The Theology of the Cross: A Theology of Failure

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Rev. Braaten asks: "So does the fact that in recent year I mean recent years probably the last 10 20 years, the Resurgence of kind of Luther's theology or Theologian of the Cross, does this play into this at all in terms of kind of thinking like the Theology of the Cross is a Theology of losing, and a Theology of failure? Does that play into this at all in in terms of discussing or focusing solely on the failure of Christian and not the new obedience?"

Rev. Surburg replies: " I think that's a good observation because obviously to speak about what Christians are going to do sounds like a Theology of Glory even though it's an entirely biblical one. I think there probably is, it has contributed to a hesitancy to speak what Christians actually do you know this is ultimately a matter of are you going to speak the way scripture speaks, [like] Paul in in Romans and Galatians and Ephesians and Philippians and first Thessalonians, very frequently the latter quarter to a third of his letters is material that we would identify as paraenesis and actually it's even more spread out than that but in different forms, but it's highly concentrated in those sections so that Paul can't speak the Gospel without also speaking about the way Christians live and if you are going to be biblical in your theology then you're going to need to speak about the way Christians live. It's just simply going to be necessary."