Renowned Reformation scholar Timothy J. Wengert explores the genesis of Lutheran biblical interpretation by tracing the early work of Martin Luther, Melanchthon, and other Wittenberg exegetes. Their new approach led them to view Scripture in terms of "law and gospel," to read and translate the Greek and Hebrew text, and to focus on a theology of the cross and justification by faith. Luther and his colleagues found God working in the last place anyone would reasonably look: on the cross, in weakness and foolishness. Wengert demonstrates how these key historical and theological perspectives can be demonstrated in preaching, reflection, and teaching today. Using brief examples of preaching The Seven Last Word of Christ and reflecting on LutherAs work on a variety of Psalms, the author provides a path for students and pastors alike to plumb the depth of Lutheran hermeneutics in their preaching and teaching.
Timothy J. Wengert is emeritus professor of Church History at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. A parish pastor for seven years in Minnesota and Wisconsin with a doctorate from Duke University, he taught on Philadelphia's faculty from 1989-2013. He has written extensively on the Reformation, was co-editor of the English edition of The Book of Concord (Fortress, 2000) and translated LutherAs Small Catechism, used throughout the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In addition to books on Philip Melanchthon and Martin Luther, he co-authored with Susan Wood a book on Lutheran/Roman Catholic relations, Shared Spiritual Journey (Paulist, 2016) and currently serves on the U.S. Lutheran/Roman Catholic dialogue. He currently resides in Long Valley, NJ.
"Wengert's core conviction in Word of Life--one he shares with Luther and Melanchthon--is that the meaning of a text becomes clear in its effect on the reader or hearer. In Wengert's own words, 'The crucial link between what a text says and what it does is the 'for you.' Contemporary preaching would be much improved by adhering to the principle that the preacher's role is less to speak about the text than to allow the text itself to speak to God's people." --Kathryn A. Kleinhans, Dean, Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University, Columbus, OH "Remarkable for its brevity, this lively introduction provides a wonderful entr'e to the most compelling insights and productive tendencies that the Lutheran tradition offers the field of biblical interpretation. A lifelong scholar of the Lutheran confessions, Wengert is both generous in his affection for that tradition and ecumenical in his appreciation for the church at large. I have been a Lutheran Bible professor for thirty-five years, and I learned some things I might have incorporated in my teaching all along. I love the way Wengert explains some of our curious expressions ('foolish truth-telling') and counterintuitive claims (no 'before' and 'after' in the Christian life). Time and again, he adopts a broad historical scope that ends up funneling right into up-to-the-moment interpretive concerns. The last two chapters bring everything together with stellar examples of application: sermons on the last words of Christ, and then, deeply moving and vulnerable reflections on the psalms composed as meditations between father and daughter while losing their beloved wife and mother to cancer." --Mark Allan Powell, Leatherman Professor of New Testament, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH "This volume draws readers into conversation with two believers who have spent their lives studying God's word in the context of the life of the church and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in lecture hall and pulpit. Timothy J. Wengert engages Martin Luther's message and method of conveying the biblical message with historical sensitivity and insight as well as thoughtful discernment of cutting issues of the twenty-first century. Wengert's own treatment of texts from Christ's passion and the Psalms then demonstrates in very helpful ways how Luther's way of reading and applying Scripture for the entire congregation of God's people functions most effectively in our day. Scholars, preachers, and hearers will profit much from this presentation." --Robert Kolb, professor emeritus of systematic theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO "What a book! So clear in its historical interpretation, so deeply engaged in theology! Wengert leads us to the hermeneutical insights of Martin Luther and Luther's friend and colleague Philip Melanchthon. Wengert puts them thoroughly into their historical context, following the lines of medieval and Renaissance hermeneutics and showing what makes them so unique in history. Even more, following in the footsteps of the Reformers, he guides the reader to a suitable understanding of Scripture in our time. Whoever wants to make an advance in understanding Holy Scripture will find a helpful guide here." --Volker Leppin, professor of church history, University of Tubingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
