The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Hardcover)

by Robert Kolb (Editor), Wengert (Editor), James Schaffer (Editor, Translator)
Key Phrases: concerning baptism, nonobligatory works, canonical satisfactions, Holy Spirit, God's Word, Augsburg Confession (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Commissioned in 1993, this new translation of The Book of Concord brings a new generation of scholarship and sensitivities to bear on the foundational texts of Lutheran identity. The fifth English translation since 1851, this edition succeeds that edited by Theodore Tappert published in 1959 by Muhlenburg Press.

A review of the text in light of a mountain of new scholarship and other factors dictated the new translation and apparatus, including changes in the English language over the past forty years, differences in the training and preparation of seminarians and pastors, limitations in the introductions and annotations to the various parts of the book, new knowledge of the history and theology of these very documents, and the occasional error in Tappert's translation.

Kolb and Wengert's team of leading Reformation historians was augmented by consultation with one hundred other scholars and teachers who use The Book of Concord continually, and two other teams of scholars who have reviewed the translations. In coming years, two volumes of related documents will follow.

Benefits of this new translation: Expanded introductions and annotations offer richer historical context New translation aims at accessible but accurate translation Format is easier to read and use Leading American scholars have been involved or consulted

About the Author
Robert Kolb is Missions Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Timothy J. Wengert is Professor of Church History at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 774 pages
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers; 2nd edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800627407
• ISBN-13: 978-0800627409
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,007 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #37 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Protestantism > Lutheran
  #54 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Catechisms
  #64 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Protestant

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Further Reading Highlights More Info on this BOC Edition, November 12, 2000

By	Orthodox Lutheran Reader - See all my reviews

After having a chance to read more of this new translation of the Book of Concord, I still conclude that this book is--overall--very good. Yes, the translation does pluralize some areas where the original was singular, such as Luther's explanation of the Ten Commandments in his Small Catechism. Nevertheless, such pluralizations seem natural to the modern ear and tongue and do not seem a deliberate ruse to avoid using "he, him, or his," such as the explanation of who is my neighbor. The translators and editors should not have allowed these subject-verb-predicate mismatches, but were probably allowed for political correctness. However, other areas are deliberately so worded for modern correctness, such as portion of the Smalcald Articles where the translators change singulars to plurals to avoid reference to male clergy. Translators are not to make something likeable to the modern reader but make it understandable. So my first impressions were off a bit, but not much on pluralizations for political correctness.

The references and historical background in the footnotes are superb and bests any BOC yet to come to print. This alone makes the book worth its purchase--so much so students of the Confessions should have this volume and use it! It was especially refreshing to see incorrect references in previous Book of Concord editions corrected in this edition.

The biggest possible "problem" with this BOC is its use of Melanchthon's second Latin version of the Apology as the basis for the translation. Kolb and Wengert do make a serious case for their decision, much of which has merit. I do not have the historical or theological qualifications, however, to say definitively if using Melanchton's second Latin version was the best choice or not, but readers should be aware of this decision.

In short, this edition does have some shortcomings of which readers should be aware. However, it is the most readable BOC to date and has the best footnotes of any BOC, bar none. Thus, if you want to read the Lutheran Confessions, then buy this edition and read it. However, for serious study, cross-refer this edition with the Concordia Triglotta to hone in on the original authors' intents.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Readable, August 31, 2000

By	Orthodox Lutheran Reader - See all my reviews

This Book of Concord (BOC) is the latest in succession of Book of Concord translations, some of which includes Henry Eyster Jacobs' 1882 translation, the Concordia Triglotta (a very good version!), and the Theodore Tappert 1959 version.

This latest edition takes advantage of recent scholarship, research that was not available when the earlier BOCs were published. Thus, this edition has a richer selection of historical notes and introductions, which is quite helpful to the modern reader. In addition, some minor changes have taken place in English usage during the last 40 years and, naturally, translators should incorporate such changes. Last, this BOC corrects the sporadic error in the Tappert translation, the standard version now in use (Tappert was a bit on the pietistic side). Some other participating translators besides Kolb and Wengert are Eric Gritsch of Gettysburg Seminary and James Schaaf, now deceased, who taught at Trinity Seminary in Columbus, OH. Unfortunately, this BOC also incorporates biblical citations from the New Revised Standard Version. For accuracy, if one Bible version had to be used, this reviewer would have preferred the Updated Version (1995) of the New American Standard Bible.

The contents of this BOC are quite standard, but are worth mentioning for the non-Lutheran reader. The contents include a Preface, an Introduction, a list of abbreviations, and the original 1580 Preface to the Book of Concord. Next are the Three Common Creeds of the Christian Faith, the Augsburg Confession (1530), The Apology [Defense] of the Augsburg Confession (September 1531), the Smalcald Articles (1537), Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537), Luther's Small Catechism (1529), Luther's Large Catechism (1529), and the Formula of Concord (1577). Several indices then follow: an Index of Biblical References, a Biographical Index, and a Subject Index.

One of my first concerns with this BOC translation is that it would be "politically correct" and avoid male-gender pronouns. This reviewer could not find any such overt bias. Nevertheless, a thorough reading is needed to confirm this observation, but light reading here and there has found no such tendency. Since "conservative" Lutherans use the confessions the most, it would be financially unwise for Fortress Press to estrange one of their largest markets for this new BOC by using "inclusive" language: the LCMS, the WELS, the ELS, and other confessional Lutheran groups.

In conclusion, this latest BOC seems to be a fine translation and worthy to augment other BOCs now in print. However, this reviewer is unqualified to make a broad endorsement and recommend that this BOC should become the new de-facto version to be used. Await word from confessional Seminaries for that. Until then, enjoy reading!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rejoicing in a new BOOK OF CONCORD, February 28, 2001

By	Dr. David Kievitt (Rigewood NJ USA) - See all my reviews

The new translation of the BOOK OF CONCORD is in every way excellent, faithful to both the German and Latin originals and written in a clear, flowing English style. It is in many ways quite close to the translation in the familiar Tappert edition, but there are some improvements. What makes this volume special is its excellent scholarly apparatus. There is a wonderfully complete index with references not only to topics but to individual theologians and writers of the Reformation era. I found this information incredibly useful both for the courses I teach on the BOOK OF CONCORD and in my private research. The book also contains excerpts from the works of authors covered in the BOOK OF CONCORD, allowing them to speak for themselves. Since many of their works are very difficult to find, this is a much appreciated feature. All in all, I rate this book most highly; it is the only BOOK OF CONCORD to buy.