Beginning in the 2000s, Concordia Publishing House committed to the publication of Johann Gerhard’s monumental Theological Commonplaces. This effort would become the most extensive work of confessional, conservative Lutheran theology in the English language. Addressing the chief points of doctrine—the persons of the Trinity, sin and the Law, justification and the Gospel, the church and ministry, the end times, and more—the thousands of pages open the window into the early days of Lutheran Orthodoxy.
Logically, methodically, and, most important, scripturally, Gerhard presents the Lutheran position and point by point dismantles the arguments of his opponents. Both apologetic and polemic, Gerhard’s masterful use of Scripture and the writings of the early church fathers and Lutheran confessors clearly articulates the Lutheran position in the face of the Reformed, the Catholic, and the anti-Trinitarian apologists of his time. And these same theological conflicts remain today for confessional Lutherans, who will find in these pages the never-changing Word of God from which to draw faithful answers.
How the Series is Arranged
The logical arrangement of the series makes it simple for a layperson, student, church worker, or researcher to interact with material on a particular point of doctrine. And the apparatus in each volume points the user to the ways in which Gerhard treated specific Bible passages or pericopes and interacted with writers of Greek and Roman antiquity, the early church, and classic Lutheran theologians. The Person and Works Cited List in each volume also identifies particular opponents in the theological dialogue, as well as those whom Gerhard considered to be colleagues in the defense of the Christian faith.
Previous Latin editions of the Theological Commonplaces have sometimes included indexes covering the entire series, such as Georg Heinrich Müller’s index volumes in 1787[1] and those of Julius Löbe in 1885.[2] These index volumes included indexes of Scripture, Hebrew words, Greek words, names, and topics.
Introducing the New Indexes
From the inception of the series, the editorial team for the Theological Commonplaces determined to help the serious student of Gerhard’s writing interact with the wide variety of content in each individual volume through the indices. Now with the completion of the series, Concordia Publishing House is releasing a tool to aid pastors and researchers in their use of the entire series. Our new indexes include: Scripture index, person index, and composite works cited for all the English volumes, all in one searchable PDF that is free of charge. While the new indexes do not include a topical index, they include a vast works cited list, displaying to the reader the web of knowledge in which Johann Gerhard worked. This new composite index provides a wealth of information and will aid
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The pastor, to discover insightful interpretation of particular biblical passages or pericopes, which will aid in sermon and Bible study preparation
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Students, to survey the authors whom Gerhard considered important in the discussion of doctrinal topics, as well as the opponents with whom he was in dialogue
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Church workers, to build reading lists of classic sources of doctrine from the earliest years of the Lutheran Church
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Researchers, to explore the connections among various ecclesiastical writers, the ways in which Greek and Roman writings of antiquity continued to be referenced in this period, and even for vetted bibliographic information on period works
We pray that this source for interaction with the thousands of pages of Johann Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces will be useful in the parish and the academy.
[1]Georg Heinrich Müller [1750–1820], Io. Gerhardi . . . Locorum theologicorum . . . Ex Recensione Io. Frid. Cottae . . . Index Generalis, Pars Prima[–Secunda] (Tubingae: sumtibus Io. Georgii Cottae, 1787[–1789]).
[2]Julius Löbe [1805–1900], Ioannis Gerhardi Loci Theologici . . . Indicibus Generalibus Post G. H. Mullerum Adauctis . . . Indices (Lipsiae: J. C. Hinrichs, 1885).
Aid your use and study of Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces with our new composite index, featuring a Scripture index, person index, and works cited for all English volumes.
