The Crux of Theology: Luther's Teachings and Our Work for Freedom, Justice, and Peace: Anthony Bateza: Fortress Academic

The Crux of Theology

Luther's Teachings and Our Work for Freedom, Justice, and Peace

The Crux of Theology

Luther's Teachings and Our Work for Freedom, Justice, and Peace

Description

The title of this book plays upon the central place a theology of the cross holds in Lutheran theologies, especially lucid in Luther's Heidelberg Disputation (1518). The 500th anniversary of this document coincided with the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations wherein the preamble points to a global aspiration of a common good shaped by freedom, justice and peace. This book is located at the intersection of these two themes, asserting that the cross has material content in being the means by which Christ in suffering solidarity with individuals, communities, and the cosmos advances freedom, justice, and peace. Employing a variety of methods, and exploring a broad range of geographic locales, the contributors illumine the misuse of Reformation themes and offer a corrective in service of a common good that is publicly accountable and theologically sound. The book thereby explores how contemporary Lutheran theology has utility both for analyzing injustice and for advancing justice in local as well as global contexts.

Introduction: The Crux of the Matter
Kristen E. Kvam
1. Already Freed, Christians Should Serve (Cake): Religious Freedom Claims & Christian Privilege
Caryn D. Riswold
2. A Lutheran View of Conscience: Bound and Free, Constrained and Embodied
Mary Elise Lowe
3. The Obligations We Bear With One Another: A Reply to Lowe and Riswold on Questions of Conscience, Domination, and Love
Anthony Bateza
4. Retrieving Luther's Critique of Idolatry for Our Fragmented World: Whiteness, Greed and the Environment
Benjamin Taylor
5. A Non-Universal Lutheran Theology: Contextual Theological Process in Namibia
Marit A. Trelstad
6. Variegated Lutheran Theology in the Context of 21st Century Idols
Mary Philip aka Joy
7. Retrieving Luther's Theology of Freedom for a Contemporary Ethic of Heteronomy
Robert Overy-Brown
8. Crux of the Matter: Theology of the Cross and the Modern Extractive Imaginary
Terra Schwerin Rowe
9. Crux in the Balance-In Response to Rowe and Overy-Brown
Allen G. Jorgenson
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Product details

Published	May 20 2022
Format	Hardback
Edition	1st
Extent	222
ISBN	9781978712515
Imprint	Fortress Academic
Dimensions	9 x 6 inches
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Anthology Editor

Allen G. Jorgenson

Anthology Editor

Kristen E. Kvam

Contributor

Anthony Bateza

Contributor

Christine Helmer

Contributor

Allen G. Jorgenson

Contributor

Kristen E. Kvam

Contributor

Mary Elise Lowe

Contributor

Robert Overy-Brown

Contributor

Mary Philip (aka Joy)

Contributor

Caryn D. Riswold

Contributor

Terra Schwerin Rowe

Contributor

Benjamin Taylor

Contributor

Marit A. Trelstad

Human rights and the rule of law are essential for modern democracy and citizenship. While Lutheran churches today are committed to the promotion of these cornerstones of our society, the historical and intellectual resources of Reformation theology in these matters continue to be debated. The present volume offers the reader a deepened understanding of justice, freedom, and human rights as they appear in the context of Luther's theology of the cross.

Risto Saarinen, University of Helsinki
A timely and fascinating engagement with the Lutheran tradition to mine resources to address contemporary issues such as human rights, freedom, global racism, and climate justice. The diverse authors display both intellectual rigor and commitment to the common good. This book is a must-read for people interested in the future of Lutheran studies and the intersection between theology and politics.

Kwok Pui-lan, Candler School of Theology, Emory University