Just and Sinner Podcast

A tour of Johann Wolfgang Jäger’s adoption of federal or covenant theology within Lutheranism. Discussion of tri-covenantal models, the covenant of redemption, and the Edenic covenant of works. Exploration of Lutheran departures from Reformed positions, sacramental realism, and debates about Christ as the second Adam. Traces Jäger’s controversies, writings, and influence at Tübingen.

A deep dive into Christ's priestly work, exploring his active and passive obedience and the nature of his one satisfactory sacrifice. Topics include propitiation, Trinitarian unity in atonement, Old Testament sacrifices as foreshadowing, Melchizedek and the temple imagery, and debates over active obedience and universal atonement. Listeners hear connections to baptism, Eucharist, and the great exchange.

A thoughtful tour of Revere Franklin Widener's Lutheran ethical framework. Topics include tensions between Kantian duty and Christian love, integrating theological revelation with philosophical ethics, and the triad of duties, virtues, and the highest good. They discuss vocation-shaped duties across church, state, and family, the threefold nature of love, and practical disciplines for moral formation.

A deep dive into Lutheran views on sanctification, the third use of the law, and the nature of obedience. Discussion covers historical shifts since the 1930s, misunderstandings about monergism and synergism, and confessional teachings on virtue. Listens include contrasts with Reformed and Catholic ethics and how good works, mortal sin, and sacraments fit into Lutheran doctrine.

A deep dive into Christ's threefold office with focus on the prophetic role. Discussion covers Jesus as proclaimer of law and gospel, the Sermon on the Mount as law exposition, and Jesus as the new Moses. Topics include prophetic signs, prophetic judgment, the delegation of prophetic authority to apostles and pastors, and how proclamation is sustained by the Holy Spirit.

The conversation contrasts Eastern Christus Victor and Western satisfaction frameworks for atonement. It surveys patristic writings that use ransom, penalty, and vicarious suffering language. Key biblical texts like Isaiah 53, Galatians, Colossians, and 2 Corinthians are examined. The talk traces how satisfaction language developed and highlights patristic authors who discuss legal, penal, and participatory themes.

A deep dive into Christology's exaltation themes: the descent into hell, resurrection, and ascension. Discussion of 1 Peter 3:18–19 and who the 'spirits in prison' might be. Examination of resurrection as vindication and firstfruits pointing to a future resurrection. Exploration of ascension and the different ways Christ is present with his people.

A tour of the shift away from scholasticism toward modern philosophy and law. Stories about a controversial claim on bigamy and bold moves to teach in the vernacular. Debates over ethics, common-sense epistemology, and the role of reason versus revelation. Founding a modern university and clashes with authorities highlight the cultural and intellectual upheaval.

A lively look at Samuel Pufendorf’s life, from war-torn childhood to clashes in academia. Discussion of his move from theology to law and the thinkers who shaped him. Exploration of his voluntarist take on natural law, sociability as a moral foundation, and his tempering of Hobbes with Christian concerns. Ends with his influence on later Enlightenment thinkers.

A brisk tour of major Lutheran thinkers from the Reformation to the 19th century. Highlights include Luther and Melanchthon, the rise of confessional and orthodox scholasticism, the Pietist movement and its critics, and 19th-century Neo-Lutheran and American confessional revivals. Notable theological figures, debates over law and gospel, and shifts in method and historiography are showcased.