Being Lutheran Today: A Layperson’S Guide to Our History, Belief and Practice

by Carsten J. Ludder, Derald Edwards

Being Lutheran A Laypersons Guide to Our History, Belief and Practice will help the reader understand what Lutherans believe about the basics of the Christian faith. In easy to read language, you are given a historical perspective of the core beliefs of those who count themselves as Lutherans. The book sets forth the tenets of Lutheran doctrine; what Lutherans generally believe in practice; how to read the Bible; what the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion are about for Lutherans; the basics of Lutheran worship and the faith of the church expressed in the Apostles Creed.

Genres: Religion

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2018

Reviews

[Clairette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good overview for someone new to the Lutheran style of Christian worship, or someone looking for a refresher.

The newest idea I got out of this is that the creeds are *communal* confessions of faith. In that, it is ok to struggle with aspects of the creed, so long as you acknowledge that the creed is the standard of what will be taught. (For example, many people get hung up on the "born of the virgin Mary" or "the resurrection of the body," that's ok and should not keep anyone from coming and confessing this creed, they just shouldn't teach something contradicting these articles.) This was a relief to read, because I still wrestle with some articles of the creed.

The book starts with history of the reformation, why it was needed and how it revolutionized Christianity. Then it addresses the sacraments of baptism and communion, why we adhere to a calendar and orderly liturgical worship, what the elements of liturgical worship mean, and what the creed means. There is a fair amount of cognitive dissonance (esp about the sacraments), but that is probably unavoidable because, in the end, thinking only takes us so far on our spiritual journey.

The editing was not good, as there are occasional incomplete or incoherent sentences and misspelled words. It's worth overlooking, but I expect more care from any published book.

[Jade Cahoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually wrote a long-ass blog post about this book, which I won't bother to reproduce here. I was hoping to find an answer as to what seems to me to be an internal tension between the idea of Sola Scriptura, part of my understanding of the Lutheran church, and infant baptism. The book attempted to explain why the Lutheran church performs infant baptism but I wasn't super-duper convinced.

However it was an easy, very approachable read, and I really enjoyed the section on the components of the Liturgical service and the church year--those were very helpful.

Addendum: The text needed an editor, multiple typos and errors.

[Teresa Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, detailed, and engaging book!

This has been a great read. Appreciated the engaging content, easy to read, understandable, and succinct. I have never attended a Lutheran service and wanted to learn more before going. Thank you!