Principles Of Lutheran Theology » (New Edition)

First published in 1983, Principles of Lutheran Theology has guided students into theological reflection on the landmarks of Christian faith as understood in the Lutheran confessional heritage for a generation. The book sets forth the main principles of classical Lutheran theology but with an eschatological accent. Canon, confession, ecumenicity, Christ-centeredness, sacrament, law/ gospel, and two kingdoms are all examined not only in terms of their original meaning and historical development but also in light of current reflections.

In this new edition, Braaten takes stock of the research and reflection of the last twenty-five years and also adds a chapter on the distinctive, Archimedean Lutheran insight into the hiddenness of God as a fount or ground of all theologizing. This new edition, cross-referenced to key readings in Luther's Works and The Book of Concord, will both equip and facilitate the search for a contemporary articulation of Christian identity in light of the church's historic commitments.

Preface to the Second Edition     ix
Introduction     1
The Canonical Principle     9
The Canon     9
The Authority of Scripture     11
Tradition and Interpretation     17
The Uses of Scripture     23
The Bible in Contemporary Theology     25
Sola Scriptura     30
The Confessional Principle     35
The Confessional Factor in Christian Faith     35
The Problem of Confessional Identity     37
The Self-Understanding of the Confessions     40
The Hermeneutical Function of the Confessions     42
Challenges to Our Confessional Principle     45
The Ecumenical Principle     53
Defining the Church     53
The Significance of the Ecumenical Movement     57
The Apostolicity of the Church     61
The Catholicity of the Church     64
The Holiness of the Church     67
The Unity of the Church     68
The Trinitarian Principle     73
The Nicene Commitment     73
Today's Approaches to the Question of God     75
The Place and Limits of Natural Theology     81
Renewing the Doctrine of theTrinity     84
Contemporary Challenges to the Trinity     86
The Christocentric Principle     93
The Logic of Salvation     93
The Contemporary Shape of the Soterioiogical Question     97
The Spectrum of Salvation     99
Permanent Elements in a Theology of Salvation     104
Justification and Liberation     105
The Universal Meaning of Jesus Christ     108
The Sacramental Principle     115
The Protestant Captivit of the Sacraments     115
The Controversy over the Lord's Supper     117
The Christological Foundation of the Lord's Supper     121
The Contemporary Crisis in Christology     125
A Sacramental Vision of the Creation     127
Implications for Life Today     130
The Law/Gospel Principle     135
What Is the Gospel?     135
Law and Gospel     139
The Ordo Salutis     142
Sola Gratia as a Critique of Religion     144
The Ladders to Heaven     146
The Two-Kingdoms Principle     151
The Theological Problem of Human Rights     151
The Ecumenical Triangle     154
The Nature of Law      155
The Function of the Law     159
The Two-Kingdoms Perspective     161
The Eschatological Horizon     163
Notes     167
Index of Names     175
Index of Subjects     178