Paths Not Taken

Martin Luther was unquestionably a defining theologian for Christianity and the church. But did his legacy unfold in the way he would have hoped or expected? Paul R. Hinlicky here suggests that - to the detriment of the church as a whole - it did not. He analyzes here the unhappy fate of theology in the tradition of Luther through the pivotal early modern theological philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Through this lens Hinlicky shows how the twofold intention of reforming the Church according to the gospel and providing a Christian philosophy of culture for a renewed Christendom diverged along the way. ??Hinlicky begins by considering Jeffrey Stout's description of the sad state of theology since Barth - on the horns of dilemma between the loss of theme and the loss of audience. He then explores several key thinkers, including Kant, Spinoza, Melanchthon, and especially Barth. Throughout, Hinlicky focuses on the pivotal role of Leibniz and how his interpretations have affected not only our view of Luther but also our understanding of theology and theodicy as a whole. ??The main features of this book are its unusual rehabilitation of Leibniz as a pivotal figure; its connection of Barth and Leibniz in theological optimism; its analysis of the subtle Christological divergence between Luther and Melanchthon; and its dialectical affirmation of Spinozist naturalism. ??In his conclusion Hinlicky acknowledges several remaining questions, considers three outstanding contemporary representatives of theology in Luther's tradition - Pannenberg, Jngel, and Jenson - and settles on a path to be taken by Christian theology in the tradition of Luther after Christendom and after modernity.
-Publisher.

Publisher Description

In this book Paul Hinlicky suggests that to the detriment of the church as a whole Martin Luthers legacy did not unfold as he himself would have hoped or expected. Paths Not Taken analyzes the unhappy fate of theology in the tradition of Luther through the pivotal early modern theological philosopher Gottfried Leibniz. Through this lens Hinlicky shows how the twofold intention of reforming the Church according to the gospel and providing a Christian philosophy of culture for a renewed Christendom diverged along the way. / In his conclusion Hinlicky considers three outstanding contemporary representatives of theology in Luthers tradition Pannenberg, Jngel, and Jenson and settles on a path to be taken by Lutheran theology after Christendom and after modernity.