I intended this review to go out shortly after Easter, but the Lord dismissed my intentions with the gift of a son and a busier ministry. So now it’s Advent, but a time just as appropriate. During this season we are made all the more aware of the theology of the cross as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, and so the review…
“Read it every year for the first ten years of your ministry…”
Going through college and seminary, it was not unusual for professors to step away from their lectures for a moment to offer some practical advice from their own experience in the pastoral ministry. Quite often those discussions were some of the most valuable lessons we learned from those professors. I recall one Seminary professor in one of those moments give the advice above regarding Dr. C.F.W. Walther’s The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel.
Great advice for young men entering the pastoral ministry. In that collection of Walther’s lectures, one not only finds lesson after lesson about distinguishing between Law and Gospel, but one also finds there a treasury of practical pastoral advice that applies as much in the 21st Century as it did in the 19th. It’s a classic of Lutheran theology that should be on the shelf and on the annual reading list of every Lutheran shepherd.
Rarely does one find such a treasure like Law and Gospel that deserves as much of the shepherd’s time and attention year in and year out (besides Scripture and the Confessions, of course!). Yes, there are plenty of classics out there worth your reading, but few that a shepherd and his flock should be reading over and over again. The time has come, however, to make that recommendation about another book that came out about a year ago, a book that I am convinced deserves to be regarded as a treasure of Lutheran theology for many years to come — The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours by Prof. Em. Daniel M. Deutschlander (Northwestern Publishing House, 2008).
I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of Prof. Deutschlander for German and history courses throughout my college years. Like many others in the pastor track there, I also spent plenty of time talking with him in his office. I would have to say he had one of the greatest impacts on me being the pastor that I am today. Theology of the Cross is not unlike sitting in his classroom or in his office, and it comes as a fruit of the labors of a faithful shepherd who served in the ministry for 40 years.
Theology of the Cross is a book that is an in-depth study of a vitally important, though oft-ignored, teaching of Holy Scripture – the cross of the Christian in his life of faith and the centrality of Christ’s cross in the life of the Christian and the church. In this day and age, that’s not a popular teaching in Christianity. “Who wants to hear about suffering and struggle and loss and cross anyway?” With that attitude, many Christians, congregations, and church bodies go the way of the theology of glory. There the prophets of glory promise success and ease and outward results if you only follow their forty easy steps, seven simple rules, or at least set aside all that negative talk of self denial. Such a theology of glory plays right into the hands of our sinful selves that want nothing more than to gratify themselves in any way they can, but in reality such a theology not only rejects the cross, but also Christ.
In his rich devotional and teaching style, Prof. Deutschlander takes the reader back to Holy Scripture, where one finds not the theology of glory, but the theology of the cross as displayed in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why this book is so appropriate to be read in church seasons like Advent and Lent. While the rest of the world focuses on the tinsel and twinkling lights of Christmas, the Church ponders the reason why a Savior had to come in the first place, not to take his place on a throne of glory, but to become the sinless Substitute for damned, undeserving, ungrateful sinners ultimately taking up the cross to save them from their sins. The chapter on “The Theology of the Cross and the Hidden God” emphasizes this reality: “God remains hidden in and under the cross, in weakness and in struggle, and he chooses to be found nowhere else.” (pgs. 113-114)
Unlike most books that take up such a dogmatic or doctrinal subject, this book is not simply geared for the trained professional shepherd. It is just as edifying for the layperson. Now don’t get me wrong. As one would expect from Prof. Deutschlander, Theology of the Cross is not light, fluffy writing that will make you feel good about yourself. In fact, the chapters on “Slivers on the Cross” and “Slivers Under the Cross” leave the reader feeling positively wretched for all those times when he or she has allowed the sinful self to gladly consider dumping the cross for an easier journey through this life. Yes, this book has some heavy theological lifting and is not to be read quickly, but it’s worth every minute, because the theology of the cross is so vitally important for the present day.
Prof. Deutschlander provides an in-depth, practical discussion of the paradox of the cross (including how it plays into the doctrines of the means of grace and justification), a look at the “slivers” on and under the cross (including self denial in the life of a Christian, and a theology-of-the-cross look at 1 Corinthians 13 and Luther’s Table of Duties from the Small Catechism), and an insightful look at the hiddenness of God in the life of Christ and the Christian. Arguably the most valuable sections of the entire book are found in the last three chapters, where Prof. Deutschlander examines “particular and changing aspects of the cross in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church.” (pg. 2) In particular, he devotes one whole chapter to the special crosses of pastor and the visible church. That chapter alone makes this book a must-read for every Lutheran pastor or called worker, as well as every Lutheran leader. Prof. Deutschlander also provides a summary of Hermann Sasse’s “Luther’s Theology of the Cross” and a Lenten sermon series that Prof. Deutschlander wrote for Lent 2007.
There are applications in this book that can be used for every setting of ministry, for every generation, and every Christian who wants to grow in his faith and understanding of Holy Scripture. I have personally found that to be the case. Prof. Deutschlander writes with a devotional style that is both refreshing and edifying. I read the book for the first time during the forty days of Lent, simply reading about 5 pages a day between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Every time I re-read this book, the Lord has provided better focus in my preaching, teaching, and counseling of God’s people, not to mention the spiritual growth I personally enjoyed along the way. Below are a few quotations that I’ve shared on this blog as I read the book during Lent. Take time to check them out…
- A Reflection on the Theology of the Cross (20 February 2009)
- The Liturgy: Healing for the Cross-Bearer (23 February 2009)
- The Facts About the Cross (24 February 2009)
- The Essence of the Cross (26 February 2009)
- Strengthening the Cross-Bearers (9 March 2009)
- The Precious Gift of the Cross (10 March 2009)
- A Sliver on the Cross: Spiritual Laziness (16 March 2009)
- Following Jesus Beneath the Cross (20 March 2009)
- Saved…Through Hidden Glory (27 March 2009)
- When the Cross Becomes Hidden… (30 March 2009)
- Sing, My Tongue the Glorious Battle (10 April 2009)
- The Nativity of St. John the Baptist – A Festival for Shepherds of the Cross (24 June 2009)
This book is truly a classic of Lutheran theology. It should be in the library of every Lutheran shepherd and in every Lutheran home. A Lutheran shepherd should read it every year for the first ten years of his ministry and then at least every couple years after that as life and ministry constantly change. This is a book that should never gather dust and is worthy of study among pastors, church staff, church councils, and Bible study groups. Need I say more? Others have. Here are some reviews from other Lutheran pastors and professors on the web:
- Prof. James Korthals of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary
- Pr. Johann Caauwe @ A Shepherd’s Story
- Pr. Johnold Strey @ Pastor Strey’s Weblog
Here’s a link to an interview Prof. Deutschlander did on the theology of the cross on Issues, Etc. Finally and most importantly, here is a link to the book on the Northwestern Publishing House website. (NPH also offers a 20% discount for pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and seminary students!) Good reading!






















