Miscellaneous Questions

[MSchimmel]

Any Boone's Farm lovers out there?   

I have a miscellaneous question, which I was going to post as a new thread but since there is a perfect place for such questions, here it goes. 

I have a parishioner who wants to learn more about Lutheran Theology/Doctrine/Practice/Biblical Interpretation and I told him I would prepare a kind of Top Ten reads for beginning introduction to deeper study of Lutheran Doctrine and Luther Study.  I have a few in mind, but I am sure there are many that aren't coming to mind.  So...What books would you recommend to a lay person wanting deeper Lutheran/Luther study?  (Introductory to Moderate level)

Here are a few:
I second the Forde titles and "The Hammer of God", plus -

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther - Roland Bainton
God's No and God's Yes: The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel - Walther and Pieper (the layman's version of Walther's "Law and Gospel")
Luther the Reformer - Kittleson
Luther: Man Between God and the Devil - Oberman

[Charles_Austin]

Martin Luther: The Christian Between God and Death by Richard Marius, a slightly different take on the same material in Oberman's book.

[Erme Wolf]

  An excellent place to start with Luther's own writings is The Large Catechism. It deals with some familiar stuff, but the depth is quite amazing.  It was one of the first things I read in my years before seminary when I wanted to explore Lutheran theology. 

  And encourage reading The Augsburg Confession either in the Concordia: Reader's Edition or "straight" (I think there are some pamphlet size editions of the AC alone if investing in the entire BofC is too much to do at this time). 

  Another possible guide to getting into the Book of Concord and Lutheran teaching is the book Robert Jensen and Eric Gritsch co-authored about 30 years ago, Lutheranism.

   And the collection of "essential" writings of Martin Luther that was done by Dillenberger might also be worth recommending.  It isn't as extensive as that done by Timothy Lull, but it is still worthwhile. 

   I think the recommendations by others, especially the Forde, Braaten and Paulsen books, are also great selections for the list.

[mariemeyer]

All of Forde's books including Theology is for Proclamation.  Also Here we Stand by Herman Sasse,  Martin- God's Court Jesterby Eric Gritsch and Let God be Godby Philiip Watson.  The latter may be difficult to locate, but I found it to be a complete readable exposition of Luther's theology.

Marie Meyer

[edoughty]

Liturgically speaking, if you don't mind juxtaposing your ordo a fair bit, Gordon Lathrop is a smart man.  His books are worth a read.

My advisers in seminary both are published and I think any of their stuff is great-- Sarah Henrich and Diane Jacobson.

And you've brought to mind a fab little book that I recently discovered, called "Crazy Talk"; a wonderful little tome.  I need to get one next time I'm at the Luther Sem bookstore.  Now THAT is a good gift for grads!

http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/searchresults.jsp?searchType=all&searchstring=crazy+talk&x=0&y=0&classificationID=-1

Erik

[ddrebes]

I really like Lutheran Quarterly Books.  The two I have and use often are Harvesting Martin Luther's Reflections and A Formula for Parish Practice.  The first covers Luther on various issues (each essay is "Luther on Vocation," "Luther on Baptism...").  The second book is designed for lay study of the Formula of Concord.

[Thomas Byers]

Back to the wine--the use of red wine and leavened bread identified one as Reformed or some  would say sacramentarian.  tb

[Erme Wolf]

   The Lutheran Voices series published by Augsburg Fortress has some titles that I would recommend. 
          Lutheran Identity: A Classical Understanding is by Frank Senn, and is excellent.
          On Being Lutheran by Timothy Lull
          Living in the Kingdom:  Reflections on Luther's Catechisms by Alvin Rogness and Peter Rogness
          Praying for Reform:  Luther, Prayer and the Christian Life by William R. Russell

    and a good book that has been reprinted in this series and is worth reading by anyone interested in Lutheran thought:
         Gravity and Grace by Joseph Sitler.

[frluther1517]

Thank you all for your recommendations!  Looks like I have some more books to spend Continuing Ed money on!

[Scott6]

Thank you all for your recommendations!  Looks like I have some more books to spend Continuing Ed money on!

Just noticed this.

A good, easy to follow and quite profound book is by Gene Veith, The Spirituality of the Cross.  Thin, too.

[racin_jason]

Graduation Sunday went well yesterday. The church was packed, we had a baptism and two fellow ELCA pastors unexpectedly showed up for worship.   

I found the perfect gift for our graduates: "God's Promises for Graduates:Class of 2009", which was marked down to an affordable $9.99 at a local christian bookstore. I wrote a dedication inside with a verse (Romans 12:2 or 12:12) and we were good-to-go.

http://shop.cbn.com/cbn/item.Gods-Promises-for-Graduates-Class-of-2009-Countryman-Jack.9781404187351.htm

But the best part of all was inviting the parents forward for a special prayer. I had never done that before and it worked well. Lots of tears, as Erma had predicted.

Thanks for your input, gang.

[vicarbob]

Here I Stood is a collection of essay's/stories of 7 former Lutheran pastor's who departed for Rome. It came in handy for a fmr teacher of mine who I had given a copy. He left the roster of the ELCA a year later and is now teaching Deacons in Formation in an upstste NY Dioecese.
May not be what u r looking 4, but......
pax,
Bob
Boones Farms.......my teenage, i mean my young adult days.......early 70's. Do they stillmake the stuff?

[frluther1517]

Boones Farms.......my teenage, i mean my young adult days.......early 70's. Do they stillmake the stuff?

Unfortunately yes, yes they do. 

[vicarbob]

Correction to my post where I made a misstaken reference to a book of essay's by 7 ELCA pastors who crossed the Tiber.
"There We Stood, Here We Stand" was the actual title of what i was referencing. Authored by RJN and timothy Drake. 11 Lutheran's contributed to this work, not all of whom were pastors.
Sorry for the confusion. still a very interesting read and Amazon has used for less than $5.50 per copy. such a deal as we said in williamsburg brooklyn and when shopping on Church Avenue.
Pax,
Bob

[Steven Tibbetts]

"There We Stood, Here We Stand" was the actual title of what i was referencing. Authored by RJN and timothy Drake. 11 Lutheran's contributed to this work, not all of whom were pastors.

Timothy Drake is the editor of There We Stood, Here We Stand, author of the introduction, and also contributed one of the chapters.  Fr. Neuhaus wrote the Foreword.  Of the 11 writers, 7 had been Lutheran pastors -- 3 of whom were familiar to those of us reading ALPB publications in the late '80s.

Pax, Steven+