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Gustav Friedrich Oehler June, 10 1812-February, 19 1872 German theologian Confessional Lutheran |
It is available at: http://www.amazon.com/
It is available online at:http://books.google.com/
Marcionism in our time? That is a good question. Also, was he anticipating and engaging liberalism?
Two points: (1) Mr. (Prof.) Day's comments about Mr. (Prof.) Oehler and (2) Mr. (Prof.) Oehler's introductory comments to his work.
George Day, Professor at the Divinity School of Yale, offered in 1883 several comments about Mr. (Prof.) Gustav Oehler’s 569-page volume. The 569-page volume covers 250 sections (denoted as § like law books) on Mosaism, Prophetism, and Old Testament Wisdom.
Mr. Day says the following (and it is amazing to read a Yale Professor in 1883 saying this of a German production from 1873...before liberalism took root):
• Mr. Oehler evinces a “wide range of thought and a thoroughness…”
• Mr. Oehler taught the Old Testament for thirty years
• Mr. Oehler contributed forty articles to Herzog’s Real-Encyclopedia
• Concerning the knowledge of the Old Testament: “The needs exist now, more than ever, to be made familiar with it…”
• The Old Testament is a “clear exhibition of the revelation of Himself, by the most High, and the Divine thoughts by which men were educated for the coming Christ…”
Mr. (Prof.) Oehler offers these points in an “Introductory Lecture” to his volume:
• The “special need of the age is a fuller recognition of the Old Testament for religion and life” (1). This remains true today.
• “To this end the first requisite is that theologians form a more thorough acquaintance with the Old Testament” (1). [Italics in the original.]
• The two Testaments are “the great economy of salvation—unam continuum systema, as Bengel puts it…” [Italics in the original.]
• The Old Testament is an “organism of divine acts and testimonies… (1).
• “We are met in recent times by a view of the Old Testament which entirely dissevers the Old Testament religion from any specific connection to the New Testament…” (2). He connects this to Mr. (Prof.) Schleiermacher.
• By these types or in this trend, “the Old Testament is as far as possible avoided.”
• Again, in reference to these Marcionites, there is the “denial of specific character as divine revelation.”
• “The Old Testament still retains its importance for Christian doctrine” (2).
• “Scripture is, as Oetinger has called it, the store-book of the world” (2).
This is not new, but it's good to revisit, review, and retour this old Master.
Mr. Oehler, a Confessional Lutheran Churchman, speaks anew and afresh.
The English Tractarians simply loved Lutherans (tongue firmly in cheek).
I wonder afresh to what degree a spirit of Marcionism has informed the modern age.
That was a question for Mr. Oehler's day. It "is" one for today.
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