And heres one more--a bit more in depth--from Mary Jane Haemig (Lutheran Quarterly, June 1996: pp.199-200). She reviews here the German edition, published in 1993: The publication of Albrecht Peters masterful commentary on Luthers catechisms continues with volume four on baptism and the Lords Supper. The volume will be useful not only to scholars and pastors interested in the catechisms but also to anyone tracing the development of Luthers sacramental thought. The book is divided into three approximately equal sections: the first describes the development of Luthers sacramental theology and its relation to western tradition, the second and third cover baptism and the Lords Supper respectively. The initial section describes how Luther both appropriated and broke with medieval sacramental teaching. It covers Luthers new approach to the relationship between promise and faith, the place of the sacraments in Gods salvific action for us through the gospel, and Luthers new orientation to a sacramental definition based on institution by Christ. Luthers struggle to understand the sacraments had as its goal their proper placement within a basic scheme: preaching and sacraments are the bridge between the Christ-event and faith. The place of sacraments is not in our reaching to God but in Gods stooping to us. In the catechisms Luther does not discuss baptism and the Lords Supper in terms of an overarching definition of sacrament but rather according to his understanding of Gods action for us. As Peters points out in the following sections Luther explains the sacraments primarily from the point of view of the individual receiving them; thus Luther gives issues considered in other writings (for example, the upbuilding and sending of the whole church) little or no attention. The sections on baptism and the Lords Supper follow the structure of Luthers explanations in the Large Catechism. In the section on baptism, chapters discuss the essence of baptism, the gift of baptism, the significance of baptism, and infant baptism. In the section on the Lords Supper Peters explores in turn its essence, its fruit, and the admonition to partake of it. Throughout, the author places the greatest emphasis on the significance and power of the words of institution. As in previous volumes, Peters illuminates the catechetical explanations by i) referring to other works of Luther and 2) comparing Luther s thoughts with his medieval predecessors. Interwoven throughout these sections is a discussion of the ways in which Luthers response to opponents (particularly, the Anabaptists and the Reformed) shaped the catechetical explanations. Peters devotes more space to infant baptism than to any other topic in baptism, making clear Luthers peculiar emphases, for example, his insistence that the baptized infant has a faith of its own. Luthers beliefs about infant baptism show the core tension of human existence before God: On the one hand, Gods salvific action seeks a living faith; on the other hand, true faith depends entirely upon Gods prior action. Luther resists the anabaptist inclination to make faith into our own work and points out that we must trust in Gods Word alone, not in any gift (including faith) which God has given us. Controversial concerns also affected the catechetical explanation of the Lords Supper. In the Large Catechisms admonition to receive the Lords Supper Luthers scope narrows. Although in earlier writings he had emphasized that in the Lords Supper we are drawn into community with one another in the body of Christ, the controversy with the Zwinglians forced him to accent the doctrine of the real presence in the catechisms and to leave out discussion of the communal aspects of the Sacrament. After each of the three main sections there is a list of relevant Luthers works, as well as a bibliography of pertinent secondary literature. Peters includes a complete bibliography of secondary literature at the end of the volume. Due to the fact that Peters completed this commentary over twenty years ago the bibliographies do not contain works published after 1970. This is the first major commentary on either of Luthers catechisms since Johann Meyers Historischer Kommentar zu Luthers Kleinem Katechismus (Gütersloh, 1929). It has received much-deserved praise from both historians and theologians and is an indispensable reference work for all concerned with Luthers catechisms.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:30:51 +0000