Deeper understandings Theology of the cross A theology of revelation and a Lutheran understanding
Editor’s note: This series is intended to be a public conversa- tion among teaching theologians of the ELCA on various themes of our faith and the challenging issues of our day. It invites readers to engage in dialogue by posting comments online at the end of each article at
www.thelutheran.org. The series is edited by Philip
D.W. Krey, president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadel- phia, on behalf of the presidents of the eight ELCA seminaries.
By Kurt K. Hendel N
ext to Paul, Martin Luther is the most influential proponent of what he termed the theology of the cross. Indeed, it can be argued that being a theologian of the cross con- stituted the very heart of Luther’s identity as a theologian and believer. He would, no doubt, continue to insist that this must be the identity of
every follower of Christ. It’s important to note that Luther
tended to speak of the “theologian of the cross,” whom he contrasted with the “theologian of glory,” rather than the “theology of the cross.” His pre- ferred terminology indicates that he was promoting a way of doing theol- ogy rather than a theological system or a particular body of dogmas. Of course, applying the theological method that the reformer proposed results in specific theological affir- mations or themes that can, in turn, be named the theology of the cross. That rich and diverse theology
was clearly informed by the reform- er’s study of the Pauline books, especially Romans and 1 Corinthi- ans, and it may be described as a the- ology of justification, of revelation, of faith and of suffering. The theology of the cross as a
Hendel Westhelle
Hendel is the Bernard, Fischer, Westberg Dis- tinguished Ministry Professor of Reformation History at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chi- cago. Westhelle is the chair professor for Luther Research, Faculdades EST, Brazil; professor of systematic theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; and author of The Scandalous God: The Use and Abuse of the Cross.
18 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
theology of revelation is the focus of this concise essay. Luther insisted that theologians of the cross, who are also people of faith, must focus on Christ if they wish to meet God and recog- nize God’s will for them, for all of humanity and for the whole cre- ation. Christ is God’s ultimate self- revelation, but it’s important to note that the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ is revealed in hiddenness. The paradoxical nature of God and of God’s revelatory and redemptive activity is, therefore, emphasized in the theology of the cross. Human beings dare not rely on
their own rational faculties or on the evidence of God’s creative activity in nature in order to meet God and recognize God’s will for them. If
they do, they will simply create idols rather than discover God. Indeed, God cannot be discov- ered at all through human efforts. God is revealed—and chooses to be revealed—in the flesh, in suffering, by hiding, as if God were behind a mask. It is, therefore, not readily apparent to human reason or human observation that the crucified Christ is God or that God is at work on the cross. However, that is precisely where God is present, where God is at work saving God’s people and the whole creation, where God is revealed as a God of radical love. This God is the Incarnate One, the one who exercises power in weak- ness, who brings life by means of suffering, who frees by submitting to the power of the law and of human authority, who is revealed by hiding. The paradoxical nature of God and of God’s revelatory and redemp- tive work therefore necessitates faith. Only the theologian of the cross, who is also a person of faith, recognizes God in the crucified Christ, experiences God’s power in the presence of apparent weakness, senses victory in the face of defeat, affirms God’s wisdom when others see only utter foolishness, celebrates life in the midst of horrendous suf- fering and the tragic loss of life, and anticipates Easter Sunday even on Good Friday.
These few words provide only a
glimpse into the richness of the the- ology of the cross. This theology and the theological method that it pre- supposes remain a vibrant resource for the contemporary church as the community of faith strives to make
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