Dennis Ngien

The author does not aim to defend Luther's and Calvin's reading of Galatians against modern biblical scholarship but to read and hear them in their own contexts. He grapples with major theological themes underlying their approach: law and gospel, active and passive righteousness, faith alone yet not alone, attribution of contraries between Christ and the justified saints, human love and God's love, Christ as gift and example, the creative power of God's word, union with Christ, the economic action of the Son, the role of Holy Spirit in the justified life, faith in Christ and the faith of Christ, the uses of the law, true identity as God's gift, flesh and Spirit, and radical discontinuity of the old existence and the re-creation of the new. Readers will learn from the Reformers how they apply a text or theological theme homiletically in a pastoral context and appreciate how their understanding of the gospel can spiritually nurture the life of faith.

The author does not aim to defend Luther's and Calvin's reading of Galatians against modern biblical scholarship but to read and hear them in their own contexts. He grapples with major theological themes underlying their approach: law and gospel, active and passive righteousness, faith alone yet not alone, attribution of contraries between Christ and the justified saints, human love and God's love, Christ as gift and example, the creative power of God's word, union with Christ, the economic action of the Son, the role of Holy Spirit in the justified life, faith in Christ and the faith of Christ, the uses of the law, true identity as God's gift, flesh and Spirit, and radical discontinuity of the old existence and the re-creation of the new. Readers will learn from the Reformers how they apply a text or theological theme homiletically in a pastoral context and appreciate how their understanding of the gospel can spiritually nurture the life of faith.

Luther was fundamentally a preacher-pastor, ""a care-taker of souls,"" whose ingenuity lies in his usage of the biblical message as a source of pastoral encouragement. This book seeks to capture the often-overlooked pastoral side of the Reformer through an examination of his sermons on John's gospel. The sermons on John show the intrinsic, close, and causal link between doctrine and consolation. They are an exercise of his vocation as a pastor, or more precisely, as a theologian of the cross who seeks to inculcate the good news of justification by faith in his people, leading them to experience it within the dialectic of law and gospel. St. John, said Luther, ""is the master in the article of justification."" Luther's theological method, namely, his theology of the cross, permeates and governs the exposition of the text, and all major themes of his theology-- Christology, Trinity, and soteriology--appear in his exegesis of John.

Luther was fundamentally a preacher-pastor, ""a care-taker of souls,"" whose ingenuity lies in his usage of the biblical message as a source of pastoral encouragement. This book seeks to capture the often-overlooked pastoral side of the Reformer through an examination of his sermons on John's gospel. The sermons on John show the intrinsic, close, and causal link between doctrine and consolation. They are an exercise of his vocation as a pastor, or more precisely, as a theologian of the cross who seeks to inculcate the good news of justification by faith in his people, leading them to experience it within the dialectic of law and gospel. St. John, said Luther, ""is the master in the article of justification."" Luther's theological method, namely, his theology of the cross, permeates and governs the exposition of the text, and all major themes of his theology-- Christology, Trinity, and soteriology--appear in his exegesis of John. ""With a sure ear for the nuances of Luther's engagement with the text of his favorite gospel and for the questions of our own time, Ngien again renders the Reformer's interpretation of Scripture understandable and relevant for modern readers. His special combination of keen-sighted theological analysis of Luther's faith and a sensitive meditative application of his insights gained from the evangelist John's depiction and confession of Christ permits both the evangelist and the Reformer to speak directly to twenty-first-century faith and life."" --Robert Kolb, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis ""John was Martin Luther's favorite gospel because he believed that it provided a clear pathway into the very heart of God. Dennis Ngien has given us here a major study of Luther's sermons on this great New Testament text. The whole scope of Luther's theology is evident in these sermons and they bear close study and reflection."" --Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University ""What could possibly be of greater import for the Christian believer than to contemplate the salvific grace extended to us at Calvary? As a grateful recipient of this grace and as a lover of Martin Luther, Dr. Ngien has taken the time to meditate, marinate, and mediate Luther's theology of the cross to us with the greatest care. And as a true 'insider' in the world of Lutheran studies, he has done a masterful job."" --Granville McKenzie, Senior Pastor, Faith Sanctuary, Toronto Dennis Ngien is Professor of Systematic Theology at Tyndale University College & Seminary, Toronto, and Research Professor at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.

The original Nicene Creed (381 AD) said that the Holy Spirit 'proceeds from the Father' and the Eastern Orthodox churches follow that wording to this day. However, in the West the growing tradition was to think of the Spirit as 'proceeding from the Father and the Son' (Latin: filioque) and eventually in 589 AD the ecumenical creed of Nicea was modified by the Catholic Church to include the word 'filioque' ('and the Son'). This controversial move was the sole doctrinal cause of the Great Schism that divided the Orthodox and Catholic Churches (1054 AD) and it remains a dividing issue with the Christian Church to this day. This study examines the defense of the filioque clause by four medieval theologians in the Catholic Church and seeks to show why it mattered so much to them: - Anselm (1033-1109) - Thomas Aquinas (1224-1275) - Richard of St Victor (d. 1173) - Bonaventure (1217-1274) Opening with a history of the filioque, Ngien places each theologian's rational defence within the broader context, making this book much more than a discussion of the one contentious clause, but also a general introduction to medieval conceptions of the Trinity.

The materials presented here are reflections on a variety of topics: a belief in God's suffering and the pastoral implications of this; Luther's theology of preaching; practical approaches to evangelistic preaching; pastoral advice on death and dying; apologetic preaching in a post-Christian culture on the model of Paul; effective living in the power of the Holy Spirit, striking a balance between enthusiastic service and fervent love; the image of God's love in the Old Testament; and personal exhortations. Although this book was written on the balcony of my own study where reflection and meditation are carried out, it is cognizant of ministry contexts where people's needs and struggles are most evident. With anecdotes and analyses, the readers will be enabled to discern the signs of divine transcendence in their lives, and to apprehend, or rather to be apprehended by, the beauty of God's grace--the abiding basis of our being and well-being. What has been written in this book reveals the heartbeat of a mentor who earnestly hungers for divine beauty and holiness, a mentor whose hunger God eagerly fulfills, just as he promises, and a mentor who wishes this same fulfillment to happen for readers. The basic assumption in this book is this: a faith that is worth believing is a faith that is worth living, and thus worth commending. The book is also an exercise of faith seeking understanding--understanding only God could supply. It is written with the hope that it will lead readers from knowing God to loving him, to enjoying him, and finally to proclaiming him so that others will be brought into the orbit of God's inestimable grace. Not until our hearts, which God's heart touches, touch the heart of others is our ministry complete and our life found pleasing to God. ""Like the ancient prophet, Amos, we live in an era marked by a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. These exemplary sermons and speeches by Dennis Ngien provide satisfying nourishment for heart and mind alike because he enables the Scriptures to speak again in clear, powerful ways to our generation. Ngien effortlessly blends the committed passion of a preacher, the wise perspective of a mentor, and the careful precision of a scholar. This book is recommended reading for anyone eager to hear what truly practical theology sounds like."" -- Jeffrey P. Greenman, Associate Dean of Biblical & Theological Studies and Professor of Christian Ethics, Wheaton College ""This book is far more than a collection of compelling sermons by the consummate pastor-theologian, Dr. Dennis Ngien. It is an exemplar of the interface of theology and piety, of biblical interpretation and practical implication, of scholarly rigor and spiritual fervor. The nine chapters comprising the volume offer rich theological reflection on a range of subjects including the suffering of God, death and dying, Luther's theology of preaching, effective living in the power of the Spirit, and the nature of God's love. Ngien never loses sight of what he calls ""the curvature of the human soul,"" and offers exhortations and insights that are at once deeply theological, profoundly pastoral, and disarmingly personal. Like his historic mentor, Luther, we see in Ngien a theologian of the cross at work in the pastoral context. This is a book of immense value for all who seek a faith worth believing, living, and commending."" -- Janet Clark, Dean, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, Canada ""The Scottish theologian James Denney once commented that 'if evangelists were our theologians or theologians our evangelists, we should be nearer the ideal.' These sermons by Dennis Ngien exemplify the fact that he is a passionate amalgam of both. Professor Ngien is a noted theologian in the Reformation tradition, but also a man of action, who has proclaimed the gospel in various settings over many years of public ministry. May his tribe increase And may you be inspired and built up in faith."" -- Kevin Livingston, Senior Pastor, Knox

The Interface of Theology and Piety in Luther's Devotional Writings

Most Luther scholars have focused largely on the polemical side of the Reformer, with occasional allusion to his Devotional Writings in volumes 42 and 43 of the American editions. The aim of this book is to unfold the pastoral, not the polemical, side of the reformer, drawing on the spiritual insights he offers to people of high and low estate. These writings are devotional and catechetical in shape and intent, yet not devoid of rich theological substance, the fruit of his rigorous reflections. They are the exercises of Luther's basic calling as a theologian-pastor, and are the concrete illustrations of the interface of theology and piety, the former being the abiding presupposition and logical cause of the latter. Through them, readers are informed not only of the Reformation theology of justification, but also introduced to a distinct expression of the Christian faith in which Christ and his cross occupy the centre stage. What is noticeable is the one single overarching theme--God's ways with people--that the Reformer, as a spiritual adviser, sought to relate to the events of his days such as evils, severe afflictions, the prevalent lay abuse of the Eucharist. He counseled how to meditate aright on Christ's passion, prepare to face the terror of death, advise the sick, rightly approach the sacrament of the altar, why and how to pray aright, what benefits could be gained from the Lord's Prayer, and how to live out a life of discipleship under the cross. Ngien's work reveals Luther as a true theologian, i.e., theologian of the cross at work in the pastoral context.