Works of the prolific German theologian Helmut Thielicke
My pastor put me onto Helmut Thielicke (1908-1986), and I have three of his books in print format. Would love to read more of his works and have access to them in Logos. That such a major 20th century evangelical theologian has nothing available in Logos yet is pretty surprising.
Here’s a brief bio of him from Handbook of Evangelical Theologians:
Helmut Thielicke was one of the giants of German theology in the twentieth century. Called the Lutheran Karl Barth and the German Athanasius, Thielicke has also been compared to such major preachers as W. M. Macgregor, Theodore Zahn, A. E. Garvie, A. J. Gossip, James Moffatt, and James S. Stewart. Anglican divine Geoffrey Bromiley views Thielicke as an exponent of “a basic orthodoxy” who, amid a secular generation, engaged “in lively and thoughtful interaction with contemporary theological discussion.” As a minister whose career came to fruition during and after World War II, Thielicke has been hailed as a preacher for apocalyptic times whose teaching had a sense of eschatological urgency. Many have been attracted to his passion for social justice, labeling Thielicke the German Reinhold Niebuhr. Still others, impressed by his deeply felt compassion, have regarded him as a Johannine theologian whose preaching was rich in gospel proclamation, ethics, and apocalyptic vision. Rooted within the churchly tradition of German Lutheranism, Thielicke nevertheless took as a model the Baptist minister Charles Haddon Spurgeon, causing some to interpret his style as a synthesis of the State Church and the Free. For others, Thielicke’s principal contribution was a free and creative theology of the Holy Spirit.
A Renaissance man of catholic interests, Thielicke cannot easily be placed within any of the usual divisions of theology. Ranging at will over the entire realm of religion, Thielicke was an exegete, church historian, ethicist, systematician, and pastoral theologian. For some this also means that Thielicke is impossible to label theologically. To that charge Thielicke himself replied, “My adversaries hung the title conservative around my neck in derision—I wear it with pride.” Perhaps it is safest to say that Helmut Thielicke was a universal man doing total theology from deeply held evangelical convictions, but addressing the ecumenical church. A memorial summation in Christianity Today stated, “Though Thielicke takes positions that put him at odds with American evangelicals at some points, his work in ethics and systematic theology has shown him to be an innovative interpreter well within the mainstream of historic Christian faith.”
Here is my favorite quote of his: “The doubters are always more blessed than the mere fellow travelers in faith. For they are the only ones who fully learn that their Lord is stronger than any doubt and any hell of despair.”
Some of these might be the same book translated into English under two different titles. I recognized one like that and removed it, but might have missed others.
- A Little Exercise for Young Theologians
- How To Believe Again
- I Believe: The Christian`s Creed
- Theological Ethics (Volume 1: Foundations; Volume 2: Politics; Volume 3: Sex)
- The Evangelical Faith: 3 Volume Set (Volume 1: Prolegomena: The relation of theology to mode; Volume 1: The Doctrine of God and of Christ; Volume 3: Theology of the Spirit)
- How the World Began: Sermons on the Creation Story
- The Waiting Father: Sermons on the Parables of Jesus
- Life Can Begin Again: Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount
- Prayer that Spans the World: Sermons on the Lord's Prayer
- The Silence of God
- The Hidden Question of God
- Christ and the Meaning of Life
- Encounter with Spurgeon
- Nihilism: Its Origin and Nature--With a Christian Answer
- Man in God's World: The Faith & Courage to Live - or Die
- Living With Death
- Being a Christian When the Chips are Down
- Out of the Depths
- Between God and Satan: The Temptation of Jesus and the Temptability of Man
- Modern Faith and Thought
- Between Heaven and Earth: Conversations with American Christians
- Our Heavenly Father
- The Freedom of the Christian Man: A Christian Confrontation With the Secular Gods
- Being Human--Becoming Human: An Essay in Christian Anthropology
- The Trouble with the Church: A Call for Renewal
- Faith: The Great Adventure
- New Life in Christ
- The Faith Letters: The Answers of Faith for Today's Questions
- The Doctor as Judge of Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die
- African Diary: My Search for Understanding
- Notes from a Wayfarer: The Autobiography of Helmut Thielicke
Comments
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Peace, Rosie! Thanks for your post! *smile* Over my many years I have often been deeply moved by Thielicke's writings, often moved to tears. He certainly KNEW and LIVED the "Grace of God"!!! How great it would be to have some of his works in Logos!
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
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Thank you Rosie for bringing up Helmut Thielicke to Logos' attention! I have been searching for his books in digital format. (CCEL has "between Heaven and Earth , but that is it. no other links were found) other book sellers have the paper books ( some going for over one huncred dollars!) Looks like an opportunity waiting for Logos:)
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[Y] to Rosie's suggestion
Monty said:I have been searching for his books in digital format. (CCEL has "between Heaven and Earth , but that is it. no other links were found)
It seems at least his small treatise for aspiring students of theology (I've seen it recommended all over the web and own a paper copy myself) has made it to Scribd: http://de.scribd.com/doc/54155350/Helmut-Thielicke-A-Little-Exercise-for-Young-Theologians
Have joy in the Lord!
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Rosie,
I believe that The Prayer that Spans the World and Our Heavenly Father are the same book, probably in different translations. Our Heavenly Father was translated by Doberstein. In the introduction it mentions that a literal translation of the German title is The Prayer that Spans the World.
I too would enjoy seeing some Thielecke in Logos.
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Having just reread my copy of Little Exercise, I give my [Y][Y] and want more...
SDG
Ken McGuire
The Gospel is not ... a "new law," on the contrary, ... a "new life." - William Julius Mann
L8 Anglican, Lutheran and Orthodox Silver, Reformed Starter, Academic Essentials
L7 Lutheran Gold, Anglican Bronze
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Ken McGuire said:
Having just reread my copy of Little Exercise, I give my
and want more...SDG
Ken McGuire
I'd love to read this! This "Old Theologian" somehow has never read this, although I remember reading and being absorbed by "The Waiting Father" -- and other Thielicke works....
It was copyright in 1962, the year I graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and the forward by Martin Marty!
This just has to be a priority for me, Ken! Thanks for mentioning it! Peace! *smile*
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
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Milford won't be able to read this in Logos [:(] ( he may discuss with the author [:)] ) - but we might soon: https://www.logos.com/product/43935/a-little-exercise-for-young-theologians
Have joy in the Lord!
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NB.Mick, why did you bring up a thread with Milford's pic. Momentarily, brought tears to my eyes. We are near or just past the anniversary of his passing.
Not familiar with the author, but his works looks interesting.
Mission: To serve God as He desires.
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Thank you for sharing this, Rosie! I have very much enjoyed Thielicke's A Little Exercise for Young Theologians. Very timely and helpful. I wrote some reflections on his works over at my blog, seminarylife.org. Even though it's a very short book, it took me several days to capture its significance.
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