Customer Reviews

The Lutheran Handbook: A Field Guide to Church Stuff, Everyday Stuff, and the Bible

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

You have no idea how excited I've been about this book. It's a thing of pure beauty. It is history, geography, sociology, practicality, theology, and -- perhaps most importantly -- great oozing masses of offbeat humor. It is hands-down the best single piece of popular religious writing and armchair theology that I've seen. Funny, intelligent, down-to-earth, comically illustrated, and irreverent. It's everything you need to see what good, orthodox, traditional Christianity is all about. (And it's a good tool for defense against extremist nutjobs!)

It's set up in the same format as the ever-famous Worst Case Scenario guides. From chapters on camparative religion, a family tree of Christian denominations, and anatomical drawings of a proper Crucifixion, to a history of the Church, Medieval life, and good orthodox Christian theology, this book is perfect for people who know nothing of religion, perfect for Christians of any stripe, and perfect for life-long Lutherans. My home parish bought 100 of them and sold out immediately. My work parish just ordered 25 and we've already pre-sold several.

Did I mention there's a section on HOW TO AVOID BEING BURNED AT THE STAKE? Also tips on what to request if you can't avoid being burned at the stake. I kid you not. Another list includes ways to cast the Devil out from your presence. #6 is "break wind," and is noted as one of Luther's favorites. Also included:

How to Stay Alert During a Boring Church Service
Five Grossest Bible Stories
Five Weirdest Old Testament Laws
How to Perform a Crucifixion
How to Reform the Church
History's Six Most Notorious Heretics
Three Most Rebellious Things Jesus Did
Five Funniest Stories in the Bible

I've highlighted the humor, but this handbook is no satire. It is a serious, joyous, and thoroughly Christian document meant to educate, entertain, and deepen one's relationship with God and Christ's Church. It also includes guides on how to appreciate liturgy, how to deepen your experience of a worship service, how to find famous stories in the Bible, how to understand miracles, how to approach Scripture, how to live as a Christian in your everyday life... Honestly, this book is simply priceless. By all means, buy it, and pick a few copies up for your friends and loved ones.

I love this little book! Modeled on the "Worst-Case Scenario Survival" handbooks, it covers basic Christian tenants with a focus on Lutheranism. It's published by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing arm of the ELCA, however it's not overtly ELCA (I think LCMS and WELS Lutherans could appreciate it also). It's probably geared to young adults, but anyone can benefit from it. It covers important basics in a clear, concise way and, in many cases, with a light-hearted tone. It's refreshing to read the chapters about things you've known all your life, like how to pray. The chapters covering the seasons of the church year, comparing various denominations, 60 essential Bible stories, and how to be saved by grace through faith and not good works are particularly good. It also contains chapters on Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation, which are distilled down to the simplest terms and are very helpful for getting a basic understanding. And the introduction to "Luther's Small Catechism" is a great primer before delving into the work itself. Unless you're a religious scholar, there's something here for you. What a great $10 investment! I'll refer to this little gem for many years to come!

As a born and bred Lutheran living in the Southeast (where you drive by 15 "other" denominational churches before finding the closest Lutheran church) I find this book to be a necessity for people who ask the question, "Just what is a Lutheran anyway?"

With the characteristically Lutheran sense of humour (that'd be a dry one that makes more fun of the self than anyone else) this book approaches the core beliefs of the Lutheran church in a witty and entertaining way that still does an excellent job of informing the reader.

As someone who slept through much of confirmation class, this book reminded me of many pieces of information I should have known as well as brought along some interesting trivial points that just made me laugh.

What a great little book! Anyone negotiating the Lutheran church (especially the ELCA) will enjoy it as it covers, in a concise and occasionally humorous manner, all the things you need to know, want to know and already know about the church.

I particularly enjoyed the simple way the Reformation and Martin Luther were presented. It is packed full of interesting items such as:

Comparative religion
History of the church
Anatomy of a Baptism
How to receive communion
How to stay awake during the sermon
How to share your faith
How to identify a miracle
What to bring to a potluck
The top 10 Bible miracles and their meanings
The five biggest misconceptions about the Bible

The list goes on and on. There are also illustrations, maps, diagrams and other essential tips. This is informative and fun and a book you'll want to keep and give as a gift.

Armchair Interviews says: You don't have to be a Lutheran to enjoy and receive benefit from this book. Actually this is a light-hearted look at all things Lutheran. Frankly it is wonderful -- and it's a hoot!

"The Lutheran Handbook" is a core piece of the Evengelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) confirmation program and much more. Using a bit of humor, a clear focus on modern day Christianity, and some solid practical advice, this handbook should hit home with the average pre-teen to teen audience it is targeting. The book really can't be called an exclusive "Lutheran" handbook, while it clearly has those overtones, as it has great information on how to handle a wide gambit of religious and spiritual issues for every Christian faith background; even down to how to stay awake in church. As a life-long Lutheran, I would say it is a bit light on formal doctrine, but there are clearly things that speak to the Lutheran understanding of Christ, such as its explaination on how to be a disciple of the cross, or the Lutheran understanding of being saved by grace through faith, not by works. Probably one of the best sections of this piece is its section on the Bible where it gives a great primer for a young person looking for inspiration from Scripture. For a Lutheran Family with children coming to the age of reason, I would definately say this is must-have book to have at your side. For the wider Christian or even Non-Christian audience, I would offer that this is a great text on basic Christianity that can find use in any home.

When I first saw this book I thought that it would be boring and full of theological "how to's" - I was surprised! This little book contains some humor, some practical applications and some Biblical information. Clearly a joy to read and have as reference.

The Lutheran Handbook has been a smashing success for it's publisher, Augsburg Fortress, and for good reason. It is funny, concise, thorough and well-organized. I am a Lutheran pastor and we have used this book as the basis for both adult education studies and confirmation classes. People new to the Lutheran tradition find it an informative and quick read and always appreciate borrowing the church's copy.

good intro to the religion for curious readers. also very humorous for those who are lutherans!

Wonderful book that combines humor and
Christian beliefs. Very easy to read and
apply to every day life

This book covers everything you might expect: Lutheran theology, comparison of major branches of Christianity, pointers to some interesting parts of the Bible, how to handle disruptive people in church, how to behave at various church-related events, what to bring to a covered-dish dinner (do Californian Lutherans really feature Tofu in their covered dishes?), and more.

Most of the book applies very well to non-Lutherans.

... Oh, and a lot of it is funny.