Volker Leppin is the Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology at Yale Divinity School. He is author of twenty books in the field of medieval and Reformation studies.
Description
Introduction 1. John Tauler's External Constitution of the Person 2. Mystical Piety and Sacramental Mediation of Salvation in the Late Middle Ages 3. "omnem vitam fidelium penitentiam esse voluit": Luther's Adoption of Mystical Tradition in his First Thesis on Indulgence 4. The Entanglement of Augustinianism and Mysticism in the Late Middle Ages and in the Early Reformational Movement 5. Luther's Passion Mysticism 6. The Transformation of Late-Medieval Mysticism in Reformational Theology 7. Becoming One Bread ("Kuchen"): Mystical Tendencies in Luther's Teachings on the Lord's Supper 8. Philosophy of Language, Monastic Meditation, Pnuematic Speech? A Study in Luther's Disputation on the Sentence "Verbum caro factum est" Bibliography Index
Reviews
Volker Leppin, the leading expert on Martin Luther and medieval mysticism, at last has a book dedicated to the subject in English. This collection of essays establishes itself as the definitive English reference for understanding the mystical aspects of Luther's theology. By reading this book, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain a strict dichotomy between Protestantism and mysticism, as well as the notion of a sudden breakthrough in Luther's understanding of justification by faith. Instead, Leppin reveals how Luther's early theological development revolved around a mystical transformation of his understanding of penance, shifting from a sacrament mediated by the church hierarchy to a direct and internal encounter with God. Beyond dispelling long-standing stereotypes about Luther, this book has the potential to reshape our contemporary understanding of theology, inviting us to embrace theology not solely as an academic discipline but as an existential orientation. --Samuel J. Dubbelman, assistant professor of church history, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong Volker Leppin's studies of Martin Luther's "mystical roots" and "transformations" of medieval mystical traditions have challenged our historical understanding of the reformer and have major implications for the further development of the Lutheran tradition. This volume makes a judicious selection of Leppin's essays available in English and will be welcome and thought-provoking reading for anyone interested in Luther's theology. --Vincent Evener, assistant professor in the history of Christianity, Missouri State University Martin Luther transformed medieval Christianity into something else. Some forms were left behind, but their substance endured in difficult-to-see ways. In this deeply learned book, Volker Leppin, one of our finest interpreters of medieval and Reformation Christianity, shares his vision of this transformation. The vision is remarkable both in its microscopic attention to text and context, and also in its breadth of survey of centuries of history. Read this convincing, engaging, and delightful book. --Derek R. Nelson, professor of religion, Wabash College, and coauthor of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther Martin Luther stands at the crossroads of medieval mysticism and early modern university theology. German, American, and Scandinavian scholars interpret Luther's vision in diverse ways. Volker Leppin masters this complex field and provides an academic synthesis that leads the reader to the heart of the Reformation. --Risto Saarinen, professor, University of Helsinki