Christian Contradictions: The Structures of Lutheran and Catholic Thought

by Daphne Hampson

Catholic and Lutheran thought are differently structured, embodying divergent conceptions of self and God. Roman/Lutheran ecumenism, culminating in the 1999 "Joint Declaration," attempts to reconcile incompatible systems based on different philosophical presuppositions. Drawing on a wealth of material, the author considers these structural questions within a historical context. Kierkegaard is shown, in a complex model, to hold together strengths which historically have been exemplified by the two traditions. This is an important work in systematic theology which considers questions quite fundamental to Western religion. It should interest theologians of all backgrounds and church historians.

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 1997

Reviews

[Mats Winther]

In Christian Contradictions: The Structures of Lutheran and Catholic Thought (2001) Daphne Hampson shows that Catholics, through the centuries up to the present, have consistently misunderstood Lutheran theology. It’s partly because the two denominations build on different thought systems, and words have not exactly the same meaning. The Lutheran lay person would benefit greatly from reading this book because it explains the central ideas of Lutheranism very lucidly, and it becomes evident how radical the Lutheran message really is.

It gives insight into the core issues of Catholic and Lutheran faith and the resultant incompatibility of the two faiths. Of course, important parts are left out, such as Luther’s theology of the cross. The author focuses on forensic justification and omits Christus Victor, i.e., the classical model that was Luther’s preference. But one can’t get everything into one book. The author also discusses the thought of Lutheran theologians Nygren, Bultmann, and Kierkegaard in an enlightening way. The book contains a well-researched investigation of the ecumenical movement and the attempts of Lutherans and Catholics to find common ground, and the result is sometimes tragicomic.

Hampson is inspired by feminist theology. She eventually decided to give up “patriarchal” Christian faith, by motivations that I find dubious. What can it mean, post-Darwin, to speak of the first parents, whose original sin is passed down by procreation? (pp. 291-92). My reply would be that it is a decent explanatory model because it works. After all, Steven Pinker (The Blank Slate) says that cognitive science has more in common with the Christian theory of human nature than various unsound “blank slate” theories. The Christian theory relies on supernaturalism, or else it wouldn’t be religion. Mircea Eliade explains how indigenous peoples view human nature: in order to become truly human we must transcend the natural. This partly explains why we believe in the supernatural. Hampson argues that the anthropomorphic notion of God is equally anachronistic. Indeed, perhaps we modern people ought to speak of a “divine dimension”, a non-anthropomorphic God that intervenes in a person’s life. After all, this is how people experience it. Thus, God is personal on the receiving end, so to speak, rather than being three ‘persons’. (As a matter of fact, Augustine didn’t like the notion of ‘person’, but accepted it nevertheless.)

I have myself noticed some gross misrepresentations of Lutheranism by Catholic authors, but didn’t know it was this bad. This is an important book written in a lucid style by a really good theological intellect. It never bored me, because it discusses certain essential issues of theology that I have a craving to understand. It is worth five stars.

[Andrew]

Could've used more demonstration and fewer exclamation points. It is rather telling that the author uses ! so frequently, it's the intellectual version of a laugh track, I think if her points were better argued there'd be less need to alert the reader of what is important via punctuation.