One of the Lutheran terms that has been recently (for the Church) reintroduced into the Lexicon is that of the idea of the "Theology of Glory" - an idea that Luther brings out in the Heidelberg disputations on 1518, where this theology of glory is contrasted with a theology of the cross. The theologian of glory craves earthly success and power, thinking that faithfulness will have tangible success here and now; the theologian of the cross knew that there would be suffering but rather we are to remain faithful to God and His Word of forgiveness.
Back in the early 2000s when Confessional Lutheranism wasn't exactly dominant in the LCMS, and the Church Growthers and the libs were running the show, this distinction was quite popular. It was a great comfort when we would suffer defeats in elections at convention. It was a great contrast over and against the touting of numbers and Ablaze counters and all that corporitized, business based "leadership" swill that we all knew was unscriptural.
However, in the past decade, there's been a shift. Surprise of surprises, the Confessionals won elections. The Synod isn't moving in as liberal a direction. Of course, this is in direct opposition to what we see in the US, where there's been a massive swing towards liberal, progressive policies.
And now, in this setting, the "Theology of Glory" has fallen out of vogue. It's been abandoned by many. Discarded. It's not trust worthy since it was found and publicized by those in that evil ELCA, and besides, Luther doesn't keep using the term later on - so we should get rid of it!
This is a foolish idea. First of all, the idea that gems from Luther would be lost and not used for a while is utterly typical. The rediscovery of Luther at the 300th anniversary of the Reformation is what sparked the revival of "Confessional" Lutheranism in Germany and led to our own synod's founding in the US. We should never be surprised when something from that deep well of Luther's thought bubbles to the top.
But what of the fact that Luther doesn't use the phrase later on? Answer: who cares? It's not like Luther was really big on coining systematical phrases and demanding their use. But does Luther still hold the idea throughout his work - that a desire for earthly glory, an expectation of earthly victory is utterly dangerous theologically and false?
Consider the end of the Small Catechism - Christian Question 20 - "Second, he should look around to see whether he is still in the world, and remember that there will be no lack of sin and trouble, as the Scriptures say in John 15-16 and 1 John 2 and 5."
Consider his hymns. They aren't full of "Onward Christian Soldiers" or "Battle Hymn of the Republic" earthly triumphalism. No - you know that for the faithful things will go lousy. "This world's prince may still scowl fierce as he will... and take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife." "Fast bound in Satan's chains I lay." "Support us in our final strife and lead us out of death to life."
His lectures on the Scriptures are all replete with warnings and laments of how the world is twisted and evil. His comment on the Gospel being like a passing rain shower certainly isn't triumphalistic.
So this warning against a "theology of glory" remains steadfast throughout his life... (really only wavering when it came to how Luther handled the Jews. His own personal dream of glory was that the Jewish people would convert en mass having heard the Gospel and his own clear reading of Christ in the OT; when this didn't happen and his own glorious dreams were shattered, it fueled his well criticized rantings that we condemn to this day). The idea remains - in this life there will be wickedness and hardship, and being a Christian doesn't get you out of it.
So why is this idea so abhorrent to some now when it wasn't 15 years ago?
I don't wonder if we haven't taken victory in Church politics and think that this ought to mean earthly political victory. I wonder if we aren't being lured in by that drug of "winning".
"Winning" is dangerous. It was the high of winning the Battle for the Bible that let us start playing footsie with the Evangelicals and starting to ape their worship styles and lusting after their numeric success. "Evangelical Style, Lutheran Substance" was widely understood to be a theology of glory 2 decades ago, after all.
Winning is intoxicating (ask Charlie Sheen, if you are old enough). And as Americans we're used to winning, to success, to more and more wealth. The current economic troubles are the worst we've seen in 40 years -- only the oldest of us remember before WWII and real economic hardship. We're accustomed to ever increasing luxury, power, and convenience. The idea that we might actually have to face suffering for the faith is utterly antithetical to the Americana that we've grown up with.
Ah well.
Now, a few more notes from Luther, just pulled quickly from "What Luther Says".
35 - Afflictions Actually Proofs of God's Love: "The more terrible the sufferings are, the greater and more admirable are their effects in the saints. The fact that Christians are exercised by the cross and by afflictions is a proof that divine grace and benevolence rest upon them. For when they persevere in faith in the promise and hold out, very great and incredible blessings follow."
43 - Removal of Afflictions Often Makes Man Worse: "Those who by their importunate pleadings are freed from the chastisement and castigation of God almost invariably become worse, so that it seems as though God would thus convince us of our folly, namely, that we do not understand that when He is chastising us, He is healing us; and when He withdraws His hand in answer to our pleasing, He is rather letting us become sicker.
48 - God's Purpose: Strengthening Us By His Word: "The ultimate purpose of afflictions is the mortification of the flesh, the expulsion of sins, and the checking of that original evil which is embedded in our nature. And the more you are cleansed, the more you will be blessed in the future life. For without a doubt glory will follow upon the calamities and vexations which we endure in this life. But the prime purpose of all these afflictions is the purification, which is extremely necessary and useful, lest we snore and become torpid and lazy because of the lethargy of our flesh. For when we enjoy peace and rest, we do not pray, we do not meditate on the Word but deal coldly with the Scriptures and everything that pertains to God or finally lapse into a shameful and ruinous security."
1011 - The Grass on the Other Side is Not Always Greener: "There is no position on earth in which a man does not have to put up with much that is painful both from those who are his - his wife, child, servants, and subjects - and from neighbors and all kinds of accidental mishaps. When he sees and feels this, he soon tires of his position and becomes discontented with it or flares up in impatience, scolding, and cursing. And if he cannot avoid, or get rid of, this annoyance, he will want to change his position, thinking everybody's position and condition better than his own. but after much changing he finds that he has gone from bad to worse; for changes are easily and quickly made, to be sure, but to improve matters is a doubtful and difficult undertaking.
1623 - The Lust for Glory is Deeply Rooted in Man: "No one is so firm in repelling the most deadly vice of vainglory that he does not need constant prayer in order to be able to do so. For who, even when he is pious, does not delight in the praise people accord to him? The Holy Spirit alone is able to keep us from being infected with this pest."
3300 - Endure or Flee. Do Not Resist: "Where the governmental authority is an enemy of the Gospel, we withdraw, sell, relinquish everything, and flee from state to state, because no tumult should be stirred up by resistance for the sake of the Gospel, but everything should be endured."
3304 - Ease is a Greater Danger: "We should not fear harsh treatment, but prosperity and good days we should fear. These may harm us more than fear and persecution Nor should we fear the wisdom of the world, for it can do us no harm. In fact, the more the wisdom of the world rises up against the truth, the purer and clearer the truth becomes. Therefore nothing better can come to the Gospel than the opposition of the world with its might and wisdom. The more my conscience, sin, and the devil assail me, the stronger my righteousness becomes. For the sins that oppress me cause me anguish. So I persist more earnestly in prayer and crying to God; and in this way faith and righteousness become constantly stronger and stronger. This is what St Paul means when he says (2 Cor. 12:9): 'Strength becomes stronger through weakness.' Since, then, we have a treasure which becomes stronger through temptation and adversity, we should not fear but be of good courage and rejoice at the tribulation, as St. Paul says to the Romans (5:3), and as the apostles did who left the courthouse with great joy and thanked God for having been worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Christ's Name (Acts 5:41). If the devil were wise enough to be silent and let the Gospel be preached, he would sustain less harm. For when the Gospel is not attacked, it rusts, and has no opportunity to reveal its power and might."
4443 - Dwell on the Word, Not on Your Worries: "Whatever temptation may be disturbing the heart, the best remedy is to take to reading Holy Writ and meditating on the Word of God. But if the heart should also dislike reading the Word of God and meditating on it (for Satan tries to hinder this and instills a dislike of reading), then you must force yourself to do so, that, if not the heart, at least the tongue, the ears, and the eyes may be occupied the while with seeing, hearing, and doing something different from what the heart thinks. But you will certainly feel that when the external senses are occupied with the Word of God, the heart will then easily come to rest."
4948 - Children of Heaven Should Be Otherworldly: "Conduct yourselves as those who are no longer citizens of the world, for your possessions lie not on this earth but in heaven; and although you may have lost all temporal goods, you still have Christ, who is more than all else. The devil is the prince of this world and rules it. His citizens are the people of this world. Therefore, since you are not of the world, act as a stranger in an inn, who does not have his possessions with him but merely procures food and spends his money for it. For this world is merely a place of transit, where we cannot stay; we must travel farther. Therefore we should use worldly goods only to shelter and sustain ourselves before we depart and go to another land. In heaven we are citizens; on earth we are pilgrims and guests."
4972 - The World is Bad, Whether Good or Bad: "It is really disgraceful, the way the world carries on: it may be pious, or it may be wicked; but either way it is worthless. Either it tries openly to be a devil with its wicked works, or it tries to be God Himself with its good works. And both of these are intolerable."
4973 - The Difficulty of Helping the World: "The world resembles a drunken peasant; when you lift him into the saddle on one side, he tumbles off on the other. There is no helping the world. No matter what attitude you take, it wants to belong to the devil."
Yes, the warnings against a "theology of glory" (or whatever term you prefer) and its love of earthly success and power and comfort carry all throughout Luther. And wisely so!
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