On Creation and Predestination
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Johann Gerhard was the premier Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century. Combining his profound understanding of evangelical Lutheran theology with a broad interest in ethics and culture, he produced significant works on biblical, doctrinal, pastoral, and devotional theology. His Loci Theologici are regarded as the standard compendium of Lutheran orthodoxy, with topics ranging from the proper understanding and interpretation of Scripture to eschatology. They interact with the writings of the Church Fathers, Luther and his contemporaries, and the Catholic and Calvinist theologians of his day.
In his Loci, Gerhard addresses the doctrines of the Lutheran faith with skill and precision. His series remains a classic of Lutheran theology and offers contemporary church workers and researchers a wealth of material on the distinctive of Lutheran doctrine.
In this volume, Gerhard addresses creation, anthropology, angels, divine providence, eternal election, and the image of God.
The Theological Commonplaces series is the first-ever English translation of Johann Gerhard’s famous Loci Theologici. The series, which will total 17 volumes, will be among the most thorough and comprehensive presentations of Lutheran theology in the English language.
This volume contains:
- On Creation and Angels
- On Providence
- On Election and Reprobation
- On the Image of God in Man Before the Fall
This title is a part of the Theological Commonplaces series by Johann Gerhard. To learn more or to order another title from this collection, please click here.
Key Features
- Presents a Lutheran perspective on issues not commonly addressed by Lutheran theologians
- Unpacks Lutheran biblical interpretation in the context of systematic theology
- Provides a fresh translation for modern readers
Contents
- The meaning of the word “create”
- The efficient cause of creation
- The material of creation
- The order of creating
- Digression on the Angels
- The purpose of creation
- The definition of creation
- The term “providence”
- God’s foreknowledge
- The end purpose of providence
- God’s control
- Preservation
- Governance
- The manner of divine providence
- How divine providence concurs with the evil actions of human beings
- God is not the cause of sin
- Refutation of arguments with which providence is attacked
- Chance
- Fate
- The use of this commonplace
- The definition of providence
- Whether predestination should be discussed in the church
- An explanation of the terms: “chose” and “separated”
- An outline of the entire matter
- The universal mercy of God and His beneficent will toward all
- The creation of all people in Adam according to the image of God
- The universality of Christ’s merit
- The universality of the calling
- Election happened in view of the merit of Christ
- Consideration of faith is involved in election
- Reprobation is not absolute
- The position of the Scholastics and Papists in this article
- The opinion of Origen, of the Predestinated, and of Huber on this article
- Response to some questions in this mystery
- The use of this doctrine and definitions
- Of what the image of God, according to which man was created, consists
- The image of God in man was not a supernatural gift
- The image of God was not the very substance of man
- Immortality, a part of the divine image
- Whether the image of God should be sought also in the human body
- Whether woman also was created after the image of God
- The dwelling place of the first man, Paradise
- The propagation of the soul
- The loss of the divine image through the fall of the first-formed human beings
- The use of this commonplace and the definition of the divine image
On Creation and Angels
On Providence
On Election and Reprobation
On the Image of God in Man before the Fall
About Johann Gerhard
Johan Gerhard (1582–1637) was a German Lutheran theologian. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Wittenberg. Upon graduation in 1605, he began to give lectures at the University of Jena. In 1606, Gerhard graduated with a doctorate of theology from the University of Jena. In 1616, he was appointed senior theological professor at Jena—a position he held until his death. During his lifetime, Gerhard was considered the greatest living theologian of Protestant Germany.
His other works include On the Nature of Theology and on Scripture, 2nd ed., On the Nature of God and on the Trinity, On Christ, On the Church, On the Ministry, Part One, On the Ministry, Part Two, On Interpreting Sacred Scripture and Method of Theological Study, and On the Law.