Just a note to let you know about a couple new additions to the blog…
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Scroll down and you’ll find a new addition in the sidebar entitled What I’m Reading. These will include whatever books I’m using for devotional materials and whatever I happen to be reading at the time. With the exception of the Bible I use, the other two will change regularly…
(5/9/08 UPDATE: The title for this sidebar widget was changed to Currently Reading.)
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Scroll a little farther down and you’ll find another new addition in the sidebar entitled What I’ve Been Reading. These will include the last five books I’ve finished. Of course, these also will change regularly.
(5/9/08 UPDATE: The title for this sidebar widget was changed to Recently Read.)
One caveat: If a book is listed in what I’ve read or am reading, it does not mean I recommend it!
The lists just consist of what I’m reading or have read for a wide variety of reasons. These lists could include theological books I read to expand my knowledge and help me grow as a pastor, books from other publishers I read for review for Northwestern Publishing House, or even secular books I read for enjoyment.
As far as book recommendations, I’ll occasionally publish one of those for your perusal. Once in a while, though, we’ll also have a guest book reviewer.
Speaking of book recommendations, besides the Bible and the Book of Concord, what would be the top five books you’d recommend for a Lutheran Shepherd’s study? Use the comment section below to pass along your recommendations!
I just scanned through my whole library and I’m at a loss to recommend just 5. There are so many books that are invaluable–I couldn’t imagine not having them. That being said, here’s a list to get you started–
1) Law & Gospel (Walther)
2) Wauwatosa Theology Set (does this count as one or 3?)
3) Gnade um Gnade (Stöckhardt) [I'd highly recommend anything by Stöckhardt]
If you want to include a set, go ahead and count it as one book in your top five!
Bummer about that particular edition of the BOC you are featuring, the “gender neutered” version from AF, the one that also still contains a total mistranslation of passage in the Smalcald Articles in order to accomodate the ordination of women.
I would heartily recommend instead…yes, you guessed it:
http://www.cph.org/concordia
An English text based on the actual 1580/1584 Book of Concord authoritative editions, not on texts reconstructed by scholars in the various continuing new editions of the BKS.
Thanks for your blog. I enjoyed your article on Höennecke. Sometime it would be interesting to read how it is that the modern day WELS has moved away from Höenecke’s position on the pastoral ministry. There’s an interesting footnote on that very point in the English translation of the dogmatics text.
Speaking of the BOC, what I’d love to see is the text from the reader’s edition in an updated Triglotta. But I’ve been reading from the CPH version this year and I really like it.
Back to book recommendations: It’s probably a little cruel to recommend a resource like this because it’s probably pretty hard to get hold of. On the other hand, it might not be that useful to many. It’s the set of sermon studies by Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser, and Johann Gerhard based on the Harmony of the Gospels. It was published in 7 volumes from 1858 to 1872. I think you have these, don’t you Jeremiah? I’ve only dabbled in it, but what I’ve read has blown me away! It makes me want to go back to the Historic series just to work through these texts on a regular basis.
I have another book in mind to recommend, but I can’t say what it is because it hasn’t been published yet. I’m beginning to think it might become one of those books you’re going to want to read every year—just to make sure you’re still Lutheran!
Yes, I do have a full set of the Harmonia that Hans mentioned, not in the original Latin, but in German that I acquired while at the Seminary. Haven’t had opportunity to really dig into those though, but would certainly be interested! I think I heard somewhere that Repristination Press was working on a translation of that.
As far as the BoC, I recently acquired a copy of CPH’s Concordia and have been planning to use it for my next read through of the Book of Concord. At present, I’ve been working through a BoC Reading Plan I acquired some years ago and did not own the CPH Concordia at the time I started it. I’ve nearly finished the reading plan, hence the Kolb & Wengert BoC on my current reading list.
Maybe if someone reading this attends the “Theology of Adolf Hoenecke” course at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s Summer Quarter this summer, perhaps they can let us know if there’s any discussion on Hoenecke’s position on the pastoral ministry and that of the modern-day WELS. It would be an interesting topic to consider.
Thanks for the recommendations and your comments!