Jesus’ Life in Dying: Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Pre-Easter Reflections to the Community of the Redeemer
Ebook
Overview
Schleiermacher's preaching constituted a substantive part of his academic and pastoral life, and provides a foray into his thought that is both accessible and inspiring. In the form of the sermon, we discover Schleiermacher's theology at work in the context of the worship life of the community--especially important for this progenitor of liberal theology. Schleiermacher's Passion sermons are especially interesting, given that contemporary interpreters of his thought generally assume that his interest in the cross is attenuated, at best. Yet, in these sermons we discover him thinking through his theology of community, atonement, history, creation, and Scripture in the face of the death of the Redeemer. The sermon, in sum, is the principal means by which the God-consciousness of the Redeemer is communicated to the community to the end that we come to believe in the One who died for the sake of the world.
Jesus' Life in Dying contains nine sermons preached on the topic of the cross and suffering of Jesus, as well as an extended introduction by the editors, locating these pastoral labors within Schleiermacher's larger theological project.
“This is an admirable set of translations of nine sermons by Schleiermacher on the redemptive work of Christ, particularly focused on his death but not in disconnection from his life. Along with an excellent introduction, the collection adds substantively to Schleiermacher scholarship in rounding out our understanding not only of Schleiermacher’s theology but also of the rich theological role preaching plays in the living community of the church. I highly recommend this book.”
—Thomas Reynolds, University of Toronto
“This remarkable sermon collection lets us hear Schleiermacher’s theology in his own voice. Sermon translations from German might make you think otherwise, but Nicol, Jorgenson, and Tice’s careful work helps Schleiermacher’s preaching voice come through nonetheless. And in this voice of liberal theology we encounter a way of naming God in Christ that persistently shows Jesus’ death in the context of Jesus’ life and in the midst of a community addressed lovingly and redemptively.”
—David Schnasa Jacobsen, Boston University School of Theology
“This is a wonderful volume! ‘Here we encounter Christ in community.’ This collection of sermons beautifully reflects the depth of Schleiermacher’s theological vision shared together in community. Through these sermons one glimpses the communal and dialogical shape of his doctrinal reflections. It is a must-read for all those drawn to Schleiermacher’s life and thought.”
—Pamela R. McCarroll, Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto
Iain G. Nicol was professor emeritus at Knox College and at the University of Toronto and was former director of the Toronto School of Theology. Allen G. Jorgenson holds the Bishop William D. Huras Chair in Ecclesiology and Church History at Martin Luther University College at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. Together they translated and provided an introduction for Friedrich Schleiermacher’s On the Doctrine of Election (2012).