The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology [Paperback]

Jurgen Moltmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1993

"This is Jürgen Moltmann's best and therefore most important book. He has substantially changed the central thrust of his theology without sacrificing its most vital element, its passionate concern for alleviation of the world's suffering." -Langdon Gilkey "The Crucified God rewards, as it demands, the reader's patient and open-minded attention, for its theme is nothing other than the "explosive presence" of the sighting and liberating Spirit of God in the midst of human life." -The Review of Books and Religion

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: FORTRESS PRESS; 1st Fortress Press ed edition (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800628225
• ISBN-13: 978-0800628222
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entering into the Passion of This World, October 17, 2000

By 

Rich Wall - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology (Paperback)

Moltmann wrote the Crucified God (1974, English translation) in reaction to certain (specifically N. American) misunderstandings of his earlier work, Theology of Hope (1965). Moltmann's chief concern in The Crucified God was to rescue the hope of the resurrection from any confusion with the officially optimistic culture of modern capitalist society. He does this by reminding his audience that it is only the one who is "unsuccessful" and who suffers with the victims of so-called "success" and "power" that is raised by God at the end. Moltmann's treatment of the cross, therefore, is a plea for Christians to enter into the suffering that God has already entered into, and not remain passive or complacent as outside, "objective" (i.e., apathetic) observers of the human condition. If God does not remain above the plane of history dispassionately observing the suffering of the Son on the cross, but is radically "in Christ," involved in and affected by that suffering (God loses an only child!), then we too (as followers of God) must enter into the suffering of our victims (Holocaust, Third World poverty, etc.). In this respect, the cross becomes the critique ALL utopian dreams (socialist, capitalist, facist alike). Resurrection hope is hope for the hopeless, for the crucified ones of this world.

Moltmann has not only boldly reformulated Luther's "Theology of the Cross," but has, in the process, also made an enduring contribution to Political and Liberation Theology.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic in the field that begs for wider readership, January 31, 2000

By 

Robert M. Pallotti "Rev. Dr." (Newington, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology (Paperback)

This tour de force by Prof. Moltmann should be required reading for Protestant and Catholic students preparing for ministry or engaging in graduate theological studies. Moltmann's presentation of the cross as the center of Christian life is meant to complement his earlier work, Theology of Hope. Both books together help to bring into focus the relation of the cross to the resurrection and the cross as the symbol of resistance and hope in light of the resurrection. The social implications of the cross are presented in such a way that avoids ideological corruption of the cross. This book also drives home the his central thesis that any Christian theology that wants to be Christian must come to grips with the cross and the negative in life if resurrection is to be understood and suffering addressed in compassion and resistance.

This is one of those rare books in theology that is both captivating and insightful. This should be on every educated Christian's bookshelf.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing, September 17, 2006

By 

N. Wood "lover of wisdom and beauty" (New York, NY, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology (Paperback)

This book is more than just good academic theology, it's also life changing. Moltmann's account of a God who suffers with His creation, even to the point of experiencing death itself, was the single most important thing that restored the excitement to my Christian faith and solidified my decision to dedicate myself to the study of theology. It's dense reading at times, but it's also poetic and magical; truly one of the deepest devotional works I've ever read.