"The first and coarsest is that of St. Thomas (if indeed he be a saint). This was taken from the system of pagan science and art which was written by that great light of nature, Aristotle. Now they say that his philosophy is like a bright, shining plate, and the Word of Christ is like the sun. And as the sun shines upon the plate, causing it to gleam and glitter all the brighter, so the divine light shines upon the light of nature and illumines it. With this beautiful simile they have introduced pagan doctrines into the Christian church, which have been taught and cultivated by the great universities and in which teachers and preachers have been instructed. The devil has taught them to speak in this way. Thus the Word of God is trodden under foot, for when it is given full play, it subverts all these satanic doctrines." Epiphany 1 sermon, #16.
Dogma is often used as a term to refute someone's argument, but somehow Dogmatics is a wonderful, large, impressive set of books, required reading - they claim. A few years later, they are retired reading, beautiful backdrops of 300 unread volumes hovering above and behind a pastor's head.
Luther's statement above - and in the previous post - is enough to warn people away from dogmatics. However, even today the ranking theologians are stuck and will not let themselves be unstuck (the last being another fad).
Here is a sample -
Thomas Aquinas - required reading for future popes and dogmaticians.
Calvin - boring, lifeless, often ridiculous, but somehow addicting to semi-Lutherans.
CFW Walther, BA, genuinely Calvin with a veneer of Luther.
Paul Tillich - The Courage To Be, mostly forgotten.
Karl Barth and his live-in mistress/assistant - Church Dogmatics; on sale for $1 a volume.
Franz Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, a clever sleight of hand, merging Justification by Faith with Objective Faithless Justification, promoting yet denying the efficacy of the Word of God.
Braaten-Jenson, Christian Dogmatics, an introduction to ELCA, a superb collection of ponderous drivel.
These volumes are guaranteed to slowly turn someone into an atheist, step by step, though many deny it. Note that the Pieperites are perfectly happy to work with ELCA's Braaten-Jenson and Fuller Seminary's McGavran/Peter Wagner style theologians.
The only book they all loathe is the King James Version of the Bible. Now we begin to smell the pot-roast, as Luther once wrote.
