I’m no Lutheran, but this book “almost maketh me” one!
Check out this interesting blog post over at “Reformed Reader” blog site. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions continues to be a popular book and a strong seller for Concordia Publishing House. We are fast approaching 100,000 copies sold, which considering the nature of this book, is truly nothing short of remarkable. I have long ago lost track of the number of laypeople who have picked it up and started looking through it and can not put it down until they are finished reading all the notes, introductions, photo captions, time-lines, helps, annotations, charts and the like. It opens to them a whole world of authentic, confessing Lutheranism that they never even knew existed. We often hear people huffing and puffing about “the Lutheran Confessions”and how “of course, we are “faithful to the Lutheran Confessions” but to be honest about it, I do hope we do more than talk about the Book of Concord. Let’s resolve actually to read it, and use it.
The BOC is that rare bird: a profound and important theological document that can be read with great devotional profit by a layperson. I can open it almost anywhere and begin reading with enjoyment–it contains truths that have to be learned and relearned over and over. Luther’s influential tendency to always focus on the pastoral comes through in almost every section. I’ve used it as a devotional book, off and on, for years. I am very pleased to see that it is a bestseller. Let’s see the Calvinists make a bestseller out of the Wesminster Confession! ; )