey Silcock, Emeritus, Australian Lutheran College / University of Divinity
