Hanging by a Promise: The Hidden God in the Theology of Oswald Bayer

Oswald Bayer is one of the most important contemporary interpreters of Martin Luther and confessional Lutheran theologians. As a Luther scholar Bayer has identified the precise reformational turning point in Luthers life and theology which is also the central point for a truly Lutheran theology: the promise of a forgiving and justifying God preached in Jesus Christ. As a Lutheran theologian Bayer stresses that this promise of God is the ultimate subject matter of all theology and that all other theological topics have the justifying promise of God as their basis and boundary. Hanging by a Promise investigates how Bayer addresses Luthers topic of the hidden God--a God of wrath who accomplishes everything--from the standpoint of the justifying promise of God. Luthers doctrine of the hidden God has been taken up discussed and interpreted by many in the modern Protestant theological tradition. Yet Bayer addresses it in a way in which others before him have not. Going beyond interpretation and evaluation Bayer actually makes use of Luthers hidden God in his own theology. For Bayer the hidden God is the counterpoint to Gods gracious promise given in the preached Christ a counterpoint that brings serious tension into the very heart of theology. Oswald Bayer has perceptively articulated major themes in the Lutheran tradition in the context of twentieth and twenty-first century theology philosophy and societal theories as perhaps no other figure of his generation. Millers sharply-focused finely-tuned analysis of how Bayer applies Luthers doctrine of justification within the framework of his concept of the Hidden God provides readers with fresh perspectives and insightful analysis that further the application of Reformation theology to current pastoral and theological issues. --Robert Kolb Professor of Systematic Theology emeritus Concordia Seminary Saint Louis MO This circumspect and erudite book is a surprise: Joshua Miller has not only well understood my theological concerns but also advanced them in new contexts and opened new insights into my work. --Oswald Bayer Professor emeritus of Systematic Theology University of Tubingen Tubingen Germany Josh Millers book is a wonderful introduction to the theology of preeminent theologian Oswald Bayer and the themes of suffering Gods hiddenness and the agency of Gods word. This thoughtful volume is a trustworthy guide for contemporary students of Martin Luther and Lutheran theology. Miller is on his way to becoming one of the most knowledgeable new American scholars of Lutheran theology. --Amy Marga Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Luther Seminary St. Paul MN The books of Oswald Bayer have brought fresh air and sunlight to Luther studies particularly in difficult areas like the topic of Gods hiddenness. Joshua Miller has done careful work in the texts of Bayer and shows the considerable fruit of that labor in Hanging by a Promise. --Mark D. Tranvik Professor of Religion Augsburg College Minneapolis MN Joshua C. Miller is an Instructor in Religion at Augsburg College in Minneapolis Minnesota. He received his doctorate from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul Minnesota.