| The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provides a brief description of both Christianity
and Lutheranism.The essence of what Lutherans believe is set forth in Chapter 2, Confession of Faith, in the
Constitution of the ELCA. Among the many elaborations of the subject, the following are
particularly recommended: - Martin E. Marty, Lutheranism: A Restatement in
Question and Answer Form. Rev. ed. Madison Heights, Michigan: Cathedral Directories,
1989. [answers frequently posed questions about Lutheran faith and practice]
- Daniel
Erlander. Baptized, We Live: Lutheranism as a Way ofLife. Chelan, Washington: Holden
Village, 1981. [describes Lutheran Christianity as a wayof seeing, a way of hearing, a way of
teaching, and a way of following]
- Bradley Hanson. A Graceful Life: Lutheran
Spirituality for Today. Minneapolis:Augsburg Fortress, 2000. [Employing the currently
popular term, "spirituality," Hanson notesthat spirituality "is not just a set of ideas, but rather a
lived reality." He writes for "the averageperson, Lutheran or non-Lutheran, who might look to
the Lutheran tradition for instruction andspiritual nurture."]
- Eric W. Gritsch. Fortress
Introduction to Lutheranism. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994. [a helpful and accessible
guide to Lutheranism's history andcentral tenets]
- Mark Gardner and Douglas Schmitz, eds.
Honoring Our Neighbor's Faith. Minneapolis:Fortress Press, 1999. [includes a brief
comparison of Lutheran beliefs with those of selecteddenominations and faiths]
Those
who want to read all of the Lutheran confessional writings may find them in:- Robert
Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, eds. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.
For an
introduction to the Lutheran confessions that has been written for general readers,
see:- Guenther Gassmann and Scott Hendrix. Fortress Introduction to the
Lutheran Confessions. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999.
Two of the best and most
readable biographies of Martin Luther in English are:- Roland H. Bainton. Here I
Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: AbingdonPress, 1950. [since the 1950s, the
standard biography of Luther, written by one who was called the dean of Luther scholars in this
country]
- James M. Kittelson. Luther the Reformer: the Story of the Man and His
Career. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986. [Like Bainton's book, this one also
is written for readers who are not specialists in the field of Luther studies. Kittleson incorporates
research completed since Bainton wrote to "trace the genesis of Luther the reformer with greater
precision."]
A copy of each of these books is available in the library of the Lutheran
Center at Northwestern. Annually, Pastor Kittlaus offers an introduction to the Lutheran way of
being Christian.
For a whimsically appreciative description of being Lutheran, see Garrison Keillor's "Singing with the Lutherans." |
