Have you ever wished there was a simple resource to help you better understand the prickly issues of our day or to give you the tools you need to talk with others about them? Have you been watching for weighty books that deal with doctrine and practice without swelling to the size of a complete systematic theology? Wouldn’t it be nice if there were something available from a trusted theological source that could be easily shared?
A New Series
We are excited to launch a new series of compact books, ranging between sixty and one hundred pages, that will take on contemporary topics in faith and culture. Each volume seeks to help Christians understand a topic and equips them to engage with that topic in a way that is scripturally and confessionally faithful. Contributing authors are experts in their fields and are known for their insight, confessional integrity, and clarity of writing. Within the series, titles will be grouped into one of two categories:
- Apologetics: Confessing the Christian Faith
- Polemics: Confessing the Lutheran Faith.
Digging into Polemics and Apologetics
These categories deserve further explanation, especially because the word polemic carries a certain negative connotation today, particularly in tone. Rest assured, titles in each category will strive for a respectful and objective tone— while remaining unflinchingly committed to the truth! Our selection of the polemics category demonstrates the study of distinctive doctrines that set the Lutheran Confessions apart from confessions of other denominations.
Titles that appear in the polemics category will strive to teach Lutheran doctrines as they intersect with American Christianity and will make the case for the Lutheran distinctive. Meanwhile, the compact books within the apologetics category present a systematic defense of a doctrine or practice from Scripture.
Titles appearing in the apologetics category will examine contemporary issues where the Christian church finds its beliefs and practices at odds with societal trends and assumptions.
Who Needs This Series and Why?
As American society has become increasingly secular, Christians and their churches find themselves encountering progressively challenging situations. God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions speak directly to many of these challenges, but where they do not, it’s beneficial to have sound theological resources that help pastors, students, and all Christians think through the application of the truths they confess. Contributing authors will intentionally draw out scriptural truths and demonstrate the scriptural foundations of the doctrines that are addressed in the individual volumes. They also seek to provide an analysis of contemporary situations or issues so readers can better understand the nature and source of the errors they encounter in their day-to-day lives.
Titles in this series will be intentionally compact while providing substantial depth on a singular topic. This approach will ensure that readers are given access to leading experts’ knowledge and insight on subjects that are of interest to them. Pastors will value these volumes because they gather and distill faithful thinking on a topic in a single title. Similarly, professors will prize this series as a resource whose multiple volumes can be assigned to aid their students in understanding the history, scope, and application of a doctrine. Yet, these books are not only intended to be helpful resources for pastors and professors, because anyone who lives in these contentious times should be equipped to speak on the issues they frequently encounter. Our desire for those who read these volumes is that they will be edified by their contents and that their understanding and ability to bear witness to the faith will be enhanced.
Upcoming Titles in the Series
Several of our authors are already hard at work, and more titles and experts are currently being recruited and prepared! Our first offering is a translation of Georg Vicedom’s book Justification as the Formative Power of Mission, which has been prepared by Klaus Detlev Schulz. In his book, Vicedom takes stock of global missions in the middle of the twentieth century and critiques contemporary motives for the mission task. He reminds his readers that the mission first belongs to God and is motivated by His desire to rescue and redeem sinful humanity from the coming judgment. Vicedom grounds the church’s mission in God’s work of justification. He points to the confidence and joy the church has in being drawn into this mission. Rooted in Scripture, Vicedom’s insights remain relevant and of critical importance to the church.
Other forthcoming titles in this series include the following:
- The Two Realms and the Separation of Church and State
by Joel Biermann - Transgenderism by Scott Stiegemeyer
- On the Smalcald Articles by Robert Kolb
Even though we live in a changing world, God’s Word endures. Equip yourself, your colleagues, and your students to take on these contemporary concerns with the help of this growing series.
