Confessio Augustana

by Leif Grane

A concise commentary, highly useful as an accompaniment to the reading of the Augsburg Confession itself. All who are interested in the doctrinal traditions of the Lutheran Church can find here the means to increase their theological and historical understanding of the text. The theological perspective of the Augsburg Confession is made clear by comparisons with the writings of Luther and other Reformers, as well as with other main streams of the Christian tradition. Included for each article of the confession are the English translation of the text, notes on the text, and theological and historical commentary on the meaning of the article. Also included are an extensive introduction to the writing of the confession, footnotes, a selected bibliography, and an index. In its Danish, Swedish, and German editions this commentary has become a indispensable introduction to this classic confession of the Lutheran Reformation. Here is a source of fresh insight into the meaning of the Augsburg Confession -- and guidance into the meaning of the gospel for today.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents each article from the Augsburg Confession and provides a commentary with historical background for each one to elucidate and expand on each article.

After the Augsburg Confession was presented to Emperor Charles V, the Roman Catholic Church produced a direct response to each article called the Confutation and also presented it to the Emperor. Thinking there was be an opportunity for further discourse, the Lutherans produced their own response to the Confutation called the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the famous defense of the Lutheran doctrines penned by Philip Melanchthon.

The Emperor accepted the Confutation instead, and would go on to militarily suppress the nascent Protestantism in the Holy Roman Empire, though obviously Protestantism survived.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent enough primer as a starting point for layfolk. It's not going to get into the nitty-gritty; go to The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology for a thorough appreciation.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, clear, and concise summary and commentary on the Articles of Confession.

[Stefan Mocanu Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gode notater.

[Josh Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly a fantastic summary and discussion of the Augsburg Confession and Lutheran theology. Grane is fairly concise and very readable. Although he's dealing with heavy theological issues, the book never felt like a chore to read or understand. Each chapter provides the text of one article from the Augsburg Confession, followed by some textual notes, concluding with a summary (some lengthy, some not) of the material covered. The author goes into great detail, explaining why certain wording was important, how the Lutheran position differs from that of the Roman Catholics or the Reformed tradition, and even gives additional background material from other early Lutheran writings.

If you are interested in studying the Augsburg Confession and the origins of Lutheran theology, this book is highly recommended.

[Eve Lumerto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty useful.