Upon hearing of the death of Jurgen Moltmann, I pulled out my copy of "The Crucified God."
If you have never read any of Moltmann's works this is a good place to start.
Moltmann was a humble man, brilliant yet self-effacing having written over forty books.
He was on par with Barth and Pannenberg in the depth and significance of his writings.
If you have time listen to this video or perhaps purchase one of his many books.
Video from Yale Center for Faith & Culture
Theologian of Hope: Remembering Jürgen Moltmann (1926 – 2024) / Miroslav Volf
'On June 3,2024, Jürgen Moltmann died. He was one of the greatest theologians of our time. He was 98 years old. In this episode, Miroslav Volf eulogizes and remembers his mentor and friend. We then share a previously released conversation between Miroslav Volf and Jürgen Moltmann. This episode first aired in April 2021—and it includes Moltmann’s conviction that “without living theologically, there can be no theology”; it explores the meaning of joy and its connection to anxiety, fear, wrath, hope, and love; and Professor Moltmann shares about the circumstances in which he came to faith—as a 16-year-old drafted into World War II by the German Army, enduring the bombardment of his hometown of Hamburg, and being held for 3 years in a Scottish prison camp, where he read with new eyes the cry of dereliction from Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This cry would lay a foundation that led to his most influential book, The Crucified God. Moltmann explains the centrality of Christ, the human face of God, for not just his theological vision, but his personal faith—which is a lived theology.
Ryan McAnnally-Linz introduces the episode by celebrating Jürgen Moltmann's 95th birthday and reflecting on his lasting theological influence.
Show Notes
• Happy 95th Birthday, Jürgen Moltmann!
• Find the places of deepest human concern, and shine the light of the Gospel there.
• “Without living theologically, there can be no theology."
• Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Joy (1972)—“How can I sing the Lord’s song in an alien land?"
• Joy today: Singing the Lord’s song in the broad place of his presence
• "Hope is anticipated joy, as anxiety is anticipated terror."
• "How does one find the way to joy from within anxiety and terror?"
• Seeing the face of God as an awakened hope
• Jesus Christ as the human face of God: “Without Jesus Christ, I would not believe in God."
• God is present in the midst of suffering
• Discovering and being discovered by God
• Moltmann’s story of being drafted to the Germany army at 16 years old (1943)
• In a prison camp in Scotland, Moltmann read the Gospel of Mark and found hope when there was no expectation.
• The Crucified God, the cry of dereliction, and the cry of jubilation
• Contrasting joy with American optimism and the pursuit of happiness
• Christianity as a unique religion of joy, in virtue of the resurrection of Christ
• Joy versus fun—“You can experience joy only with your whole heart, your whole soul, and all your energies."
• "You cannot make yourself joyful… something unexpected must happen."
• Love and joy
• "The intention of love is the happiness of the beloved."
• "We are not loved because we are beautiful… we are beautiful because we are loved."
• Joy and gratitude
• Love comes as a gift and surprise, and therefore leads to joy.
• Blessed, therefore grateful—receiving the gift as gift
• “Anticipated joy is the best joy.”
• The Passion of God as the foundation of joy
• Passionate God of the Hebrew Bible or Absolute God of Greek Metaphysics?
• An apathetic God makes apathetic people; the compassion of God makes compassionate people
• A Feeling God or an Apathetic God? God’s participation in suffering and joy
• “God participates in the joy of his creation."
• Luke 15: “There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just…"
• Lost coin, lost sheep, prodigal son...
• The wrath of God is God’s wounded love
• “My wrath is only for a moment, and my grace is everlasting."
• "Joy, in the end, wins."
Watch a video of this interview here ( • Theology of Joy: Jürgen Moltmann & Mi... ) ." from the video introduction
Died: Jürgen Moltmann, Theologian of Hope
A German soldier found by Christ in a prisoner-of-war camp, he became a renowned Christian scholar who taught that “God weeps with us so that we may someday laugh with him.”
ürgen Moltmann, a theologian who taught that Christian faith is founded in the hope of the resurrection of the crucified Christ and that the coming kingdom of God acts upon human history out of the eschatological future, died on June 3 in Tübingen, Germany. He was 98.
Moltmann is widely regarded as one of the most important theologians since World War II. According to theologian Miroslav Volf, his work was “existential and academic, pastoral and political, innovative and traditional, readable and demanding, contextual and universal,” as he showed how the central themes of Christian faith spoke to the “fundamental human experiences” of suffering.
The World Council of Churches reports that Moltmann is “the most widely read Christian theologian” of the last 80 years. Religion scholar Martin Marty said his writings “inspire an uncertain Church” and “free people from the dead hands of dead pasts.” from the article:
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