Luther’s Theology of the Cross () von Dennis Ngien

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.

Dennis Ngien (PhD) is the inaugural holder of the Alister E. McGrath Chair of Christian Thought and Spirituality and professor of Systematic Theology at Tyndale University College& Seminary, Toronto. Formerly Research Scholar at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University, he is the author of several books including his most recent Fruit for the Soul: Luther on the Lament Psalms (Fortress, 2015), and Luther's Theology of the Cross: Christ in Luther's Sermons on John (Cascade Books, 2018).