Kierkegaard and Luther /

Martin Luther's influence on Søren Kierkegaard is undeniable, yet the specific details of that influence have been underdeveloped in the scholarly literature. Coe (theology and philosophy, Concordia Univ., Nebraska) aims to fill that gap by offering a careful reading of Kierkegaard's writings on Luther alongside a deep engagement with the Lutheran source texts Kierkegaard drew from and commented on. Coe's argument is sophisticated, and his scholarship is impeccable. The book is well researched and will likely stand as the most important resource on the Kierkegaard/Luther relationship in the coming decades. The volume is as much about Luther as it is about Kierkegaard. Specifically, Coe compellingly argues that Kierkegaard's understanding of Luther was marked by limitations that should motivate rethinking Kierkegaard's charge that Luther failed to incorporate dialectic into his theology in ways that would protect against the abuses of Danish Lutheranism so prominent in the 19th century. According to Coe, a more robust reading of Luther's texts allows an interpretation of his work that already incorporates the dialectical aspects for which Kierkegaard was looking. Simply put, this book is excellent. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --J. Aaron Simmons, Furman University