Comments on: Luther as Spiritual Adviser http://theologyforum.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/luther-as-spiritual-adviser/ Serving the joyful cultivation of the theological craft for the life of the church: inquiring honestly, deliberating wisely, acting faithfully Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Joe http://theologyforum.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/luther-as-spiritual-adviser/#comment-13922 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:07:35 +0000 http://theologyforum.wordpress.com/?p=2696#comment-13922 I’m interested in the contrast between what seem to me to be two very different, even opposite sides, to being a religious leader: 1) being pastoral; which more or less seems to be about making troubled people, feel good. Vs. 2) serious theology; looking for the truth about God, whether it feels good, whether it is consoling, or not.

Most practical ministers today teach “feel good” “spiritual” lessons; but is this honest? Is it really enough?

Luther, I would hazard to say, was not a “feel good” minister. Here, even his most pastoral lessons, seem to emphasize “struggle.”

What is the resolution of these two conflicting aspects? Personally I am attracted to the kind of sermon that seems to find a compromise between the two: to teach a somewhat consoling, mildly content fatalism, say. Or (with biblical reservations about the term), teach a sort of … mildly hopeful philosophicality.

Maybe Kent would also like to comment on this style?

As for Luther? It’s hard to see him being even mildly consoling; his most influential work was all about an increasingly deadly struggle against an oppressive Church.

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