Category: Veith-sutton-2017 - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

Real Christianity, The Corrective to Background Noise

7/17/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
7/17/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. Chapter 9. “Conclusion” pp. 219-232.

Veith and Sutton view our culture as full of background noise which can drown out a right perception of the authentic and historic message of Christianity (Veith & Sutton 2017, 220). Their book, Authentic Christianity, has presented Lutheran theology in brief. But Veith and Sutton consider the context of the teaching to be very important. “Lutheran theology is always confessional and, in order for this to happen, there must be a shared confession. Moreover, Lutherans worship in a certain way” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 221). The traditional worship practices nurture a consistent and robust Christian faith. Granted, some versions of the Lutheran tradition have separated themselves from the heart of Christian doctrine, just as we see in some other church bodies. Lutheran churches are thriving and growing in much of the world, where the vibrant power of the pure Gospel is sought after (Veith & Sutton 2017, 223).

What bind Lutherans around the world together is their adherence to the confessional writings assembled in the Book of Concord, originally published in 1580 (Veith & Sutton 2017, 224). Here we find faithful expositions of the crucial doctrines of Scripture. In its essence, Lutheran doctrine is centered on the Gospel of Jesus for sinners. The church is the place where Jesus is found for us in Word and Sacrament (Veith & Sutton 2017, 225).

In the Divine Service, we are brought into this living presence of Jesus, where He comes as He promises to meet with us and deliver gifts of life and salvation. Veith and Sutton describe the parts of the historic liturgy in brief, showing how each element points to Christ for us (Veith & Sutton 2017, 226-229). The worship is purposely timeless, reflecting the way God works in every age and for all people around the world. In effect, the majesty of the service is also very simple, confronting us with the timeless relevance of Christ for us in terms we can readily grasp. God is there, as He promised, in Word, Sacrament, and our vocations (Veith & Sutton 2017, 230). Veith and Sutton conclude that this is the very old and new thing which Christians are actually longing for.

Growing in Grace Takes Time

7/10/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
7/10/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. Chapter 8. “Sanctification and the Christian Life” pp. 197-218.

Veith and Sutton recognize that our culture tends to value speed to the exclusion of all else. However, they note a movement which self-consciously tries to slow things down, “the Slow Movement” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 197). They compare this to the way sanctification of the Christian works. While justification is instantaneous, the process of growing in Christ can be very slow, though not always so steady (Veith & Sutton 2017, 198).

Lutheran doctrine, characterized by freedom from a bound spirit, has often been perceived as rather libertine compared to the more serious of American Protestants (Veith & Sutton 2017, 119). Veith and Sutton recognize these historic tensions and misunderstandings, but say the actions of the Lutherans are bound up with the doctrine of vocation and of the two kingdoms, which show that the “secular” is not necessarily secular, but may be indwelt by the od who hides himself in the world. Good works, important for our neighbor, are performed from the freedom of the Gospel, not the constraint of the Law. This idea is easily misunderstood. “Today, freedom is often associated with sin. And bondage is often associated with virtue” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 200). But Luther sees sin as enslaving and virtue as liberating (Veith & Sutton 2017, 201). People who deal with addictions or various vices are not freed, but are in bondage to them. The true freedom is found in the virtue, not the vice. “When we are justified not by our works but by faith in Christ, we are freed from the bondage of the will to sin. This means we are free, finally, to do what is right (Veith & Sutton 2017, 201). This does not mean that we never fail or fall into sin. In fact, Lutherans confess that “a Christian is simultaneously a saint and a sinner” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 203). We realize that for the godly person in us to thrive, we need to worship the Lord regularly. This builds our faith.

Veith and Sutton point out that, to Luther, the Christian life is a life of freedom. Even as God commands us to love and serve, we are free to share the riches of Christ with all (Veith & Sutton 2017, 206). The way we share God’s riches with others is through our vocations, which keep us very busy, because “what Christ has done for the Christian, the Christian should do for the neighbor” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 207). Our work in our vocations also leads to our sanctification, as we learn the ways our vocations can be means to love and serve our neighbors and deny ourselves for the sake of Christ (Veith & Sutton 2017, 209). The troubles and struggles we face in our vocations are opportunities to grow in Christ. Especially the people in vocations which are not glamorous or interesting have a tendency to help their neighbors in very practical ways. The purpose of the vocation is to serve the neighbor freely (Veith & Sutton 2017, 211). Veith and Sutton spend several pages illustrating the ways vocation operates, showing finally that it is crucial to our understanding of our relevance in the world.

Two Kingdoms, One King

7/3/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
7/3/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. Chapter 7. “The Church and the World” pp. 173-195.

Veith and Sutton compare change within both Christianity and culture to the very slow motion of the plates of the earth’s surface. When there is a collision it becomes a major issue. Veith and Sutton find important points of conflict such as religious liberty, political involvement, and definition of moral standards (Veith & Sutton 2017, 173). The interplay of Church and world has been the subject of much discussion and writing. Veith and Sutton find this tension is well addressed by a well reasoned understanding of Luther’s doctrine of two kingdoms. However, it has often been misunderstood, to the detriment of all involved.

Veith and Sutton briefly describe “Augustine’s distinction between the city of God and the city of man” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 175), pointing out that the Augustinian concept is not the same as Luther’s two kingdom theology. Augustine finds the city of God as a place of love for God, and the city of man as a place of love for self. The two will always be in conflict. In Luther’s two kingdom theology, the monarch over all is God. The two kingdoms are not about self-love or God-love. They are the temporal and the eternal. The heavenly kingdom is all about law, but the place of love in the temporal is love for the neighbor, not for the self (Veith & Sutton 2017, 176). The Christian lives in both worlds at once, not being a separatist or a dualist. The kingdoms are present and related to one another. We cannot escape from either (Veith & Sutton 2017, 177).

The two kingdom dorctrine does not endorse or glorify the status quo. Related misunderstandings can lead to a fatalistic conservatism or to a pursuit of any sort of progressivism because God must be doing everything that crosses anyone’s mind (Veith & Sutton 2017, 178). However, the period of the Reformation was not quietistic or revolutionary. There was a critical attitude toward princes and other authorities. There were also conflicts within the kingdoms as Christians sought to learn how their theology would be lived out in culture (Veith & Sutton 2017, 179). Veith and Sutton quote the Augsburg Confession article 16 for clarity on the doctrine (Veith & Sutton 2017, 180). God uses the civil realm for certain functions and the churchly realm for others.

Veith and Sutton consider how God rules over his temporal kingdom by means of law, creation, and vocation (Veith & Sutton 2017, 181). God’s statements of law, even of moral law, do not strictly apply to the spiritual. The heavenly kingdom is all about gospel, not law (Veith & Sutton 2017, 182). The law is separated from religion per se. “The essence of the Christian religion is the Gospel, which is not about morality, but, rather, is about forgiveness for failing to be moral” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 182). The heart of the Gospel is forgiveness in Christ. Moral standards, applied to the secular culture, help to restrain evil and promote good. They may eventually lead to repentance and forgiveness, which constitutes an involvement in the spiritual kingdom (Veith & Sutton 2017, 183). God’s creation and natural laws are also part of the temporal kingdom. This has important implications far beyond what we might first assume. “For example, contrary to the beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism, which teach that the physical realm is an illusion, the universe does exist. Physical reality, however, is not all that exists, contrary to what the naturalists and materialists say (Veith & Sutton 2017, 185). The universe, as created, has order and design. Veith and Sutton emphasize again that the temporal and spiritual worlds are not dualistically exclusive. Events in the temporal world can be eternally significant, while sometimes miraculous events, rooted in the eternal spiritual world, can cause temporal results. Yet at its core, the temporal kingdom is the product of an intelligent creator (Veith & Sutton 2017, 186). Veith and Sutton also note that “God works in His temporal kingdom by means of vocation” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 187). He uses ordinary events and earthly relationships to accomplish His purpose. The doctrine of vocation helps us to see how our relationships and our responsibilities are to be used.

Lutherans confess that God is present in the temporal and spiritual kingdoms alike. However, he is often hidden in the temporal world, revealed in the Word of God (Veith & Sutton 2017, 189). The two kingdoms work together. “The Church...does not exist apart from the ordinary physical mundane-seeming congregation. The spiritual church dwells in, with, and under the very physical church” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 190). Counter to a Calvinist view, the local church is not the spiritual kingdom of God. Lutherans find the local church inhabiting both kingdoms at the same time (Veith & Sutton 2017, 191). The Christian, in his vocation, participates in society to love and serve his neighbor, though still bearing a spiritual perspective of the presence of God (Veith & Sutton 2017, 192). The Luthearn confesses that God makes himself physically present for the good of the world, both in the incarnation and as he works through the physical means of Word and Sacrament. God uses means to come to humans (Veith & Sutton 2017, 192-193). Veith and Sutton conclude that this use of means to accomplish God’s will on earth should give Christians a real way to participate in God’s work as they live out their vocations in the world. The spiritual and temporal kingdoms work together (Veith & Sutton 2017, 194).

Got Purpose?

6/26/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
6/26/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 6. “The Purpose of Your Life” pp. 151-172.

Veith and Sutton, after giving a brief narrative about some of the perceived failings among the millennial generation, point out that this generation does make some good points. “There is a nagging sense that modern life is overly compartmentalized and suffers from a lack of overall integration. Family, work, health, and spirituality are often divided and put in opposition with one another” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 152). There are many demands on our lives, some of which are difficult to fit together in a sensible way. The answer, say Veith and Sutton, is a recovery of “the doctrine of vocation” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 152). Along with justification and Scriptural authority, vocation was a critical component of the Reformation. “But the concept of vocation has been gradually lost. First it was turned into a work ethic. Then it turned into a pious attitude empty of specific content. Eventually it was reduced to just another synonym for a job” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 153). Previously it referred to the entirety of the way God calls His people to work out their faith in the community. Sadly, we seem to have lost this concept, resulting in confusion as we try to find the priorities in life and how they can harmonize.

A biblical view of vocation can be found especially in 1 Corinthians 7:17 and in Ephesians 5-6. In these passages God places his people in various roles in the community. Each is given by God and is a way that we can show God’s character (Veith & Sutton 2017, 154). The biblical view was described in detail by Martin Luther. Veith and Sutton assert that, unlike Calvin and the Puritans, who focused on God’s demands, Luther saw vocation as “a function of God’s grace” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 156). Through our vocations we are instruments of God, distributing his gifts to our world. In effect, Veith and Sutton say God works in the world through the means of our vocations (Veith & Sutton 2017, 157). He does this because his desire is that we should serve one another.

The Christian, then, has multiple different vocations, which Luther classified as fitting into four different “estates,” or categories. In the estate of the Church, Christians are particularly called to serve one another and their world (Veith & Sutton 2017, 158). They may have different roles, both in church and society, but all are actual callings from God. In the estate of the household, the family and whatever economic activity might be needed for the family can be found (Veith & Sutton 2017, 159). Luther spoke of the roles in the family as particularly important vocationals all as ways we can serve others. In the estate of the state we live in society, all that relates to our culture (Veith & Sutton 2017, 160). As with the household, our work in the state can include economic relationships. While the Church doesn’t actually have a political agenda, the Christian in the state does. Luther classes a fourth estate as “the common order of Christian love” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 161). Here the various vocations interact in cooperation and service.

The Lutheran view of vocation is set apart from a Roman Catholic view because it applies to all people in all of their lives, not simply to people in a special office in the Church (Veith & Sutton 2017, 162). All Christians are called to engage the world and live out their Christianity in culture. Veith and Sutton point out that the vocation of the Christian is not normally primarily engaged with churchly work (Veith & Sutton 2017, 163).

Vocation in Lutheran theology has one and only one ultimate purpose: “to love and serve our neighbors” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 165). Christians depend on God’s grace to provide justification, but they depend on God’s callings to enable us to love and serve our neighbors. Again, this is a departure from both Roman Catholicism and from broader Protestantism. Because of the commitment to serving others, Christians act not out of self-interest, but from an interest in others. Authority is also used to love and serve others, rather than to exercise power (Veith & Sutton 2017, 166). Veith and Sutton also observe that the doctrine of vocation allows and prohibits various activities in certain settings. For instance, sexual activity is to remain within the bounds of marriage, military action is within the purview of soldiers rather than civilians, and it is judges who can authorize lawful punishments (Veith & Sutton 2017, 167). Even as vocation gives some people autohrity to do particular acts, it also involves self-denial in favor of others. Veith and Sutton discuss this as the work of a shepherd, serving the flock, rather than a priest, making offerings (Veith & Sutton 2017, 168). For this reason, a Lutheran view of the “priesthood of all believers” is that of laying down our livesrather than exercising authority. Veith and Sutton conclude that our vocation is the place where we and our day to day existence are transformed, finding the living presence of God. Our ordinary affairs are changed to a “sacred means of loving and serving the neighbor” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 170).

God Truly Present Where He Promised

6/19/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
6/19/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 5, “The Real Presence” pp. 125-150.

Counter to the mystical views that the spiritual is the highest reality, Veith and Sutton point out that Christianity has a high view of the physical. God is the creator and sustainer of physical things. He became flesh in the person of God the Son, with a very physical presence (Veith & Sutton 2017, 126). In this vein, it is important to remember that Lutheranism, unlike much of Protestantism, is sacramental in nature. In some specific settings, God uses a command, a promise, and a physical element to accomplish holiness (Veith & Sutton 2017, 127). In baptism, Lutherans confess that God does deliver actual grace for salvation. In communion, Lutherans confess that the body and blood of Christ are united to the elements of bread and wine, and are used to deliver forgiveness (Veith & Sutton 2017, 127).

Veith and Sutton observe that “both modernists and postmodernists have problems with the objective physical world . . . They assume that the physical real has no meaning, that meaning is a purely human enterprise” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 127). This is a common view among Christians as well, but should be denied by Lutherans, as we confess God works definitively through physical means. In essence, Veith and Sutton consider that the modern era, as stated by Max Weber in the early 20th century, is “disenchanted” with the world. Our rationalism has stopped looking at the physical as something sublime (Veith & Sutton 2017, 128). Those utilitarian views of natural things eventually caused a sharp dichotomy between “fact” (in the realm of the physical) and “value” (in the realm of the immaterial) (Veith & Sutton 2017, 129). This has led to challenges in worldviews. “A physical realm void of spiritual significance has come to lack any significance whatsoever. Tangible objects are valuable mainly for the ways we can use them” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 130). Even in the environmental movement, nature seems to be a victim of humans, who are separate frm the world We also question our relationship with our bodies, suggesting sometimes the division between a physical reality and the reality of our moral, or inner, person. The enchanting nature of the physical is perplexing when we are committed to a rejection of either the spiritual or the physical.

Veith and Sutton observe that Christians in the Enlightenment and since have also attempted to separate Christianity from physicality. Particularly among the more radical movements in Protestant Christianity, it became common to emphasize Christianity as “from the heart” apart from physicality. This was not entirely new, as there had always been some movements which had problems with the very physical presence of Christ in communion. But they were not prominent until the time of the Reformation (Veith & Sutton 2017, 132). In the Reformation the Lutherans and the Calvinists split regarding the physicality of Christ’s presence in communion, with the Calvinists and the Zwinglians both denying Jesus’ physical presence. This remains a distinction which is fundamental in understanding of multiple concepts (Veith & Sutton 2017, 133). Lutherans assert their view of Christ’s presence, as well as much of the rest of their understanding of Scripture, in the context of not forcing Scripture to be subject to human reason, but that human reason is subject to Scripture (Veith & Sutton 2017, 135). The important element then becomes what Chrsit does in his presence.

Veith and Sutton boil the controversy down to a simple statement. In Reformed or Roman Catholic theology, the finite cannot contain the infinite (Veith & Sutton 2017, 136). We are forced to find another explanation. However, in Lutheran theology, we are forced to accept the finite containing the infinite because Scripture describes it, not only in communion, but also and especially in the incarnation of Christ (Veith & Sutton 2017, 137). This view was, not surprisingly, taken by many Reformed theologians as a form of idolatry (Veith & Sutton 2017, 138). The Reformed wanted God to be entirely and only tanscendent, which Veith and Sutton find to dogmatize the “disenchantment” of the physical (Veith & Sutton 2017, 139). Lutheran theology, being radically sacramental and based on the incarnation, rejects the disenchatment.

Veith and Sutton go on to describe a biblical view of God’s presence in and with his ccreation, from Genesis 3 (Veith & Sutton 2017, 140) to Genesis 12, to the many statements in Exodus which depict God as dwelling where his people are (Veith & Sutton 2017, 142). In the New Testament clearly Jesus, God the Son, is physically with his disciples in time and space, even through his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension (Veith & Sutton 2017, 143). Veith and Sutton think that there is no reason to expect anything else when it comes to Communion. Rather, Jesus promised to be present (Veith & Sutton 2017, 144). In sharp contrast, Veith and Sutton observe our contemporary world full of elements of absence. We have virtual meetings and distance ourselves mentally from our actual surroundings. The moments of presence are relatively rare (Veith & Sutton 2017, 145). The idea of God being present is therefore difficult for us to grasp. However, it is the message of Scripture and, thus, of Lutheranism (Veith & Sutton 2017, 147).

Veith and Sutton conclude that the Christianity which is consistent with Lutheran teaching takes the physical world very seriously, not rejecting it in favor of spiritualism, but embracing it as that which is radically inhabited by God in accord with his promises (Veith & Sutton 2017, 148).

The God Who Suffers

6/12/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
6/12/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 4, “God on a Cross” pp. 101-123.

Much of the popular Christianity in this country currently is a combination of popular psychology mixed with extreme self-esteem and a focus on the self which Veith and Sutton consider idolatrous (Veith & Sutton 2017, 102). In this form of theology our thoughts create reality and prosperity. “Luther would call the prosperity gospel an extreme example of a ‘theology of glory.’ To this he opposed a ‘theology of the cross’” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 103). The theology of the cross not only negates modernism and postmodernism, but it also introduces an idea of how suffering fits into our theology.

A Prosperity Gospel has its focus on the self, seeking self-actualization and one’s own concept of the good life, normally couched in terms of wealth (Veith & Sutton 2017, 104). Veith and Sutton find this to fit well with postmodern philosophy. They also identify elements of modernism in the idea that we will certainly mke progress, and that much of our progress will be tied to elements we can’t find in traditional religion (Veith & Sutton 2017, 105). Here also the progress of technology may be seen as an alternative savior. Our intelligence will increase our ability until we can do anything (Veith & Sutton 2017, 106). Yet, to be successful, all depends on our industry and goodness. The self is ultimately exalted to deity.

Counter to all the emphasis on the self, Veith and Sutton see the theology of the cross as making biblical sense of the world. “Rahter than fixating on the possibility of success and glory, Lutheran theology asserts that the cross is where the true knowledge of God is located” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 108). In contrast to a theology of glory in which we pursue power, Jesus lays his life down and gives us power. Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation lays out his theology of the cross clearly. In essence, Luther’s desire is to allow God in His Word to speak clearly, showing that He alone is the savior (Veith & Sutton 2017, 109). The theology of the cross reveals a theology of glory to be vain and ineffective, a striving after power, and, incidentally, all the things postmodernists reject about Christianity (Veith & Sutton 2017, 110). Rather than seeking power and glory, a theology of the Cross makes God’s presence central to all of life.

Veith and Sutton go on to speak of different views of suffering. While much of contemporary culture sees suffering as “intrinsically evil and meaningless” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 112, the Christian sees Christ’s suffering as at least partially a pattern of the Christian life, where God’s work in our lives may use suffering for our good or the good of others. The fact of suffering does not impugn God. “Although believers from Job through the Church Fathers and beyond have struggled to understand how God and suffering can coexist, only with the Enlightenment and the advent of modernity have people presumed to judge God and accuse Him of unrightousness for allowing suffering” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 114). Further, trying to defend God may also exalt our wisdom above God’s (Veith & Sutton 2017, 115). Christianity is centered around the reality of death and resurrection, not some pretty and abstract image. It recognizes sufering as real and as accomplishing a purpose. To allow the mystery to be even more profound, Veith and Sutton speak to the debate from the time of the Reformation about whether it was appropriate to say”God suffered” or even “God died” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 116). Lutherans have always confirmed that in the incarnation both God and man are present in Jesus, God the Son, who did indeed have a human nature and who could suffer and die. Because the whole person died, thedivine nature suffered also. The paradox of God and Man in Christ, suffering, dying, and rising again is central evidence of God really entering the human condition and really taking the sins of the world in order to suffer in the place of sinners (Veith & Sutton 2017, 118). It depicts a God who is able to carry the grief of others (Veith & Sutton 2017, 119). Though sin and suffering still exist Veith and Sutton observe “they have been dealt with” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 120). There remains a struggle, but the conflict has been decided. In conclusion, Veith and Sutton note that in modernism and postmodernism we must look to ourselves for answers. They are both theologies of glory rather than theologies of the cross. The theology of thecross looks outside of ourselves and deals with the sin and suffering we find in the world (Veith & Sutton 2017, 121).

Justification - We All Do It, So May as Well Do It Right

6/5/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
6/5/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 3, “Stop Justifying Yourself” pp. 81-99.

Veith and Sutton observe that justification by God’s grace through faith in Jesus, apart from any works of our own is control to Christianity and was also the center of the Lutheran Reformation (Veith & Sutton 2017, 81). Christianity is all about the reality of sin and the free forgiveness of that sin. Although many in our current culture deny the reality or importance of sin, Veith and Sutton note that most people will try to justify themselves (Veith & Sutton 2017, 82). However, because of the pitfalls of our own efforts, self-justification can be an unending and fruitless pursuit. For this reason, Veith and Sutton see the historic Lutheran view of justification from outside of ourselves as attractive to our generation.

To understand the idea of justification more thoroughly, Veith and Sutton note that much of our culture simultaneously rejects the idea of sin and an objective morality, while making moral judgments against others (Veith & Sutton 2017, 83). Meanwhile our own moral failings often leave us with a sense of guilt. While many reject moral standards found in the Bible they will normally set up some other standard. Yet apparently we fail at these standards, as we “feel the need to show that we are right. At work, online, in our casual conversations, in our relationships with others, we are always seeking approval, scoring points. making excuses, and defending ourselves. These are all facets of self-justification (Veith & Sutton 2017, 84). In ways large and small, Veith and Sutton see humans in a constant cycle of accusation and self-justification. The work of Oswald Bayer analyzes this problem, even observing that evil and suffering in the world are used to accuse God. However, even in the absence of God, there is still evil and suffering, so there is no way for us to justify the world (Veith & Sutton 2017, 87). However, if the eternal God declares people good despite their failures, we can stop our evasions and find peace in what Bayer and others refer to as “passive righteousness,” not earned but imputed (Veith & Sutton 2017, 88).

Veith and Sutton go on to discuss the biblical idea of atonement, the act of providing an adequate substitution for us in our condition. The Bible describes this as accomplished by Christ’s death. Though God, he assumed a human nature but without sin. He was able, by his divine power, to take the sin of the world upon himself and die as a human, bearing our sin. Veith and Sutton describe this using multiple passages from the Bible (Veith & Sutton 2017, 89).

The message of historic Christianity is that Jesus’ forgiveness, justification, is received by faith, through means of grace such as hearing the Scripture and receiving the Sacrament (Veith & Sutton 2017, 91). Veith and Sutton remind the reader that in Luther’s Small Catechism on the third article of the Apostles’ Creed, Luther taught that our reason could not comprehend forgiveness, but that it is received by faith. Veith and Sutton say this begins to be possible when we stop our efforts at self-justification, persuaded by our failure to keep God’s moral law (Veith & Sutton 2017, 92). We then start considering not our own work, but God’s work on our behalf, called by the Gospel, so as to see that we can trust that God hasdone everything needed to accomplish our salvation (Veith & Sutton 2017, 93).

Veith and Sutton specify that Lutherans confess a need for repentance (sorrow for sin) and reception of forgiveness on an ongoing basis. God delivers this forgiveness through tangible means, where He has promised to be present for forgiveness. The means, to be discussed in more detail later, are baptism, communion, and the hearing of God’s Word (Veith & Sutton 2017, 96). The life of repentance and walking in the justifying work of Jesus is not entirely unique to Lutherans, but Veith and Sutton find it expressed better there than elsewhere. They discuss shortcomings in the teaching of other Christian bodies in brief terms (Veith & Sutton 2017, 95). In its essence, it is lutheran theology which consistently finds justification available to all, based only on their faith in a gospel which is outside of themselves (Veith & Sutton 2017, 96).

God Both Transcendent and Intimately Connected to the World

5/29/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
5/29/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 2, “Reconsidering God” p. 61-79.

Veith and Sutton observe that even in a formally secular society, many people still have some concept of a God. However, most “have difficulty conceiving of a God who is connected with the world” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 61). While people can imagine a God who is either transcendent or personally present in the believer, Veith and Sutton do not think most people can hold the two concepts at once, nor the additional Christian distinctives of God being incarnate as man and continuing to act in the world (Veith & Sutton 2017, 62).

Much of modern spirituality takes a view of God as distant, as in deism, the philosophy which was very prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries. Here, “God exists without intervening in the world; God made the world and ensured its rationality, but then left it alone” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 64). Veith and Sutton describe much modern spirituality in terms of “moralistic therapeutic Deism,” following the work of Christian Smith and Melinda Denton (Veith & Sutton 2017, 64). Here people are supposed to be good and kind to one another. Occasionally, but rarely, God has to intervene and make a correction, but generally, if we are nice enough, God doesn’t have any need to act (Veith & Sutton 2017, 65). Veith and Sutton affirm that this view of God will always prove disappointing. He would understand nothing of our troubles and we can never comprehend him. In this system, eventually, life becomes meaningless (Veith & Sutton 2017, 66).

In contrast to Deism, in the 19th century we find a new growth of Materialism, in which concrete material forces govern everything (Veith & Sutton 2017, 67). In this philosophy meaning must be individually defined. Because of a desire for the divine, within Materialism there was a rise of “the God within,” subjective and dwelling in experience and feelings (Veith & Sutton 2017, 68). “Such notions put the self squarely in the position of God as both creator and lawgiver. When Christianity is seen as an internal state and as a function of the self, the Christian is thrown on his or her own resources” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 69). This leads to arrogance or uncertainty. Christianity, or any other religion, viewed in this way, is again meaningless.

Veith and Sutton recognize that, at the heart of Lutheran theology, we find not the abstract God or the God of our heart, but the God who “has drawn near to us in the most intimate way imaginable by taking on human flesh in Christ Jesus (Veith & Sutton 2017, 70). Jesus, as fully human as we are, knows exactly what it is to live as a human. In the incarnation we see a God who, though transcendent, is not distant, coming to redeem and rescue humans (Veith & Sutton 2017, 72).

Lutheran theology, as Veith and Sutton observe, is radically trinitarian. The unity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit means that the very real transcendent God can live in us by His Spirit, and has lived as one of us on the earth (Veith & Sutton 2017, 73). We recognize that in the incarnation we find God as the gracious and forgiving one who saves his people. This changes our concept of God (Veith & Sutton 2017, 74).

When we reconsider God in this way, we begin to ask where He can be found. Veith and Sutton note that Lutherans have always asserted God’s presence “in the Word, the Sacraments, and the Church” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 75). We see God speaking through the written, read, and proclaimed Word, something outside of ourselves, not in our inner voice. The Word of God is understood as God’s way of speaking to us. In the Sacraments Lutherans confess God is truly present, just as he has always been able to be present and work through physical places and means (Veith & Sutton 2017, 76-77). God can deliver his grace using physical means, and the means he has chosen are baptism and communion, as well as the words of forgiveness in absolution. Veith and Sutton see these promises delivered in the context of the local church, where believers are assembled around Word and Sacrament (Veith & Sutton 2017, 77). In this setting the holy and perfect God has chosen to work his forgiveness.

Reformation Coming - Look Backwards!

5/22/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
5/22/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Chapter 1, Introduction: Mega-Church or Metachurch” pp. 33-59.

Veith and Sutton acknowledge the popular opinion that Christianity is ripe for reformation. However, they suggest it may be that reformation will come from the same theology which was affirmed in the 16th century (Veith & Sutton 2017, 33). They find a large group of Americans who are possibly “disaffected” and have removed themselves from a former religious group. Many also report having no prior affiliation, but often confess to belief in God and to having a desire for a rich spiritual life. “These disaffected believers have not rejected the existence of God or the need for meaningful spirituality; however, they have strongly rejected whatever it is they think churches today have to offer” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 35). Although some churches have made an attempt to tailor their services and message to a secular audience, these efforts can weaken the message of the Church. There is some doubt about the long-term effectiveness of the basic modes of church adaptation to fit a culture (Veith & Sutton 2017, 36). Veith and Sutton conclude that the alleged improvement in church practice can go only so far to engage people. However, the authentic an historic understanding of Christianity reaches to people in a way that variations on the broader culture cannot (Veith & Sutton 2017, 41). Veith and Sutton identify this form of Christianity as Lutheran (Veith & Sutton 2017, 42).

Veith and Sutton remind their readers that Luther did not act as an inventive revolutionary but he was more interested in uncovering the idea of Christ for sinners, which had been obscured by vaious elements of the institutional church (Veith & Sutton 2017, 42). Luther’s reforms did spur the Roman church to evaluate some of its practices and to encourage a life of personal piety. His work was also conservative in nature, encouraging those who wished to reinvent Christianity to retain such elements as they could (Veith & Sutton 2017, 43). At its heart, the Lutheran Reformation held to the Gospel of Jesus, the only one who could die for sins in place of others, then rise from the dead, showing his work to conquer death (Veith & Sutton 2017, 44). Because this centrality of the Gospel is so important, and since the historic description of such a church (catholic) has been co-opted by the Roman church, Veith and Sutton propose a new term, “metatheology” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 45). This term can be understood as indicating that Lutheranism has a clear theology of how theology is done. It derives from the Scripture, as a “formal principle” and bears fruit in the “material principle of the outworking of justification by grace through faith (Veith & Sutton 2017, 46). Lutheranism is at one and the same time sacramental, liturgical, biblical, and evangelical. Veith and Sutton observe this is all derived from its being soundly biblical and not rejecting biblical practices which were held by the Roman church. Lutheran theology emphasizes God’s grace and the universal atonement of Christ, but unlike Calvinists or Arminians, the matters can be held in tension by Lutherans rather than attempting to explain anything away. In this way, Lutherans allow the whole Bible to speak. Veith and Sutton explain a Lutheran view of these difficulties, “What reconciles these seeming contradictions is Lutheran sacramentalism. Christ died for all, and all have access to His saving work by receiving the Word and the Sacraments” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 47). Assurance comes through reception of Word and Sacraments, which nourishes the Christian faith. Veith and Sutton speak specifically to weaknesses in several theological streams, showing how a Lutheran understanding reconciles the difficulties. Furthermore, a Lutheran theology will engage other church bodies, asking why they cannot be wholeheartedly in agreement with their doctrine. For example, Charismatics emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit who gives gifts, but then they look within themselves for this power, rather than embracing the gifts given objectively by the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament (Veith & Sutton 2017, 49).

Veith and Sutton preview a few of the areas in which they think Lutheran thought could reform society today. Of course, the overarching issue is sin, which requires the forgiveness of God. Specifically, in our culture, God has been separated from the objective and is considered abstract and irrelevant. The incarnation of Christ answers this issue, and is shown clearly in the Lutheran sacraments (Veith & Sutton 2017, 51). Another important area is the resurgent Gnosticism implicit in postmodern thought. The idea of objective morality is central to Lutheran thought and is a needed corrective to the subjectivism which is harmful to our society. This leads Veith and Sutton directly to the idea of an objective view of Law and Gospel which can allow people to deal effectively with the societal guilt and shame which leads them to invent alternative moralities (Veith & Sutton 2017, 53). The clearly articulated framework and application of transcendent principles in a consistent way bear a power which Veith and Sutton do not think exists in other theological streams.

Because different church bodies have attempted to engage the culture in different ways, generally resulting in a confused and ineffectual way of life, Veith and Sutton think Lutheranism can prevail. The teaching of the two kingdoms, of Law and Gospel, and of vocation approach cultural issues with coherence and power (Veith & Sutton 2017, 55). The Christian, knowing God rightly, can find his or her way in the world. Veith and Sutton close the chapter with eleven paragraphs describing common ways in which Americans have been disappointed by Christianity, along with a Lutheran answer, which is sharply different from the described disappointment (Veith & Sutton 2017, 56-58).

Philosophy Has Consequences

5/15/2019

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces
5/15/19

Veith, Gene Edward Jr., & A. Trevor Sutton. Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to a Postmodern World. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2017. “Prologue: A Different Way of Being Postmodern” pp. 12-31.

Veith and Sutton set out to demonstrate how Lutheranism is uniquely equipped to reach our current postmodern culture. This seems counterintuitive based on the fact that postmodernism is very much subjectivist, while Lutheran thought is strongly based on the objective (Veith & Sutton 2017, 12). To begin exploring points of contact, the authors explore the historic shift to modernity, then the subsequent move to postmodernity. For the sake of their argument, the move to modernity and an age of Reason was in 1789, with the French Revolution (Veith & Sutton 2017, 13). Much of Modernity attempted to erode the traditional, premodern, elements of supernaturalism from Christianity. Veith and Sutton describe a progressive solidification of modernist principles which by the 20th century, sought a utopian world where traditional thought and behavior would be cast off like shackles (Veith & Sutton 2017, 14). For better or worse, this didn’t play out well, as the 20th century endured major wars and other unprecedented conflicts (Veith & Sutton 2017, 15). According to the pattern described in this text, modernity fell in 1989 with the Berlin Wall, as the utopian views of communism were shown to be impracticable. Veith and Sutton also point out the impersonal and utilitarian attitude shown especially in modernist architecture (Veith & Sutton 2017, 16). As a reaction against modernism, postmodernism was a move back to the subjective, often accompanied by a drug culture, elements of the sexual revolution, and multiculturalism of the sort that segments society by cultural group (Veith & Sutton 2017, 17). Veith and Sutton see postmodernism as deconstructionist by nature but resulting in a worldview which sees all understanding as a “construction” rather than potentially a truth (Veith & Sutton 2017, 18). In a sense, this may all be a result of modernism turning its skepticism in on itself, so as to reason its own way out of reason. Regardless of the source of postmodern tentes, it is valid to ask whether postmodernism can last, and whether it is actually coming to an end. However, postmodernism with its rejection of absolutes seems to return each time it is discredited (Veith & Sutton 2017, 19). Veith and Sutton suggest that postmodern borrowing of elements from bygone eras may suggest that Lutheran use of historic elements could well fit a postmodern culture well (Veith & Sutton 2017, 20).

Veith and Sutton observe that throughout the Enlightenment and the modern period there have always been critics. Among those critics were several prominent Lutheran thinkers (Veith & Sutton 2017, 21). Particularly Johann Georg Hamann (1730-88), a brilliant Enlightenment scholar converted to Christ and biblical faith (Veith & Sutton 2017, 22). At heart of his change was a realization that reason could not lead you to faith, which does not depend on an objective sense of detachment. Hamann’s conclusion was that the detached would ultimately fail, mostly because of the remaining element of uncertainty of virtually every proposition (Veith & Sutton 2017, 23). Hamann further concluded that human thought and reason are inextricably bound to language (Veith & Sutton 2017, 24). Language, being culturally bound, does not allow for genuine detachment and lack of bias. He concludes that there must be meaning, and thus a meaningful linguistic expression, underlying all our conclusions. This he finds in the revealed Word of God (Veith & Sutton 2017, 25). Therefore, “Christianity is not one of those systems or ideologies or ‘metanarratives’ that fails because Christianity is not a construction of human reason but a revelation of God himself” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 26, emphasis theirs). Reason itself is built on some form of faith. True enlightenment, then, comes from a true faith, a faith in Christ. The three great philosophers who lead us to postmodern thought: Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Derrida, also led us to nihilism. However, Hamann gives us a much more positive hope, the Chrsitian faith (Veith & Sutton 2017, 27).

Veith and Sutton observe that Hamann’s conclusions, far from being revolutionary, lead to “little more than ordinary Lutheranism” (Veith & Sutton 2017, 28). Much of what he critiqued in the thought of the Enlightenment is similar to what Luther rejected in Christian scholasticism of his time (Veith & Sutton 2017, 28). While postmodern thought, based on the individual’s sense of what is right for him, can exist without the biblical God, it also does not reject the possibility out of hand. When it leads, as in Hamann’s view, away from nihilism, it leads straight to the historic Lutheran views of life (Veith & Sutton 2017, 30). This is where we find a hope outside ourself, something the demands of our world spur us to find.