The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation

by John T. Pless (Editor)

James Arne Nestingen (1945-2022) was a beloved pastor, seminary professor, and most of all a confessor and preacher of the Gospel of Jesus. After he retired from teaching church history at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Nestingen taught at Saint Paul Lutheran Seminary and was a guest lecturer at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne and at the seminary of the Mekane Yesus Church in Addis Ababa. He was a senior scholar in residence for 1517 and was in demand as a conference speaker. He was an active participant in the formation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) and served as a representative of that church body on the official dialogue between the NALC, the Lutheran Church-Canada, and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He will be remembered for his passion for clear Gospel preaching, his incisive theology, and his Midwestern, Norwegian humor.
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The essays in The Essential Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation represent his scholarly but at the same accessible work in these three areas of his research and teaching. Spanning over three decades of his ministry as a teacher of the church, these essays find a common focus in Christ who is the end of the law for righteousness (Romans 10:4). They remain timely and serve not only as a testimony to Nestingen erudite scholarship but as a resource for the edification for a new generation of both pastors and lay people who share Nestingen passion for "handing over the goods" that he found in Luther and the Lutheran Confessions.

286 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2025

About the author

Rev. John T. Pless joined the Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, faculty in 2000. He is assistant professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions and also serves as director of Field Education.

Reviews

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3½ stars. Very clearly written and well worth reading as an overview of Luther and his differences with Melanchthon. I'd like to hear more sermons informed by the understanding that Nestingen shared with his teacher Gerhard Forde and his student Steven Paulson.

My main problem with it is what isn't there: careful argumentation to support his view that Luther was right, Melanchthon was wrong, and none of the many alternatives is even worth considering.

His essays on 21st century church issues are studded with random potshots at caricatures of views he disagrees with and ad hoc explanations for their popularity. (The decline in German and Scandinavian immigration to the United States? the melting pot? the First Amendment? the machinations of ELCA bureaucrats who apparently exercise tighter thought control than the most absolutist popes? Really? Maybe the poverty his co-thinkers' arguments and their inability to develop coherently argued alternatives beyond repristinating Luther and pounding the furniture has something to do with it?)

Though jarring, those flaws only affect a couple of essays in this collection. I strongly recommend it as an introduction to Luther's understanding of law and gospel, but not as a persuasive account of why people should agree with it or what the best case for it should mean for us today.

[Kyle Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Dr. John Pless and the good folks at 1517 for putting together this collection of essays by Dr. James A. Nestingen (along with Dr. Steven Paulson’s excellent funeral sermon for Jim). As a student of Jim’s, it warmed my heart to hear his voice again through the words of these articles. In every article, Jim does what he always taught us to do and “hands over the goods,” that is, he hands over Christ Jesus as the end of the Law for you. And Steve Paulson’s sermon does the exact same thing — a fitting tribute to Jim and his ministry to so many of us. I cannot recommend this book enough!

(As a small note, there are a number of typos in the book. Hopefully, these can be corrected for future printings.)