Luther on the
Christian Life by Carl Trueman
Do we really need another book on the famous Augustinian
monk from the 16th
century? Well, yes, if the book captures
Luther’s genius from decidedly unique and formative perspective. Professor Carl Trueman, in his new book,
Luther on the Christian Life, does just that, by situating Luther in his
historical milieu, locating his main theological theses, and providing a
glimpse into Luther as pastor, calling all Christians to follow Christ in a
world of upheaveal.
What was it about Luther, especially post-1525, that
radiates a sort of encouragement for Christians today? Trueman writes, “As a theologian who was also
a pastor, he was continually wrestling with how his theological insights
connected to the lives and experiences of the people under his care. This gave
much of his writing a distinctly pastoral dimension. Further, he was (for a
theologian) unusually forthcoming about his own life and experiences. There was
a personal passion to Luther that finds no obvious counterpart in the writings
of other significant Reformers (23-24).”
In his Table Talk, even in his 95 Theses, there was a concern with how
theology might aid regular, everyday people facing the burdens of life in
Germany, including taxes, a church hierarchy, and laborious jobs. Further, Trueman mentions that Luther was
one of the most human of theologians, recognizing his faults and frailties, not
promoting himself like one would see today on Twitter or Facebook.
Trueman offers his readers a vivid description of how Luther’s
theology of the cross works out in practice, but also how Luther went beyond
his medieval masters in highlighting the moral dimension of the cross. Trueman writes, “The moral crisis of sin does
not have a great impact on this picture. For Luther, it is not simply God’s
apparent unpredictability that makes it necessary to pay attention to how he
has revealed himself; it is the fact that human beings are dead in sin and ever
inclined to invent a god who conforms to their expectations (56-57).” In
concert with the via media, Luther focused on how God acts through the way God
reveals himself. In the theology of the
cross, God reveals mankind as being dead in sin both in a moral and
epistemological sense (we cannot truly know God without special revelation),
and in doing so highlights that epistemology is not a theoretical issue but
also a moral issue.
In a very practical and telling way, Luther gives us a
glimpse into how to deal with the Devil on a regular basis. Trueman writes, “Luther’s advice on how to
deal with the Devil in such circumstances varies. Perhaps the most appropriate
advice he gives is to use the Word of God against him,… In fact, the Devil
fears the spoken Word above all things, as he also does the sacraments because
the power they derive is the incarnate Christ and the Word of promise (116).” We don’t often talk about the devil in
Christian circles, but for Luther, the Devil was a ominous presence, yet one
who was not to be overcome by dread with.
The Word of God was Luther’s defense against Satan’s lies as it our
defense, including the promises we find in their pages.
This book was a sure delight, a challenging read because
Trueman draws out the ways Luther fought sin and corruption with ferocity that
is unmatched today.
Thanks to Crossway for the copy of this book in exchange for
an honest review.
Comments
Post a Comment