Augsburg and Constantinople: The Correspondence between the Tubingen Theologians and Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople on the Augsburg Confession [Paperback]

George Mastrantonis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2005

Augsburg and Constantinople was the crowning achievement of the late Very Reverend Father George Mastrantonis, a distinguished Orthodox clergyman and prolific author. First published in 1982, this book remains a work of vital interest to scholars of all faiths. The correspondence between the Lutheran theologians of Tubingen and Orthodox Patriarch Jeremiah II may be seen as the first substantive ecumenical dialogue of the post-Reformation era. More than four hundred years later, these exchanges continue to have value well beyond the purely historical. In preparing this translation and commentary, Father Mastrantonis believed that these documents are "especially important today, when a movement toward better understanding among churches is taking place."

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Holy Cross Orthodox Press (July 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916586820
• ISBN-13: 978-0916586829
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #920,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive Exchange Between Orthodox Christianity and Protestantism, August 12, 2005

By 

Mr. Tom "tombyzantium" (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Augsburg and Constantinople: The Correspondence between the Tubingen Theologians and Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople on the Augsburg Confession (Paperback)

This is the definitive exchange between Orthodox Christianity and Protestantism, despite the fact that it was carried out over 400 years ago. The correspondence was initiated by the Lutherans, not long after their fateful break from the Roman Catholic Church. It ended several years later, after the patient efforts of Patriarch Jeremiah failed to remove what remained un-Orthodox in the Lutherans' stated beliefs. Nevertheless, the detailed communications are extremely valuable, both as statements of the founding positions of Protestantism/Lutheranism, and as clear expositions of historical Orthodox Christianity. What a gift to have an English language translation of this cross-cultural exchange between the nascent Lutheran Church and the "Great Church in Captivity" (as Steven Runciman described the Patriarchate of Constantinople under the Ottoman thumb).

Out-of-print for a couple years, the paperback version (sporting a new cover design) happily was reprinted by Holy Cross Orthodox Press in early 2004. Note that this publisher is NOT at the Jesuit-affiliated Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA, but RATHER it is part of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. The Holy Cross Bookstore is located on the campus of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Should you ever need to visit online to find the book, look for "Augsburg" with the Holy Cross search engine, or go to and then scroll through the "Theology" subsection. For now, however, Amazon has it so buy it from Amazon.

Finally, book collectors should be aware that the 1982 production run included not only the now-reprinted paperback (ISBN 0-916586-82-0) but a hardback version as well (ISBN 0-916586-81-2). The hardback occasionally shows up in the used book market.

An earlier version of this review was originally posted on September 12, 2003.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book Back in Print, October 14, 2004

By 

James Nee "Jim N." (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Augsburg and Constantinople: The Correspondence between the Tubingen Theologians and Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople on the Augsburg Confession (Paperback)

The previous poster noted that the book has fallen out of print. I'm happy to say that I contact Holy Cross Seminary Bookstore last week and I now have a copy of this book on my shelf. FYI.