Luther and the Stories of God: Biblical Narratives as a Foundation for Christian Living

by Robert Kolb

Overview

Awarded the Hermann-Sasse-Preis by the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany

Martin Luther read and preached the biblical text as the record of God addressing real, flesh-and-blood people and their daily lives. He used stories to drive home his vision of the Christian life, a life that includes struggling against temptation, enduring suffering, praising God in worship and prayer, and serving one's neighbor in response to God's callings and commands. Leading Lutheran scholar Robert Kolb highlights Luther's use of storytelling in his preaching and teaching to show how Scripture undergirded Luther's approach to spiritual formation. With both depth and clarity, Kolb explores how Luther retold and expanded on biblical narratives in order to cultivate the daily life of faith in Christ.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801038914
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2012
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Robert Kolb (PhD, University of Wisconsin) is Mission Professor of Systematic Theology emeritus at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of numerous books including The Genius of Luther's Theology and is coeditor of The Book of Concord (2000 translation).

Table of Contents

Introduction: Luther the Storyteller and His Cultivation of the Christian Life
1. The Whole Life of a Christian Is a Life of Repentance: Luther's Metanarrative
2. Luther the Storyteller: The Reformer's Use of Narrative
3. Fearing, Loving, and Trusting in God above All Things: Defining the Core of What It Means to Be Human
4. Suffering Builds Faith and Calls to Repentance: Affliction as Part of Daily Life
5. The Life of Faith in Hearing and Reading God's Word and Responding in Prayer and Praise: Active Obedience in the Sacred Realm
6. The Life of Faith in Serving the Neighbor: Luther's Ethic of Callings and Commands
7. Living Well Leads to Dying Well: The Completion of the Christian Life
Conclusion
Index

Editorial Reviews

Kolb (theology, emeritus, Concordia Seminary; The Genius of Luther's Theology) here emphasizes the Protestant pioneer Martin Luther's reliance on narrative in his preaching and teaching. At times, Lutheran and Presbyterian theology seem to rely almost on an intellectual apprehension of unmerited grace, but Kolb's book goes far toward restoring a narrative and almost biographical focus in the creation of a personal spirituality. VERDICT A thoughtful corrective to what Kolb views as prevalent misconceptions in Protestantism, this book will serve academic libraries, seminaries, and pastors.

Library Journal