Luther's Theology of Glory

Abstract

Luther's bold contrast between the theologian of glory and the theologian of the cross is often interpreted as the key passage unlocking the door to his entire thought. In the famous theses 20 and 21 of the Heidelberg Disputation (1518), Luther insists that only a theologian of the cross can comprehend.., the visible and manifest things of God, and can correctly call a thing what it is. 1 The knowledge of the Christian God is accessible solely at the place of God's deepest humiliation, the rock on which every human ambition for glory is shattered: in suffering and on the cross. 2 As the starting point for theological reflection, Luther's theology of the cross cannot be considered to exhaust all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3). 3 In this brief essay, I intend to show that, for Luther, a theologian deserving of this name can also be fascinated by the glory of the triune God. On the basis of Luther's explanation to the Creed in the Large Catechism, I suggest that Luther's theology of glory consists of two interwoven narratives of trinitarian glorification. Together, they can be illustrated as a double helix of glorification: God is glorified for who God is, as well as for what God does.