Description: Volume 1: 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. Paulson argues that the distinction between God naked/clothed or unpreached/preached radiates out in all directions for Luther's theology. Specifically, Paulson takes up the central question: What is God's relation to the law? Luther's answers will change the way you preach.
Brief description: 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.
Review Quotes:
"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