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Rating: 
Summary: Foundational for a Biblical, historical approach
Review: Originally written in 1954, Sasse's work remains as relevant today as it was then. Hermann Sasse was a Lutheran scholar in the mid-20th century, in Germany and later in Australia. Though modern theologians recognize more commonly known 20th century Lutheran thinkers such as Bonhoeffer or Althaus, Sasse has recently regained much attention - at least among American Lutherans. There is a Sasse renaissance occurring - though quietly, and unfortunately.What makes this treatise great is the amount of research, thought, and labor that went into this book. Some books analyze a particular history. Some books skip that to address the issues today. Sasse combines both historical precision and systematic insight with exegetical flair. The result is impressive. Why did Luther reject the theology of Ulrich Zwingli? Couldn't the two Reformers have united and made a more unified front against the Roman Catholic church of the day? Sasse shows what was at stake for Luther in the sacramental controversies of his day - namely, the Incarnation of the Son Himself. According to Sasse, "A church without the Sacrament as real means of grace was for [Luther] a church without Christ, who had instituted Baptism as a washing of regeneration and the Supper as the Sacrament of his true body and blood. This was the reason why he could not recognize Zwingli as a brother in the faith" (pp. 230-231 - {my edition is older, so this may not be the page numeration in this edition}). Sasse traces the history of the doctrine of the Lord's Supper from the New Testament throughout the history of the Church. Though he spends a good deal of time in the Reformation era, he leaves no stone overlooked in any other area. Patristic and Medieval discussions are examined and noted. The modern Church also receives much attention in this book. The Lord's Supper as a teaching influences other Christian teachings as well. For example, Sasse observes the connections between the Lord's Supper and the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Church, faith, Baptism, the Church, and even Eschatology. Christian doctrine is like a body - if one area is damaged in any way, the rest of the body is also affected. Thus, Dr. Sasse tries to confess the truth of the Lord's Supper in an age when most of American Christianity have been content to base their views on their own ideas (as opposed to the Word of Scripture). The only drawback to this book is its technical language. I wasn't ready to read this book the first time I read it. Since then, I have come to appreciate even more Dr. Sasse's provocative and highly Incarnational approach to the Sacrament of the Altar. This is a must-read for all intellectual Christians, and one that I will re-read and mine its depths.
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