Luther and Liberation recovers the liberating and revolutionary impact of Luther's theology, read afresh from the perspective of the Latin American context. Altmann provides a much-needed reassessment of Luther's significance today through a direct engagement of Luther's historical situation with an eye keenly situated on the deeply contextual situation of the contemporary reader, giving a localized reading from the author's own experience in Latin America. The work examines with fresh vigor Luther's central theological commitments, such as his doctrine of God, Christology, justification, hermeneutics, and ecclesiology, and his forays into economics, politics, education, violence, and war. This new edition greatly expands the original text with fresh scholarship and updated sources, footnotes, and bibliography, and contains several additional new chapters on Luther's doctrine of God, theology of the sacraments, his controversial perspective on the Jews, and a new comparative account with the Latin American liberation theology tradition.
Walter Altmann is professor of systematic theology at Escola Superior de Teologia, Sao Leopoldo, Brazil. He is the former president of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil and the Latin American Council of Churches; he is also the former moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.
Maps and Galilee Photo Gallery; Preface; Part One: Overview of Luther's Theology and Work; 1. Luther at the Crossroads between the Old and the New; Part Two: Theology with a New Interpretive Key; 2. The God of Life against-All Falsehood of the Idols of Death; 3. In the Cross of Christ, Victory over All Evil; 4. Conversion, Liberation, and Justification; 5. Scripture-Instrument of Life; 6. The Church-Poor People of God; 7. Sacraments: Tomb or Cradle of Christian Community?; 8. The Reign of God in Church and State; Part Three: Exercises on Luther's Ethical Positioning; 9. The Political Calling and the Church; 10. Education; 11. The Economy and the Community; 20. War; 13. Resistance and Violence; 14. Luther-Defender of the Jews or Antisemite?; Part Four: Luther's Legacy and Liberation Theology; 15. What Did Luther Want, in the End?; 16. Matthew 25:31-46: Justification and Liberation; 17. The Reception of Luther's Concept of Freedomin Latin American Liberation Theology Eqilogue; Bibliography.
