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Faith Alone: The Heart of Everything
Faith Alone , written in 1943, is a prequel to Bo Giertz’s better-known novel, The Hammer of God.
This is Bo Giertz's masterpiece-written with the doctrinal clarity and purpose of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, the historical acumen of Bernard Cornwell, and the psychological insight of Kafka. The result is a Scandinavian Noir that cuts open the soul and lays it at the foot of the cross.
The novel begins in 1540 and ends in 1543, during which time the largest peasant revolt in the history of Scandinavia occurred under the leadership of Nils Dacke. The Dacke Rebellion, as it is known, started in the county of Småland but bled over into the Ydre district on Östergötland's southern border with Småland.
The plot follows the story of two brothers, Anders and Martin. It was the wish of their mother that these two brothers would become priests in the Catholic Church, and so they were both sent to study for the priesthood in the town of Linköping, Sweden, when they were quite young.
It was at this time that the Reformation began in Germany, and Sweden fought for independence from Denmark, breaking the Kalmar Union. German mercenaries hired by King Gustav Vasa to fight Danish troops brought Reformation literature with them. So, Martin became a Lutheran and left for Stockholm to work for King Gustav Vasa as a scrivener. His brother Anders continued with his studies and became a Catholic priest.
When the king has to pay his debt to Lubeck for the mercenaries he hired for the war, he confiscates the church's land, bells, silver, and gold to do so. With this he firmly declares his cause with the Reformation doctrine of Martin Luther. However, the people of Småland are fond of Roman Catholicism and chafe at Lubeck's measures. So, they rebelled. Anders takes up with their cause and joins with Nils Dacke and his men. Martin stays with the king, before becoming disillusioned and falling in with a group of Schwärmerei, or pre-Pentecostal legalists. As the war comes to an end both brothers are brought back to the Reformation faith through the patient shepherding of a Lutheran priest named Peder.
This is Bo Giertz's masterpiece-written with the doctrinal clarity and purpose of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, the historical acumen of Bernard Cornwell, and the psychological insight of Kafka. The result is a Scandinavian Noir that cuts open the soul and lays it at the foot of the cross.
The novel begins in 1540 and ends in 1543, during which time the largest peasant revolt in the history of Scandinavia occurred under the leadership of Nils Dacke. The Dacke Rebellion, as it is known, started in the county of Småland but bled over into the Ydre district on Östergötland's southern border with Småland.
The plot follows the story of two brothers, Anders and Martin. It was the wish of their mother that these two brothers would become priests in the Catholic Church, and so they were both sent to study for the priesthood in the town of Linköping, Sweden, when they were quite young.
It was at this time that the Reformation began in Germany, and Sweden fought for independence from Denmark, breaking the Kalmar Union. German mercenaries hired by King Gustav Vasa to fight Danish troops brought Reformation literature with them. So, Martin became a Lutheran and left for Stockholm to work for King Gustav Vasa as a scrivener. His brother Anders continued with his studies and became a Catholic priest.
When the king has to pay his debt to Lubeck for the mercenaries he hired for the war, he confiscates the church's land, bells, silver, and gold to do so. With this he firmly declares his cause with the Reformation doctrine of Martin Luther. However, the people of Småland are fond of Roman Catholicism and chafe at Lubeck's measures. So, they rebelled. Anders takes up with their cause and joins with Nils Dacke and his men. Martin stays with the king, before becoming disillusioned and falling in with a group of Schwärmerei, or pre-Pentecostal legalists. As the war comes to an end both brothers are brought back to the Reformation faith through the patient shepherding of a Lutheran priest named Peder.
286 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 26, 2020
As a reader with an unquenchable appetite for both soaring fiction and down-to-earth theology, I am perpetually irritated that these two subjects rarely embrace happily within the covers of the same book. For every Flannery O’Connor and F. Dostoevsky, there are scores of authors who write yawning fiction with saccharine theology, or theological treatises thinly smeared with a fictional icing.
So, what are readers to do? I suppose we could go on rereading the well-knowns (I’ve done that). We could continue to wade through the swamp of Christian fiction, hoping to get lucky once in a blue moon (I won’t do that; life is too short). Or, here’s another option: we could all give a standing ovation to Bror Erickson, a prolific and masterful translator, who has made it his mission to make sure the English-speaking world can know and read the Swedish author and churchman, Bo Giertz.
Giertz is best known for his novel, The Hammer of God, a work I have read multiple times the last two decades. When I caught wind of a rumor that the novel Erickson was currently translating, Faith Alone: The Heart of Everything, was actually better than The Hammer of God, I scoffed. Whatever. Like that was possible.
Then I picked up a copy and began to read. I say “read” but that’s not exactly accurate. To say I was “reading” is like saying a parched man is “drinking.” I was guzzling, folks, imbibing page after page. And—I kid you not—I was in suspense until the closing page, keen to see how Giertz would usher his narrative to its surprise dénouement.
I was not disappointed. Nor am I the least bit ashamed to say that I am gladly eating crow over my initial unbelief about Faith Alone outdoing The Hammer of God. Without a doubt, it does.
I hesitate even to attempt to summarize the plot, for I cannot do it justice, nor do I want to spoil the story for the reader. The gist of it is this: two brothers, both raised by a pious mother in the church, take very different paths after the Reformation reaches Sweden. Anders becomes a priest, Martin a government man. As the novel zigs and zags through the tumultuous civil war that tears at the fabric of society and the church, both brothers, in their own ways, find themselves fighting through the dark night of the soul.
As one who has traversed that nocturnal hell myself, I found some passages in this novel so accurate that they could only have been written by an author who knows deeply and intimately the terrain of despair along which one crawls when the soul is overwhelmed by pain, daring to hope for even the faintest flicker of light. Giertz knew that of which he wrote.
The reading world and the church owes a debt of gratitude to Bror Erickson—not to mention 1517 Publishing—for doing the labor of translating and polishing this story into brilliant, literary prose. Bo Giertz entered the church triumphant in 1998, but his influence still holds sway among us. May it ever be so.
So, what are readers to do? I suppose we could go on rereading the well-knowns (I’ve done that). We could continue to wade through the swamp of Christian fiction, hoping to get lucky once in a blue moon (I won’t do that; life is too short). Or, here’s another option: we could all give a standing ovation to Bror Erickson, a prolific and masterful translator, who has made it his mission to make sure the English-speaking world can know and read the Swedish author and churchman, Bo Giertz.
Giertz is best known for his novel, The Hammer of God, a work I have read multiple times the last two decades. When I caught wind of a rumor that the novel Erickson was currently translating, Faith Alone: The Heart of Everything, was actually better than The Hammer of God, I scoffed. Whatever. Like that was possible.
Then I picked up a copy and began to read. I say “read” but that’s not exactly accurate. To say I was “reading” is like saying a parched man is “drinking.” I was guzzling, folks, imbibing page after page. And—I kid you not—I was in suspense until the closing page, keen to see how Giertz would usher his narrative to its surprise dénouement.
I was not disappointed. Nor am I the least bit ashamed to say that I am gladly eating crow over my initial unbelief about Faith Alone outdoing The Hammer of God. Without a doubt, it does.
I hesitate even to attempt to summarize the plot, for I cannot do it justice, nor do I want to spoil the story for the reader. The gist of it is this: two brothers, both raised by a pious mother in the church, take very different paths after the Reformation reaches Sweden. Anders becomes a priest, Martin a government man. As the novel zigs and zags through the tumultuous civil war that tears at the fabric of society and the church, both brothers, in their own ways, find themselves fighting through the dark night of the soul.
As one who has traversed that nocturnal hell myself, I found some passages in this novel so accurate that they could only have been written by an author who knows deeply and intimately the terrain of despair along which one crawls when the soul is overwhelmed by pain, daring to hope for even the faintest flicker of light. Giertz knew that of which he wrote.
The reading world and the church owes a debt of gratitude to Bror Erickson—not to mention 1517 Publishing—for doing the labor of translating and polishing this story into brilliant, literary prose. Bo Giertz entered the church triumphant in 1998, but his influence still holds sway among us. May it ever be so.
December 18, 2020
This was a great book! It follows two very different brothers during a time of great turmoil, both in Sweden and the Christian church. The setting is between 1540 and 1543, and, although both brothers were, at one time, to become priests, one entered the ministry while the other became a protestant “scrivener” for the new king of Sweden. This allows Bo Giertz to write about both political and religious concerns, worldly and otherworldly. It’s solidly Lutheran, solidly historical fiction. 🙂
This book handles the spiritual & practical tensions and connections between Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and the “Schwarmerei” really well! Historians will appreciate details about peasant life, clergy life, and the Dacke Rebellion, while I’m sure I’m joining those with Scandanavian connections in imagining the picturesque imagine villages, towns, capital, etc. I liked some of the quaint words, like scrivener, used in the translation. It became nuanced in a way that I’m not sure scribe would have. Details like sleeping arrangements, as odd as that may sound, were endearing from the start—humanizing and well-written. I loved considering what it was first like as the Reformation spread beyond Germany. It was also very engaging to consider how countries that have been united for hundreds of years became so. There’s character development, state development, but also that persistent gut check at how, despite development, sin still stays so very much the same!
I really liked the polarizing effects of international tensions and interconnections, and I really appreciated learning more about this time of Scandanavian history. This book tried to do several significant things, and I think it succeeded at them all. It took extremes and showed the true center in Christ.
Admittedly, when I first read the historical introduction, I put the book down for fear I just wasn’t in the right mental place for it. I am happy to report that the book is not bogged down in history. It does tell you what you need to know (though feel free to google halberd as I did), including translations of a few scraps of liturgical Latin. (Classical homeschoolers everywhere will rejoice at those neat snippets!) The chapters are a bit long, but, to me, that just makes this good winter reading rather than a light summer escape.
The novel flows well, despite the passage of time, and all comes together at the end.
As a novel, it’s good reading. Worth subsequent readings! Bo Giertz is a marvel, and I’m so thankful to those who are translating him!
This book handles the spiritual & practical tensions and connections between Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and the “Schwarmerei” really well! Historians will appreciate details about peasant life, clergy life, and the Dacke Rebellion, while I’m sure I’m joining those with Scandanavian connections in imagining the picturesque imagine villages, towns, capital, etc. I liked some of the quaint words, like scrivener, used in the translation. It became nuanced in a way that I’m not sure scribe would have. Details like sleeping arrangements, as odd as that may sound, were endearing from the start—humanizing and well-written. I loved considering what it was first like as the Reformation spread beyond Germany. It was also very engaging to consider how countries that have been united for hundreds of years became so. There’s character development, state development, but also that persistent gut check at how, despite development, sin still stays so very much the same!
I really liked the polarizing effects of international tensions and interconnections, and I really appreciated learning more about this time of Scandanavian history. This book tried to do several significant things, and I think it succeeded at them all. It took extremes and showed the true center in Christ.
Admittedly, when I first read the historical introduction, I put the book down for fear I just wasn’t in the right mental place for it. I am happy to report that the book is not bogged down in history. It does tell you what you need to know (though feel free to google halberd as I did), including translations of a few scraps of liturgical Latin. (Classical homeschoolers everywhere will rejoice at those neat snippets!) The chapters are a bit long, but, to me, that just makes this good winter reading rather than a light summer escape.
The novel flows well, despite the passage of time, and all comes together at the end.
As a novel, it’s good reading. Worth subsequent readings! Bo Giertz is a marvel, and I’m so thankful to those who are translating him!
August 2, 2020
Although it was written many years ago in Sweden and set even further in the past, Bo Giertz's “Faith Alone” is a book that is quite befitting for our tumultuous days. The world has seen political strife and death many times before today, and this novel is set in one such time. Sweden of the early 1540s was torn by divisions as harsh as any we see today in the West and far more deadly.
In this setting three main characters are presented: A Catholic priest, his civil servant brother, and a Lutheran pastor. By these characters, Giertz shows the depths of the religious and political turmoil of that era, yet in a way that is sympathetic. In a move that is rare for our partisan day, all three men are shown to be well meaning and sincere, even in the midst of their disagreements with each other.
As times grow worse, all three men are brought to their own crises of faith. With respect and profound consideration, Giertz uses these characters to examine how our thoughts and expectations about God, works, and salvation can easily drive us to despair unless everything is centered in the book's title: Faith Alone. As such, the book is a wonderful narrative apologetic for the classic Lutheran faith; gracious to the opponents of Lutheranism yet still steadfast and clear in its own theological position.
While Giertz has renown and fame in his own country as an excellent writer, praise must also be given to this volume's translator: Bror Erickson. It is no mean feat to translate a novel, to carry the beauty and pace of prose from one language to another. This Erickson has done as well, if not better than, any translation I have read.
As such, this work ought to rival any grand work dealing with the harshness of life and the matter of forgiveness, be it “Les Miserables” or “Crime and Punishment.” Giertz's book is a masterpiece, and I look forward to it being a story I repeatedly read in the years to come.
Rev. Eric J. Brown
Trinity Lutheran Church – Herscher, IL
In this setting three main characters are presented: A Catholic priest, his civil servant brother, and a Lutheran pastor. By these characters, Giertz shows the depths of the religious and political turmoil of that era, yet in a way that is sympathetic. In a move that is rare for our partisan day, all three men are shown to be well meaning and sincere, even in the midst of their disagreements with each other.
As times grow worse, all three men are brought to their own crises of faith. With respect and profound consideration, Giertz uses these characters to examine how our thoughts and expectations about God, works, and salvation can easily drive us to despair unless everything is centered in the book's title: Faith Alone. As such, the book is a wonderful narrative apologetic for the classic Lutheran faith; gracious to the opponents of Lutheranism yet still steadfast and clear in its own theological position.
While Giertz has renown and fame in his own country as an excellent writer, praise must also be given to this volume's translator: Bror Erickson. It is no mean feat to translate a novel, to carry the beauty and pace of prose from one language to another. This Erickson has done as well, if not better than, any translation I have read.
As such, this work ought to rival any grand work dealing with the harshness of life and the matter of forgiveness, be it “Les Miserables” or “Crime and Punishment.” Giertz's book is a masterpiece, and I look forward to it being a story I repeatedly read in the years to come.
Rev. Eric J. Brown
Trinity Lutheran Church – Herscher, IL
July 12, 2025
Most of the book is unclear, dull, or unrealistic. Particularly the first 100 pages. Too many names. Too many unexplained references, politics, and religious stakes. Too many confusing scene changes.
In the last 170+ pages, there's a dramatic battle, a foxhole conversion, some engaging events, and worthwhile conversations. Amid the dullness and confusion, once in a while a great paragraph will jump out at you with clarity and poignancy. (Sort of like reading the book of James or Hebrews.)
After my disappointment with The Hammer of God last year, I suppose I shouldn't have expected more from this one. I know I'm a bitter pessimist for saying this, but people just don't talk and act like this. They don't spill their guts to strangers or ask for forgiveness from a God they know almost nothing about.
It's a shame, as after reading Chad Bird's review, I'd been so excited for this one:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Below are some of the best quotes:
On the simul:
"But from the day he forfeited his office and became a common man stripped of his priestly attire, the last remnant of his old life was scrapped. His days before had been filled with pious exercises. Everything had been directed upward. All that he occupied himself with had one goal, to glorify God and sanctify himself. When he was at time forced to have something to do with men, he had met them in his attire as an officiating priest, a father confessor, or a baptismal officiant. This had preserved his wall against the world and kept it undisturbed. Now, that wall had been breached, and he stood among other sinners like a destitute and helpless man. Now his days were filled with profane chores and the thousand difficulties and stressors that belonged with a field campaign among a band of peasants gone feral in the countryside that had already begun to suffer a lack when it came to the most basic necessities."
On original sin:
"...the sin deep within the heart... sits in the actual person. Man is born with it. One sleeps with it. We carry it with us here... and it will be with us when we lie down on our death beds.... it is not a stock of solid garments that one can pick up, but it is only a black hole. And the black hole begets and births sins without end that pour out onto the ground in a steady stream. A person has enough to do just to pick them up and give them to the Lord so that they don't pile up too high. But to go to the hole itself does not do."
On authority:
"God is, first and foremost, the creator, and it is that we are talking about now. The creator holds his creation together with power. He does it by giving life and breath to all. He does it by giving us birth and daily bread. He also does it by giving all people their office and authority. The authority has nothing to do with salvation. It is established to keep order on earth. Just as parents can give their children food and clothe them without fearing God, so can authorities keep order in the land without being in the least a Christian. Thereby God does his will. God wants to create a dam for raw wickedness. He wants to hinder bold and obstinate people from having a free course to evil. So he has set authority to rule with the sword and avenge and punish those who do evil. This has nothing to do with the gospel. It does not lead souls into God's kingdom, but it keeps external discipline and order on the earth, and it is not to be despised. It is a part of God's providence."
On good works:
"It is much more comfortable to do as your gray brothers. Then one has God in one of his saddlebags and the world in the other. Before God, one prays and sins, mortifies his flesh, saves souls, and becomes holy. He keeps his affairs on the other side as a completely different thing that doesn't really have anything to do with piety. It is to distort the whole of Christendom. God does not want to have my good works. My neighbor shall have them. God wants to have my faith. So I shall trust him, pray to him at every turn and receive the Word that works faith within me. Before God, I shall not try to be pious. There I shall recognize that I am a great sinner. I shall not come jingling my good works. That is only to tease and challenge God. They are still like worm-heavy apples. There is always something wrong about them, and before God, they do not do. But to the neighbor, they can be good.... So God will use you to serve your neighbor even though you are a great sinner.
Again on good works:
And he who sees him [Christ] is the loveliest person there is to look upon. And he who sees him and believes him, he at that moment receives the wonderful gift that only God can give: to be able to see his neighbor and discover him just when he needs help. He no longer thinks about doing good deeds, but he does good. He no longer wants to be holy, but he has the Holy Spirit, and therefore he serves. He does not see the holy saint before him as a model for how he ought to be, but he only sees the neighbor who suffers need, and he goes to him to serve him"
On pride:
Anders, it is not your sins that separate you from God, but your virtues. Or more properly: it is that you need to have something to bring before you step [when you step?] before God. This is why God has allowed you to be stripped of the shroud of holiness that you wore in Frojerum. Not because you were zealous and pious. God grant that all priests would be as zealous as you! But because you made it into an article of faith and into your righteousness and put it between you and Christ. Now you are poor, destitute, and naked--like the prodigal son. Now the Heavenly Father stands and waits for you. Now he wants to fold you in his arms and clothe you with the most precious garment, which is called Christ's righteousness, in which not a single thread is spun by your hands, but for just that reason it lasts forever."
In the last 170+ pages, there's a dramatic battle, a foxhole conversion, some engaging events, and worthwhile conversations. Amid the dullness and confusion, once in a while a great paragraph will jump out at you with clarity and poignancy. (Sort of like reading the book of James or Hebrews.)
After my disappointment with The Hammer of God last year, I suppose I shouldn't have expected more from this one. I know I'm a bitter pessimist for saying this, but people just don't talk and act like this. They don't spill their guts to strangers or ask for forgiveness from a God they know almost nothing about.
It's a shame, as after reading Chad Bird's review, I'd been so excited for this one:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Below are some of the best quotes:
On the simul:
"But from the day he forfeited his office and became a common man stripped of his priestly attire, the last remnant of his old life was scrapped. His days before had been filled with pious exercises. Everything had been directed upward. All that he occupied himself with had one goal, to glorify God and sanctify himself. When he was at time forced to have something to do with men, he had met them in his attire as an officiating priest, a father confessor, or a baptismal officiant. This had preserved his wall against the world and kept it undisturbed. Now, that wall had been breached, and he stood among other sinners like a destitute and helpless man. Now his days were filled with profane chores and the thousand difficulties and stressors that belonged with a field campaign among a band of peasants gone feral in the countryside that had already begun to suffer a lack when it came to the most basic necessities."
On original sin:
"...the sin deep within the heart... sits in the actual person. Man is born with it. One sleeps with it. We carry it with us here... and it will be with us when we lie down on our death beds.... it is not a stock of solid garments that one can pick up, but it is only a black hole. And the black hole begets and births sins without end that pour out onto the ground in a steady stream. A person has enough to do just to pick them up and give them to the Lord so that they don't pile up too high. But to go to the hole itself does not do."
On authority:
"God is, first and foremost, the creator, and it is that we are talking about now. The creator holds his creation together with power. He does it by giving life and breath to all. He does it by giving us birth and daily bread. He also does it by giving all people their office and authority. The authority has nothing to do with salvation. It is established to keep order on earth. Just as parents can give their children food and clothe them without fearing God, so can authorities keep order in the land without being in the least a Christian. Thereby God does his will. God wants to create a dam for raw wickedness. He wants to hinder bold and obstinate people from having a free course to evil. So he has set authority to rule with the sword and avenge and punish those who do evil. This has nothing to do with the gospel. It does not lead souls into God's kingdom, but it keeps external discipline and order on the earth, and it is not to be despised. It is a part of God's providence."
On good works:
"It is much more comfortable to do as your gray brothers. Then one has God in one of his saddlebags and the world in the other. Before God, one prays and sins, mortifies his flesh, saves souls, and becomes holy. He keeps his affairs on the other side as a completely different thing that doesn't really have anything to do with piety. It is to distort the whole of Christendom. God does not want to have my good works. My neighbor shall have them. God wants to have my faith. So I shall trust him, pray to him at every turn and receive the Word that works faith within me. Before God, I shall not try to be pious. There I shall recognize that I am a great sinner. I shall not come jingling my good works. That is only to tease and challenge God. They are still like worm-heavy apples. There is always something wrong about them, and before God, they do not do. But to the neighbor, they can be good.... So God will use you to serve your neighbor even though you are a great sinner.
Again on good works:
And he who sees him [Christ] is the loveliest person there is to look upon. And he who sees him and believes him, he at that moment receives the wonderful gift that only God can give: to be able to see his neighbor and discover him just when he needs help. He no longer thinks about doing good deeds, but he does good. He no longer wants to be holy, but he has the Holy Spirit, and therefore he serves. He does not see the holy saint before him as a model for how he ought to be, but he only sees the neighbor who suffers need, and he goes to him to serve him"
On pride:
Anders, it is not your sins that separate you from God, but your virtues. Or more properly: it is that you need to have something to bring before you step [when you step?] before God. This is why God has allowed you to be stripped of the shroud of holiness that you wore in Frojerum. Not because you were zealous and pious. God grant that all priests would be as zealous as you! But because you made it into an article of faith and into your righteousness and put it between you and Christ. Now you are poor, destitute, and naked--like the prodigal son. Now the Heavenly Father stands and waits for you. Now he wants to fold you in his arms and clothe you with the most precious garment, which is called Christ's righteousness, in which not a single thread is spun by your hands, but for just that reason it lasts forever."
August 20, 2020
So yes I'm the translator of this book, which makes it a bit weird to write a review of it. But then, why not? Obviously, I love the book. But here is why I think you will love it too.
If you ever read "The Hammer of God" by Bo Giertz, and thought that was a great book, wait till you read this prequel! This was Bo Giertz's second novel written right on the heels of "The Hammer of God." His ability as an author matured in the process. The narrative is really tight. It's a great Christian Novel like the Hammer of God, and yet Bo Giertz delves deeper into the sinner's soul and doesn't hesitate to expose the ugly realities of life during war. However, this makes the gospel shine ever brighter in the midst of the winter woods of Sweden.
Set in the midst of the Dacke Rebellion in Småland as the reformation came to Sweden. It's really the story of two brothers who are divided by politics and religion and find themselves on opposite sides of rebellion despite their affection for each other. Both brothers have to fight with dark nights of the soul beyond anything they had ever imagined. In the end they are reunited in the gospel and by Faith Alone, but at great cost to both of them.
Throughout the book many themes of the Lutheran Reformation, such as Christian Freedom, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, the Marriage of Priests are explored in a natural setting. Bo Giertz also uses this as an opportunity to foster liturgical renewal in the church, by challenging iconoclasm and explaining the benefits of liturgical life.
If you ever read "The Hammer of God" by Bo Giertz, and thought that was a great book, wait till you read this prequel! This was Bo Giertz's second novel written right on the heels of "The Hammer of God." His ability as an author matured in the process. The narrative is really tight. It's a great Christian Novel like the Hammer of God, and yet Bo Giertz delves deeper into the sinner's soul and doesn't hesitate to expose the ugly realities of life during war. However, this makes the gospel shine ever brighter in the midst of the winter woods of Sweden.
Set in the midst of the Dacke Rebellion in Småland as the reformation came to Sweden. It's really the story of two brothers who are divided by politics and religion and find themselves on opposite sides of rebellion despite their affection for each other. Both brothers have to fight with dark nights of the soul beyond anything they had ever imagined. In the end they are reunited in the gospel and by Faith Alone, but at great cost to both of them.
Throughout the book many themes of the Lutheran Reformation, such as Christian Freedom, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, the Marriage of Priests are explored in a natural setting. Bo Giertz also uses this as an opportunity to foster liturgical renewal in the church, by challenging iconoclasm and explaining the benefits of liturgical life.
June 10, 2025
An enjoyable and thought provoking read. Bo Giertz is making me fall in love with the cozy Swedish village aesthetic. Love how this book explores some of the essential beliefs of Lutheranism, and deftly contrasts them with Catholicism and fanaticism. As the title suggests, the idea of faith alone as the source of our salvation is the key idea, but very interestingly I think the Lutheran understanding of Church and State might be the second most talked about idea. I also got to hand it to Giertz with the conclusion, he sends it there. No easy way out. Also, he’s just a great descriptive writer. Probably the standout section is Anders dark night of the soul where Giertz describes Anders wrestling with his sinful heart. It’s uncomfortable, gripping stuff. I docked one star because sometimes the Lutheran theology is a little on the nose.
January 8, 2021
Wonderful example of why good law and gospel theology matters. Giertz is a master of using fictional situations to demonstrate how our only hope in life and death is the gospel.
August 30, 2020
Bror Erickson has done English speaking Christians a tremendous service by translating this powerful work of historical fiction from the original Swedish. The novel focuses on three men and the connection they have not only to their country, but to their Lord. Once you pick up the book, you will find it hard to put it down. The last chapter is worth the price of the book, but don’t skip ahead and spoil the ending. “Faith Alone” is a book you’ll want to revisit time and again.
September 12, 2020
Definitely a darker and heavier read than The Hammer of God but hitting many of the same theological points. I enjoyed it.
August 11, 2022
Others have written excellent summaries of this book, so I’ll focus on impressions. At first it was slow due to the military and geographic explanations, but soon I was entrenched in the story. Finally I could start seeing the spiritual insights about half-way through, and it kept getting better. Martin, after departing Roman Catholicism, gets caught up into nationalism before becoming disillusioned and finally coming to understand evangelicalism. I was intrigued with the way he depicted the futility of seeking God’s approval through good works, and the full meaning of Christ’s atonement for our sins. The ending is absolutely fabulous, causing me to think deeply about what Christ really did for us. Great book!
April 21, 2025
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this, but I didn’t find it to be as good as The Hammer of God, which has a number of scenes powerful enough to stay in my head ever since first reading it. This one had a slow start, I had a bit of trouble following the ins and outs of the rebellion and the many names, and, at first reading, not many of the powerful scenes to stick with me. I do think I would get more out of it on a second read, and grow to like it more. The chapters in here are long but there are only six, so it was perfect for reading one chapter each week of Lent.
Also, there were quite a lot of typos and punctuation errors, which were distracting.
Also, there were quite a lot of typos and punctuation errors, which were distracting.
May 22, 2022
If you don't think simply being faithful to the historic Divine Service can be a tool of of the Holy Spirit in evangelism and conversion, consider this work of historic fiction from Giertz.
February 13, 2021
Giertz väver in teologi på ett skickligt sätt i en spännande berättelse under reformationen på 1500-talet i Sverige samt Dacke upproret
January 4, 2022
Klockren historisk roman som lyckas förmedla kärnan i den kristna tron.
November 29, 2021
As they say on TikTok, “Wait for it…!”
The story dragged me back into a land cold and unfamiliar where rainwater stands in dark puddles by the fields of cabbages, where gray cabins barely keep out the winter frost, where peasants and scriveners and knechts jostle for their place in a barely recognizable society of kings, catholics, monstrances, and Swedish surnames.
The story dragged on and put me to sleep more than once as I tried to envision the travels of the rebels, the courts of the royals, who was on which side, the lay of the land, the various characters, etc…
But towards the end of the book it was as if all the mouldy charred timbers came sparking alive and all the embers glowed bright and all the sharp clarity of the law & gospel came piercing in as fresh as morning mercies.
I suspect Bo Giertz could preach like Herr Peder in the book. Makes me want to learn his language and see if there’s any recorded sermons.
My heart is warmed, my pride exposed, my mind expanded, and faith in the all-sufficient Savior Jesus is renewed.
I recommend the book. Stick with it even if it gets off to a slow start.
The story dragged me back into a land cold and unfamiliar where rainwater stands in dark puddles by the fields of cabbages, where gray cabins barely keep out the winter frost, where peasants and scriveners and knechts jostle for their place in a barely recognizable society of kings, catholics, monstrances, and Swedish surnames.
The story dragged on and put me to sleep more than once as I tried to envision the travels of the rebels, the courts of the royals, who was on which side, the lay of the land, the various characters, etc…
But towards the end of the book it was as if all the mouldy charred timbers came sparking alive and all the embers glowed bright and all the sharp clarity of the law & gospel came piercing in as fresh as morning mercies.
I suspect Bo Giertz could preach like Herr Peder in the book. Makes me want to learn his language and see if there’s any recorded sermons.
My heart is warmed, my pride exposed, my mind expanded, and faith in the all-sufficient Savior Jesus is renewed.
I recommend the book. Stick with it even if it gets off to a slow start.
June 2, 2021
Hof, birthplace of my grandfather, August Richard Carlson, was mind-blowing. While it is not mark anywhere in modern Sweden, I never expect to succumb to genealogical name of this hamlet as I followed military march throughout snowy night.
Seemly Hof is important midway, an intersection, towards a battle and what follows. Its narrative style grips me the feeling of awkward moments, which is much more duality than singular line found in Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. As if it takes me to actual arms conflict.
Because of Scandinavians background presents in this book, I can finally break free “theology-made-in-Germany” mindset. It reaffirm what kind Lutheran I am without any Saxon German underdetermined what Lutheranism is all about.
Theology of the Cross, especially close to end of the story, makes it excellent reading for theologians that doesn’t want false climax but meaningful conclusion. You will find the priest saying to his brother it’s his joy for him to be there by his side, so you will feel the same: joy. Yes, it is faith with Christ alone.
Seemly Hof is important midway, an intersection, towards a battle and what follows. Its narrative style grips me the feeling of awkward moments, which is much more duality than singular line found in Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. As if it takes me to actual arms conflict.
Because of Scandinavians background presents in this book, I can finally break free “theology-made-in-Germany” mindset. It reaffirm what kind Lutheran I am without any Saxon German underdetermined what Lutheranism is all about.
Theology of the Cross, especially close to end of the story, makes it excellent reading for theologians that doesn’t want false climax but meaningful conclusion. You will find the priest saying to his brother it’s his joy for him to be there by his side, so you will feel the same: joy. Yes, it is faith with Christ alone.
January 23, 2021
Whenever I read a work of Bo Giertz, one word always jumps out as the theme of his writing: “comfort.” Giertz puts life into passages such as 2 Corinthians 3-5.
Often in gritty detail, Giertz offers a glimpse into the early reformation and paints a vivid, and often heartbreaking, picture of the agony caused to souls by a theology that forgets it is rooted in the comfort bought by Christ.
Giertz once again shows the comfort of Lutheran doctrine, addressing errors on both sides of the reformation with memorable, relatable, and sympathetic characters. If you are at all a fan of Bo Giertz, or interested in Lutheran theology as it plays out in real life, this is a must read.
Often in gritty detail, Giertz offers a glimpse into the early reformation and paints a vivid, and often heartbreaking, picture of the agony caused to souls by a theology that forgets it is rooted in the comfort bought by Christ.
Giertz once again shows the comfort of Lutheran doctrine, addressing errors on both sides of the reformation with memorable, relatable, and sympathetic characters. If you are at all a fan of Bo Giertz, or interested in Lutheran theology as it plays out in real life, this is a must read.
April 10, 2025
This could have been very good. It seems to me that its purpose, though, was to put forth Christian dogma, and not just incorporate that into a story that the author was given to tell. Since it's historical fiction, I was hoping to be more engrossed in Reformation era Sweden than I was. I just seemed to get a whole lot of sermonizing, which makes for a true, but dull, story. It took me a long time to get through this book because I was never excited to read it, and I actually decided to just skim quickly the last 18 pages to force myself to finish. Which is too bad, since I really liked the other two books I've read by Bo Giertz.
Also, there were a lot of typos in the book.
Also, there were a lot of typos in the book.
September 21, 2020
What we believe makes a tremendous difference in our lives, especially when faced with a crisis. This book brings it out so well. Action and suspense - Giertz is a great story teller. His "Hammer of God" is one of my favorites, and this will sit right beside it! "Isn't it strange that everything is so simple when one has the forgiveness of sins? Is it not the heart of the whole of our existence this atonement and the forgiveness of sins?" I did enjoy this book!
August 11, 2021
Loved this book. I very much enjoy Giertz's writing style and his ability to weave theological truth into a compelling story. The translation felt authentic and smoothly done. It has a lifelong place on my shelf.
July 1, 2022
Surprisingly good and engaging combination of historical fiction and theological clarity.
September 5, 2022
"The chuch that is both truly catholic and truly evangelical."
November 28, 2022
The last chapter of this novel, wow! What beautiful Gospel!
December 3, 2024
More western feeling than the Brothers Karamazov but similar… from a Lutheran viewpoint. The bits of narrative also feel a little more austere.
April 14, 2025
Mycket intressanta teologiska synpunkter, speciellt mot slutet av boken. Men ganska seg, åtminstone i början, och mycket mer fokus på berättelsen än Stengrunden.
June 19, 2025
Is it not the heart of the whole of our existence this atonement and the forgiveness of sins?
I'm keeping my original review below, but I wanted to add after finishing this novel for a second time that I think it hit harder and I appreciated it more the second time through. This novel tackles some complicated and messy topics, and it is easy to fall into the temptation of wanting more complicated answers to make them feel more satisfying. But the answer truly is the cross, and carrying that cross through the messiness of life while serving the neighbor is the only way. Not in order to be saved, but *because* one is saved by the atonement and the forgiveness of sins.
~~~~~Original Review~~~~~
I'd probably give this 4.5 stars if that were an option. I've been stressed out by many societal/political things happening in the world recently, and this was an excellent book to read for comfort and encouragement amidst the craziness.
I'm keeping my original review below, but I wanted to add after finishing this novel for a second time that I think it hit harder and I appreciated it more the second time through. This novel tackles some complicated and messy topics, and it is easy to fall into the temptation of wanting more complicated answers to make them feel more satisfying. But the answer truly is the cross, and carrying that cross through the messiness of life while serving the neighbor is the only way. Not in order to be saved, but *because* one is saved by the atonement and the forgiveness of sins.
~~~~~Original Review~~~~~
I'd probably give this 4.5 stars if that were an option. I've been stressed out by many societal/political things happening in the world recently, and this was an excellent book to read for comfort and encouragement amidst the craziness.
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