Martin Luther’s Hidden God
Toward a Lutheran Apologetic for the Problem of Evil and Divine Hiddenness
- Apologetics
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
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.
Endorsements (6)
Foreword
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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