Martin J. Lohrmann

In an engaging and accessible style, Martin J. Lohrmann introduces readers to fascinating glimpses of faith, courage, and love in action within the global Lutheran community that now numbers over 70 million members in churches worldwide. He shows how Lutheranism is a much more diverse and global expression of the Christian tradition than most realize. This matches the expansive view of the church universal that the Reformers held when they presented the Augsburg Confession in 1530. As Philipp Melanchthon put it, the church "consists of people scattered throughout the entire world who agree on the gospel and have the same Christ, the same Holy Spirit, and the same sacraments, whether or not they have the same human traditions."Although Lutheranism first grew and spread in central and northern Europe, some of the most vibrant Lutheran communities are now in Africa and Asia. There are more Lutherans in Tanzania than in Sweden, and more Lutherans in Indonesia than in Norway. The single largest Lutheran church body in the world is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, with over 8 million members and a focus on caring for the whole person. Outside of Europe, Namibia is the only country with a majority Lutheran population. Lutheran members of the global body of Christ have much to learn from and share with one another.The book largely follows the subjects listed in the Timeline of Global Lutheranism that Lohrmann created for Lutheran Quarterly Journal to commemorate the 500-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

In this work of historical imagination, Pastor Bugenhagen spends time with his friend and parishioner Martin Luther. Risking poor health and bad weather, the aging Luther is about to leave Wittenberg for a trip to Eisleben. Before he goes, Bugenhagen and Luther share time with students, family, and each other as they remember where they've been and wonder what their Reformation has meant.

The Reformation-era writings that make up the Lutheran Confessions remain lively resources for Christian ministry and mission today. Because each of the documents within the Book of Concord was written with a specific context and rhetorical purpose in mind, each has its own compelling story and objectives. Luther's catechisms present the faith for daily life at the grass-roots level, with teaching elements that we might now view as typical of social media and multimedia. The Augsburg Confession and its Apology provide an adaptable foundation for preaching, teaching, church organization, and dialogue that is rooted in the promise of Christ, received through faith. Fifteen years after the Diet of Worms, the Smalcald Articles reveal yet another "Here I stand" moment for-Luther. Finally, the Formula of Concord shows how the next generations of Lutherans used collaboration and consensus as they wrestled with important themes of faith and life. In summary, as these texts engage us with their stories, they invite us to consider what is most important about our journeys of faith and Christian witness in today's twenty-first-century contexts.

"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts.'" (1 Samuel 17:45) Reflecting upon David's victory over Goliath, Reformation translator, theologian and commentator William Tyndale compared it to Christ's victory over sin and death: "When David had killed Goliath the giant, glad tidings came to the Israelites that their fearful and cruel enemy was dead and that they were delivered out of all danger. For this gladness, they sang, danced and were joyful. In like manner, the good news or 'gospel' of God is joyful tidings." The books of 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles, which record the history of Israel from the prophetic ministry of Samuel to the fall of Jerusalem, provided the reformers with some of the best-known narratives of the Old Testament upon which to comment, including Hannah's prayer, the anointing of Saul as Israel's first king, David's triumph over Goliath and his later adultery with Bathsheba, Solomon's building of the Temple, Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal, and the healing of Naaman. For the reformers, these stories were not merely ancient Israelite history, but they also foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, and they had immediate relevance for their lives and the church of their day. Thus, Anglican exegete John Mayer perceived within King Josiah's reform of Israelite worship after the discovery of the Book of the Law a prefiguration of "what should be done in the latter days of the gospel, in which a greater reformation of the religion is now being made." In this Reformation Commentary on Scripture volume, Derek Cooper and Martin Lohrmann guide readers through a diversity of Reformation commentary on these historical books. Here, readers will find reflections from both well-known voices and lesser-known figures from a variety of confessional traditions—Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics—many of which appear in English for the first time. By drawing upon a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises and confessions—this volume will enable scholars and students to understand better the depth and breadth of Reformation-era insights on Scripture. It will also provide resources for contemporary preachers, and encourage all those who continually seek to share the "joyful tidings" of Jesus Christ.

Bugenhagen's Jonah makes several significant contributions to Reformation studies. It is the first book published in English about Bugenhagen in over 80 years. It integrates diverse fields of study (including biblical interpretation, ecclesiology, worship, social reform and church history), draws upon the latest international scholarship, and translates original sources. Finally, the emphasis on Bugenhagen as a public theologian highlights the relationship between faith and daily life for every age