Paul's Passing Thoughts

“Let’s pause here for a moment in theses 11. According to Luther, trusting God calls for despair. This isn’t talking about an initial despair leading to salvation; this is a call for Christians to practice a lifestyle of despair in order to keep themselves saved. We will develop all of this tonight, but in regard to our claim that Protestant soteriology produces despair or depression, this is not a mere theory, but in fact, Protestant orthodoxy calls for the believer to be depressed. In theses 11, who are the “we,” and the “us”?  

How Protestant Orthodoxy Produces Depression