On the Imitation of Christ For Christian Ethics

I just finished Dr. Joel Biermann’s excellent book A Case for Character: Towards a Lutheran Virtue Ethics, and it was great! Dr. Biermann does an excellent job of showing from the Lutheran Confessions and the Scripture that orthodox and historic Christianity is completely compatible with a virtue ethic.

Dr. Biermann favorably quotes Adolf Koberle’s Quest For Holiness several times, and so I have an excellent Koberle quote to share:

It is necessary to remind ourselves most emphatically what a deep significance the concrete contemplation of the historic picture of the life of Jesus has for our sanctification. For us men who have daily to contend with flesh and blood it is of supreme importance to see how the Holy One of God conducted Himself amid the sinful, wretched, contentious realities of this earth and at the same time preserved His holiness. . . . For that reason only such an example has a liberating effect, which comes from a complete, real human life that was lived in this world and that has known and overcome the needs and trials of humanity. For the formation of the image of God within us, for the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12: 2; Eph. 5: 17), for the control of our emotions, for the determination of the manner and form of our conduct, the contemplation of the teaching, praying, healing, suffering Savior as He is portrayed in Scripture is indispensable.

 

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