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| If you want to know the best edition of Pilgrim's Progress, a work of art - this is one example - email me. Good editions are abundant. |
When Morn, the rosy fingered child of Dawn, arose, Sassy took me out for a walk. Instead of welcoming sun, we found dark thunder-clouds, wind to knock my Tilley hat off, and a damp chill. Autumn? We have several more weeks of unusually warm weather ahead.
Several have asked about best books and authors often overlooked, so this is my list, starting with the best reads of all.
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| Roland Bainton remains my favorite church historian. |
Absolutely Essential Short List - For Being Well Read
- The KJV and related books about it.
- Luther's Sermons - The Lenker set is great, and CPH had an upgrade with the postils included. Everything was wrapped up in preaching, the Preaching Office, for Luther.
- The Book of Concord is the best one-volume commentary on the Bible. I like Tappert for readability. Luther's Large Catechism is overlooked and under-read. Melanchthon's passage on Justification by Faith in the Apology is unknown, unread, and uncited among the fake-conservative Lutherans of today.
- Luther's Galatians Lectures are extolled by the Book of Concord as the best detailed explanation of Justification by Faith.
- Pilgrim's Progess - Animated, Children's version, full-sized, and various movies. Those who have trouble with the book at first should get involved in the popular versions. The full version is really an allegorical commentary on the Bible. Bunyan's most read book, after the Bible, was Luther's Galatians Lectures.
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| Passavant |
Second Tier Books - But Not Second-Rate - Best Of
- Luther's Genesis Commentary
- Luther's 1 and 2 Peter Commentary
- Luther's Sermons on the Gospel of John
- Luther's Romans Commentary
- Lenski New Testament Commentaries
- Chemniz Examination of the Council of Trent - a great way to learn the fine points of Biblical studies, theology, and humorous commentary. Any Chemnitz work is great, but this is the best - if most expensive - start.
Overlooked and Underappreciated by Their Descendants - Look for Works about Them Too
- Krauth - Conservative Reformation. General Council.
- Schmauk - Confessional Principle. General Council.
- Jacobs - Doctrinal Outline. General Synod.
- Reu - Difficult to find his works, but they are around the used market and the reprint market. Iowa Synod genius. He was a bit liberal at first but later wrote on Luther and inerrancy.
- Life and Letters of Passavant - Passavant was a unique, faithful leader who continued as a great friend of the Augustana Synod and all charitable Christian projects - hospitals, missions, etc. The Lutheran magazine of ELCA has borrowed the name of their periodical from his own independent effort.
- Ludwig Fuerbringer's two little books on the early days of the LCMS are very good.
- Zion on the Mississippi may be the only non-mythological books the Stephan sex cult's trip to America and its weird, abusive, Pietistic and rationalistic origins. Each time I bought this volume, the cost was $10, used.
