Articles by Erik Heen
Erik M. Heen is the John H.P. Reumann Professor in Biblical Studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia where has taught New Testament and Greek since 1996. He is the author of the Hebrews volume in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series published by InterVarsity Press and a volume in the New Proclamation series (Fortress). He has contributed articles to Working Preacher and the Feasting on the Word volumes (Westminster John Knox). One of his interests is the intersection between current biblical study and Lutheran confessional theology.
by Erik M. Heen
The characteristic Lutheran “spirituality” centered in service to the neighbor, often expressed in the slogan “freed to serve,” is succinctly articulated in Luther’s 1520 treatise “Freedom of the Christian.” The slogan raises fundamental questions: “How are we freed?” “From what are we freed?” and “How is it that ‘service’ most characterizes freedom?” Luther concludes that though the “Word” is the means God uses to liberate humanity from Sin, “faith” is the agent that moves the focus of one’s attention off of self and on to one’s neighbor-in-need.
