Theology of the Cross

Dr. Hermann Sasse (A+D 1895—1976), student, pastor, scholar, teacher, and confessor Herman Sasse, is recognized as one of the leading voices of confessional Lutheranism in the 20th century. He speaks cogent words about the development of the theology of the cross, now sadly being lost to the seemingly unstoppable forces of triumphalism which is dominant in most corners of the American Christianity:

Something very profound happened in the inner life of Christendom when for the first time in the churches and monasteries of Europe the suffering of the cross was understood. This change becomes visible in the representations of the Crucified, who now no longer stands as victor at the tree of the cross but hangs there suffering, later even writhing in agony and dying. This change took place in the late Middle Ages, when the great realistic crucifixes hung in the high choir of the Gothic churches replaced the triumphing Christ. The depth of Christ's suffering is deeply felt and experienced. The lowly Christ, the God-man in His deepest humility, becomes mankind's Brother. It became an ideal of medieval Christian piety to fashion oneself like Christ (imitatio Christi), even to the point of mystically experiencing all the agonies of the cross. Certainly it was only a narrow stratum of church people who experienced this, but all were affected by this piety. The liturgy and the way churches were built made sure of this.

It is significant that the discovery of the suffering and death of Christ as a fearful reality went hand in hand with a new realization of the seriousness of sin and of its forgiveness. There is nothing to equal this in the ancient church. Much can be said against what was taught about sin and its forgiveness in the Middle Ages. No one at that time grasped the depth of the Biblical understanding of sin. The whole system of penance was faulty, yes, a denial of the Gospel. Yet the observation of Claus Harms remains true: At that time people at least still felt sin and let forgiveness cost them something, and therefore the Middle Ages stood higher than the modern world.

       Source: "We Confess Anthology," translated by Norman Nagel, ©1999, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, p.43