Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions -- A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord (Hardcover)

~ Paul Timothy McCain (Editor)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The most comprehensive edition of the Lutheran Confessions in English. It features period woodcuts and paintings, along with helpful introductions, annotations, notes, glossaries and a variety of indices. A timeline of the period and daily reading guide are included as well. This edition is a translation based on the actual text scontained in the authoritative editions of the Book of Concord, using either the German or the Latin text, unlike other English translations which are based on reconstructed texts, but not necessarily those that are the Lutheran Church's approved texts of their confessional documents. It is designed for the reader interested in understanding in depth what the beliefs, teachings and confession of the Lutheran Church are.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Concordia Publishing House; 2nd edition (January 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758613431
• ISBN-13: 978-0758613431
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #111,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Does It Mean to be Lutheran?, March 9, 2007

By	rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

How many times have Lutherans heard from their pastors and informed laypeople, "the Lutheran Confessions says this...?"

What they are referring to are the confessional statements gathered over time culminating in 1580 collection entitled: The Book of Concord. This is it in a wonderful, inexpensive, layperson's edition. Thus you have what started it all, The Augsburg Confession and its Apology, then Luther's wonderful works of his smaller and larger catechisms and his beloved Smalcald Articles, as well as what settled the dispute afer his death of what it truly taught, The Formula of Concord. Add to this the vital and interesting Power and Primacy of the Pope by Melanchthon.

It has all the aids which dress it up and provide those who haven't yet studied them (each LCMS pastor has in detail and is ordained and installed based on them) and you have a wonderful tool for the layperson to read, study and digest, and then live from as a guide to his Bible study and understanding. These aids include wonderful drawings, appendixes, bible reference index, glossary, reformation overview. What a value! What a resource!

What I would recommend is that every interested Christian get a copy, not just you Lutherans or wannabe Lutherans. You will be informed as to just what a Lutheran believes about God's Word here.

And for you Lutherans. Buy a copy. Then demand that your pastor offer some Bible Study classes led by him on this various confessions as my congregation has. Right now we have class which has mesmorized and enlightened our people on the Smalcald Articles. We have also had classes on the Larger Catechism, as well as the Augsburg Confession and Forumla of Concord. Of course, we refer to this Book of Concord often in our teaching.

Studying this will open the reader to what the Reformation was all about, and the subsequent historical confessional developments that stem from it. And possibly, it will open some to what I have proposed is a fervent need to what ails us: a Formula of Concord for our time which posits the two competing theologies of the too many doctrines that divide the LCMS and then resolves it from Scripture and the Book of Concord. Just as they did in 1580, we need now.

Buy this! Read it! Give copies as gifts! Demand nicely your pastor provide Bible studies on it! You and Christ's church will be richly blessed!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tremendous Resource!, March 10, 2007

By	WMC (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

The Book of Concord, adopted in 1580, is a collection of seven documents, which together with the 3 historic creeds of western Christianity, are the official teaching of the Lutheran churches. It is both an historic reference to the teaching of the Reformation, and for "confessional" Lutheran churches, the standard of Lutheran orthodoxy.

This "Reader's Edition" of the Book of Concord is an unprecedented contribution in the history of English translations of the Book of Concord. The text is a gentle updating of the Dau/Bente translation which appears in the Concordia Triglotta. What makes this book unique are its detailed historic notes and theological commentaries along with helpful timelines, indexes, reproductions of Reformation period art, and very a helpful 52-week reading guide for those who wish to read the entire Book of Concord in a year. This "Reader's Guide" is to the Book of Concord what "study bibles" are to the Holy Scriptures. Even the high quality binding and printing reflect the dignity this book deserves from a Lutheran publisher.

Of course, as some reviewers of this book may indicate, there will be personal disagreements regarding some of the historic and theological notations. This is to be expected; it happens also with study bibles. Opinions and applications are bound to vary, and the authoritative texts of the Book of Concord remain the critical editions of the original Latin and German texts. However, the value of this book is to provide an accessible English translation together with historic and theological notes that allow the reader to see these vital documents of the Lutheran Reformation framed in their original context.

I recommend the Concordia Reader's Edition to anyone interested in learning about the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith and the Lutheran Reformation from its first sources. It should also be owned and studied by anyone who belongs to a "Lutheran" church or is considering joining a "Lutheran" church. It will be useful both for personal study and for small group discussion and Bible classes dealing with doctrine. Our congregation has sold over 50 copies to satisfied customers and is considering giving a copy as a gift to every household received into membership.

This book has my unreserved recommendation.

The Rev. William M. Cwirla, pastor
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Hacienda Heights, CA

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful translation, January 14, 2006

By	Sven Allenbach-Schmidt (Greenbelt, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions--A Readers Edition of the Book of Concord (Hardcover)

The Book of Concord consists of the establishing theological documents of early Lutheranism. They are still the primary doctrinal statements for most Lutherans today. It was originally published in 1580 in German and most translations into English to date have been laden with technical language. As part of the 425th anniversary of the original publication, Concordia Publishing has come out with this easier to read edition.

This Readers Edition starts with the 1921 Dau and Bente translation. That translation is then updated it with plain English and nearly all the German and Latin technical phrases removed. Each document in the Book is introduced with an explanation of its historical and theological context. To further help with this there are charts, timelines, and illustrations. To make it easier access for laypersons, there is a 'One-Year Study Guide' breaking the reading down into a couple of pages each weekday.

The one year guide had the only glitch I've found in the book so far. For some reason, even though it is designed as a 52 week guide, it is actually set up as a 54 week guide. There are two Week 14s and two Week 21s, each with different readings assigned. Strange error, but not a serious one once the reader is aware of it.