Martin Luther’s Hidden God: Toward a Lutheran Apologetic for the Problem of Evil and Divine Hiddenness
Ebook
The presence of evil in a world said by God to be good is perhaps humanity's most vexing challenge. "Where is God in all this?" is a universal cry. The answers are as numerous and varied as those offering them, but little is accomplished, it seems, to ease the pain of a God who doesn't behave according to law, logic, or rationale. Into this melee, Martin Luther waded with his distinction between God preached and God not preached and hiding. Though not always appreciated, Luther's thought speaks to the various dimensions of the problem and proclaims a definitive answer. Martin Luther's Hidden God traces the origins of Luther's thought on the matter, explores how his teaching compliments and conflicts with the teaching offered by certain post-Reformation Lutheran theologians and philosophers of religion, before distilling his thought into a preliminary apologetic for the problem of evil and divine hiddenness that spans the breadth of the issue from a uniquely Lutheran perspective.
“Pastor Landrum’s book on the hidden God is filled with the
power and life of Luther’s own discoveries. It not only gives us a
great theological insight, but it does this in a way to make us all
better preachers. That is what Luther wanted, and what you will
gain from Landrum’s treatment of the most important matter in all
of theology and life: what God is doing with us sinners beyond the
law.”
—Steven Paulson, Senior Fellow, 1517.org
“Written from the perspective of pastoral care, Dr. Landrum has
provided an important survey of the academic conversation
concerning Luther’s understanding of the hidden God. The book
serves to make deep theological conversation amongst Lutheran
theologians accessible while at the same time showing the way in
which an evangelical understanding of Luther’s hidden God furthers
the proclamation of Christ in the world.”
—Christopher M. Croghan, Codirector, the Luther House of
Study
“Dr. Landrum’s book is a welcome addition to a growing body of
literature on Luther and the hidden God. It provides a clean
overview of traditional and contemporary discussions of Luther’s
Deus absconditus while moving the conversation away from
theoretical concerns to practical. In this way, Dr. Landrum
captures the spirit of Martin Luther in putting theology into
practice for the sake of fallen souls.”
—Daniel Deen, Concordia University Irvine
“Dr. Landrum’s commitment to both Lutheran doctrine and pastoral
ministry is made evident in this work. His thorough study of
Luther’s understanding of the problem of evil and divine hiddenness
. . . is a significant contribution to understanding of
the historical and theological discussion of the topic.
Additionally, he develops his own apologetic based on Luther’s
thought to help those who need to be comforted by the proclamation
of the gospel.”
—Mark Gstohl, Xavier University of Louisiana
“The thoughtful Christian cannot sweep the problem of divine
hiddenness under the rug. It is a theological challenge of the
highest order, one that must be confronted with courage. Landrum’s
work skillfully proposes a way forward that is unapologetically
apologetic and elevates the conversation in new ways that I find
quite useful. For those who are inclined to explore the
sometimes-unsettling depths of a proper theologia crucis,
this text is an excellent entry point.”
—Joel Oesch, Concordia University Irvine
- Title: Martin Luther’s Hidden God: Toward a Lutheran Apologetic for the Problem of Evil and Divine Hiddenness
- Authors: Steve Paulson, Timothy Scott Landrum
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666718515, 9781666718508, 1666718505, 9781666718492, 1666718491, 1666718513
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666718515
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-22T14:21:35Z
Timothy Scott Landrum has a PhD from New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary and is a Lutheran pastor currently serving
Nativity Lutheran Church Brandon, Mississippi. In addition to
ministry in the parish, he is a retired Navy Reserve Chaplain and
former hospital chaplain.