Lutheran Tradition as Heritage and Tool

All of the member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are related to Lutheran theology in one way or another. However, that does not mean they act similarly or draw the same conclusions about any particular issue. Rather, Lutheran churches around the globe display great diversity. This book has its background in a study of five Lutheran churches: the ILCO in Costa Rica, the IECLB in Brazil, the ELCI in Iceland, the FLM in Madagascar, and the HKBP in Indonesia. It addresses the questions of how the Lutheran heritage today is expressed in different churches and what is the role of Lutheran theology in how they handle their respective situations. The churches in this study share with other churches the need to handle dilemmas such as the relations between "community and pluralism," "openness and particularity," "power and servanthood," and "closeness to culture and being an alternative to culture." In doing this they use their culture and history as well as their Lutheran heritage as tools. "Lutheran Tradition as Heritage and Tool provides a comprehensive guide to the contemporary Lutheran theological landscape. It gives an honest representation of the complex tensions that attend to the efforts of being faithful to the tradition, while seeking to be true and relevant to context. I commend this publication as it contributes to the most needed tools to aid the appropriation of the Lutheran tradition towards the commemoration of five hundred years of the Protestant Reformation." --Kenneth Mtata, Study Secretary for Lutheran Theology and Practice, The Lutheran World Federation Niclas Blader has a PhD in Systematic Theology and works as a researcher at the Church of Sweden Research Unit, Uppsala, Sweden.