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Luka Ilic, Theologian of Sin and Grace: The Process of Radicalization in the

Theology of Matthias Flacius Illyricus(Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014).

Being completely unfamiliar with the work of a 16th

century Reformer is not an unusual situationin which to find oneself. If people have heard of Luther AND Calvin AND Zwingli they can be

considered fairly well read. If they have heard of Oecolampadius and Bucer and Bullinger they

must surely be among the very learned. But if they have heard of Flacius they must surely be

experts. Flacius is one of those peculiar characters who haunts the hallowed halls of history ofwhom very few have ever heard. And that is a real and virulent tragedy, because Flacius is a

fascinating subject.

Ilic paints a complete mural and not simply a portrait of this curious man in a book that should

be engaged by generalists as well as specialists. Herein Ilic puts on display a combination oferudition and the skill of a story teller. Herein Ilic tells the tale of Flacius the controversialist

who in many ways was the super-star of the Gnesio-Lutherans.

He describes the purpose of the book in these words:

One of the aims in this work is to try to challenge the stereotype held about these

two people, namely that Flacius and Melanchthon were bitter enemies at all times,

and to show that their relationship was much more nuanced and more complex

than that (p. 66).

No life is one dimensional and the life of Flacius certainly was not. His relationship toMelancthon, Luthers right hand man for so many years, was complex and if compared to a roadwould have to be called a curvy mountain pass with steep drops and stunning ascents. Ilic shows

readers just how that is so, and more importantly, why it is so. But the core of the volume is

Ilics demonstration and description of the controversialist Flacius. Says he:

Flacius also disagreed fundamentally with those who tried to negotiate a way

around the Augsburg Interim by compromising in matters of adiaphora. This

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topic was to emerge as a central issue in many of his publications during the

Magdeburg years. Flacius statement from 1549, in the situation ofconfession

and scandal, there is no such thing as an indifferent practice nihil esse

in casu confessionis et scandali), reflected his convictions clearly and

later became widely known and quoted by others. He was convinced that the very

heart of the Protestant message, justification by faith, would be compromised as aresult of the Saxon negotiations. In such a situation, he claimed, even normallyinconsequential issues surrounding the liturgy, church leadership, membership

and so on gain a notably more significant meaning either pointing to or away from

the Gospel. Therefore, they could no longer be regarded as adiaphora. Flaciusargued that under such circumstances the church should raise its voice in protest

to the political authorities of the day (p. 92).

Lest potential readers imagine that Flacius focused all of his attention on Melanchthon and hisviews, Ilic also describes his frequent battles (on the theological field only) with others like

Osiander and Schwenckfeld. An entire section of the volume is devoted to each of Flaciuss

major interlocutors. For instance:

The Debate between Schwenckfeld and Flacius: The Question of Scriptural

Interpretation (p. 115).

The volume also includes several excurses. The most interesting, at least to the present reviewer,

is this one:

Excursus: Reception of Flacius Concept ofAdiaphora in the Twentieth Century

When examining the history of the reception (Rezeptionsgeschichte) of Flacius

theological ouvre, it can be noted that his notion ofstatus confessionis receivedfresh relevance in the twentieth century, at the time when National Socialism was

gaining strength in Germany. Most notably, Hans Christoph von Hase, Dietrich

Bonhoeffers first cousin, dedicated his Master of Sacred Theology thesis,Thestatus confessionis in the Polemical Literature Surrounding the Augsburg Interim

of 1548, written in 1934, to this topic (p. 131).

Ilic then goes into great detail in his description of the appropriation of various of Flaciuss ideasduring the Hitler years by theologians intent on standing against the Nazis. The discussion is

fascinating, it must be said and, again at least to the present reviewer, a highlight of the volume.

He continues

The above mentioned examples illustrate how Flacius ideas were received and

rediscovered at a time of turbulence and a noticeable growth of restric- tions onthe freedom of belief in Germany. The fact that Flacius ideas from the mid-

sixteenth century resonated with Protestant theologians almost four hundred years

later, suggests that they may have contained observations and theologicalargumentation that rose above differences in time (p. 134).

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One final excerpt will, I hope, provide sufficient information so that potential readers have a

sense of what the book is aiming to accomplish:

Flacius radicalization reached its full extent during this time period[i.e., while he

was in Jena. J.W.]. Not only was he adamant about holding on to his theological

positions by not showing any willingness to re-think or modify them but thisrigidity also began to rapidly influence his personal and professional relationshipsin a negative manner. Through his statements and behavior he was polarizing an

ever growing circle of people. In the final phase of his radicalization during the

last years of his life he would have to face the consequences of the controversieshe was causing (p. 157).

The tale Ilic tells is one of what many would callwronglya minor16th

century theologian.

But Flacius was much more than that. He was a foe of every opinion not his own. Strong of willand perfectly convinced of his own correctness, he was the twin of Luther in a different form and

substance. Who being interested in the Reformation wouldnt find such a man a fascinating and

worthy topic of investigation?

Below (on the following pages) is the table of contents:

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I think this a very, very fine volume. And I am happy to recommend it to you. If your interest isChurch History in general, you will want to read it. If your interest is Reformation history, you

will need to read it. And if your interest is Lutheran theology, you will have to read it.

Jim WestQuartz Hill School of Theology

Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary