I just received this in the mail. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, other than that I have thoroughly enjoyed other works by Oswald Bayer. But, upon receiving it, and just reading through the translator's introduction, and Bayer's preface, I find myself overcome with excitement.The basic premise is that theology, properly speaking, is not our work, but God's as he approaches us through his Word. We experience this through Gottesdienst (the divine service), in the broad sense, where we receive God's Word and work through special and general revelation (meditatio), and respond to it through faith and prayer(oratio), or their opposites. Life therefore takes on a "liturgical" shape, which properly is the "receptive life" (vita passiva).
If this doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will. I think I can safely say that Oswald Bayer is the best thing to come out of Continental Lutheran theology since the "reasonably conservative" Helmut Thielicke.
I will most likely be posting selections from it and posts in response to certain concepts. Despite this, I would highly recommend people going out and getting their own copy, I believe you will be blessed in the doing.
6 comments:
Dear Joel,
I'm a fan of Bayer, and have the two books published by LQ. Where else can I can find his other works?
Thanks.
Besides the two from LQ, there are articles that can be accessed online:
Rupture of Times: Luther’s Relevance for Today
http://www.lutheranquarterly.com/Articles/1999/1-Spring/lut131_03.35_50.pdf
"Justification as the Basis and Boundary of Theology" (basically Living By Faith)
http://www.lutheranquarterly.com/Articles/2001/3-Autumn/lq153_02.273_292.pdf
Partials of: "Social Ethics as an Ethics of Responsibility" and "Worship and Theology"
http://books.google.com/books?id=qSKGOYkCUoMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=oswald+bayer&sig=ACfU3U2njofkrkU1YoGXJ44pvxZXCPkh_Q#PPP1,M1
And a new book being published, that will be available later this month: Martin Luther's Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Luthers-Theology-Contemporary-Interpretation/dp/0802827993/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223440293&sr=8-1
And if you want to spend money...there are quite a few other articles listed in Theology the Lutheran Way's Bibliography. But only the three books in English (other than Worship and Ethics, the partial articles of which I have listed).
Thanks, Joel. I find your website very helpful, and very Lutheran! (Though that said, as a Fordean, we may not necessarily agree on the 3rd use) I look forward to more interesting, enlightening and edifying posts, comments, etc. from you on your blog.
Keep up the good work, Joel.
I've just found out about "Freedom in Response: Lutheran Ethics" by Oswald Bayer. A bit pricey since it's published by Oxford University Press (OUP), but worth paying, I'd say.
Ouch! Yeah, a little pricey, but it looks VERY interesting. Thanks you for the comments. I've got plenty of room for Forde. :) I'll see what I can do for you concerning the third use...
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