IC 2639 Law and Gospel

Fall 2007 Full Course

Friday 9:00-12:30—NW 230

 

Therefore whoever knows well how to distinguish the Gospel from the Law should give thanks to God and know that [they are] a real theologian. I must admit that in the time of temptation I myself do not know how to do this as I should. The way to distinguish the one from the other is to locate the Gospel in heaven and the Law on earth, to call the righteousness of the Gospel heavenly and divine and the righteousness of the Law earthly and human, and to distinguish between heaven and earth. . . .  Therefore if the issue is faith, heavenly righteousness, or conscience, let us leave the Law out of consideration altogether and let it remain on the earth.  But if the issue is works, then let us light the lamp of works and of the righteousness of the Law in the night. . . . These two must be distinguished in your mind in such a way that when your conscience is completely terrified by a sense of sin, you will think of yourself:  "At the moment you are busy on earth.  Here let the ass work, let him serve and carry the burdens on earth; for the conscience has no relation to the Law or to works or to earthly righteousness.  Thus the ass remains in the valley; but the conscience ascends the mountain with Isaac, knowing absolutely nothing about the Law or its works but looking only to the forgiveness of sins and the pure righteousness offered and given in Christ.  Martin Luther (LW 26: 115-16)

 

David Lose                                                     Rolf Jacobson

NW 210B                                                       NW 110A

x471                                                                x 491

dlose@luthersem.edu                                    rjacobso@luthersem.edu

 

The instructor invites inquiries from students with learning disabilities or other special needs.  Assignments may be altered at the professors’ discretion.

 

Course Description:  An examination of the theological, biblical, and pastoral implications of the law/gospel distinction and how that distinction informs the task of interpreting and confessing Christ in a changing world.  Special attention is given to the complexities of the law/gospel distinction in relation to pastoral ministry.  Full course.

Course Goals:  Students will:

·         Grow in their understanding of the law/gospel distinction’s theological, hermeneutical and pastoral potential [skills; attitudes and beliefs];

·         Grow in their understanding of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ [attitudes and beliefs];

·         Learn basic information about the intellectual history of the law/gospel distinction  [knowledge];

·         Begin to think about how to teach the law/gospel distinction to others [pass-on-able habits].

Core Values and Assumptions

·         Learners teach themselves (the professors ‘coach’ or ‘assist’ or get in the way)

·         The key goal of the course is for learners to develop a set of skills (the idea of the course is not for students to learn what the professors think and learn to parrot those thoughts)

·         God is encountered when the word of God is spoken

·         Learning ought to include some fun, excitement, and passion—as well as some threat, hard work, and friction

·         The professors value humor, at least as a way of negotiating the insanities of life and academy—warning: the professors will make fun of each other, themselves, their family, their friends; if humor makes you uncomfortable, this is a bad fit

·         The professors will return assignments promptly, with comments; they will be on time and prepared; they are available for individual consultation

 

Required Texts

  • An annotated study Bible (The Harper Collins Study Bible, revised and updated version is recommended)
  • Basic Theological Writings of Martin Luther, ed. Timothy Lull
  • Telling the Truth, by Fredrick Buechner
  • The Hammer of God, by Bo Giertz

 

Course Requirements

·         Attend all classes and complete all readings (see schedule of assignments)—40%

·         Paper #1—due Sep 18—Write a 1-2 page essay defining (1) your view of the proper understanding of the law and gospel hermeneutic, and (2) how the law and gospel hermeneutic will function in your ministry.  You may quote the Bible only once and you may not quote any secondary sources—10%.

·         Project—due dates will vary—Students, working alone or in pairs, will develop a project related to the law/gospel distinction and the practice of ministry.  Students will negotiate this project with the professors and will present the project in class during one of the last three weeks of the course—20%.

·         Paper #2—due Dec 11—The second paper will consist of a complete re-write of Paper #1 in light of the readings, discussions, lectures, and assignments of the course.  The paper should be 7-8 pages long.  The paper should be submitted to Professor Jacobson as a document attached to an email—30%.

·         Extra credit—Students who wear Scandinavian sweaters to class for all thirteen (13) weeks of the course will earn extra credit—13%.  [No, we are not serious.]

 

Selected Bibliography

 

Althaus, Pal.  The Theology of Martin Luther (Philadelphia:  Fortress, 1966), pp. 251-273.

Andersen, Wilhelm.  Law and Gospel: A Study in Biblical Theology (London:  United Society for Christian Literature, 1961).

Barth, Karl.  “Gospel and Law” in Community, State, and Church: Three Essays by Karl Barth (New York: Doubleday, 1960).

Braaten, Carl.  “The Law/Gospel Principle,” in Principles of Lutheran Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007)

Elert, Werner.  Law and Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1967.

Gritsch, Eric and Robert W. Jenson.  Lutheranism: The Theological Movement and Its Confessional Writings (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1976), pp. 36-44.

Luther, Martin.  “Two Kinds of Righteousness,” in The Basic Theological Writings of Martin Luther, ed. T. Lull (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1987).

Nestingen, James Arne.  “Preaching Repentance,” Lutheran Quarterly NS 3 (1989): 249-56.

Walther, C. F. W.  Law and Gospel (St. Louis: Concordia, 1981).

Watson, Philip S.  “The Doctrine of the Word,” in Let God Be God, pp. 149-178.

Wengert, Timothy.  Law and Gospel:  Philip Melancthon’s Debate with John Agricola over Poenitentia (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997).

 

 

Schedule of Topics and Assignments

 

 

Topics

Assignments

Sep 11

Introduction to Course and to Law and Gospel

 

Sep 18

Law and Gospel:  A Proposal

Read:  Martin Luther, “Two Kinds of Righteousness”;

“On How to Regard Moses”

Lectures on Galatians, LW 26:106-17

 

Sep 25

Law and Gospel: The  Law in Scripture and Theology

Read:  Luther, “The Letter and the Spirit” in Lull

Ebeling, Gerhard, “The Law and the Gospel,” in Luther: An Introduction to His Thought, trans. by R.A. Wilson (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1972), 110-124.

Oct 2

Law and Gospel:  The Gospel in Scripture and Theology

Read:  Barth, “Gospel and Law”

Elert, Werner, Law and Gospel: A Reply To Karl Barth’s Essay “Gospel and Law” (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1967).

Oct 9

Law and Gospel and preaching

Read:  Buechner, Telling the Truth

Oct 16

Law and Gospel and Pastoral Leadership

Read:  Bo Giertz, The Hammer of God, pp. 3-110

Oct 23

Law and Gospel in Art and Culture

Read:  Bo Giertz, The Hammer of God, pp. 113-192

Oct 30

Law and Gospel and the Two Kingdoms Distinction

Read:  Carl Braaten, “The Two Kingdoms Principle”

Nov 6

Law and Gospel and Ethics

Read:  Bo Giertz, The Hammer of God, pp. 195-332

Luther, “The Freedom of a Christian”

Nov 13

Law and Gospel in Worship and Music

Luther, “Preface to the German Mass and Order of Service,”  LW 53:61-90

Nov 20

Student Presentations

 

Dec 4

Student Presentations

 

Dec 11

Student Presentations