Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers: Exploring Christian Faith

by Martin E. Marty

Lutherans often have questions about Lutheran theology and beliefs that are basic to the Christian faith itself. Featuring a unique question-and-answer format, Lutheran Questions, Lutheran Answers is an accessible and concise treatment that provides the most frequently asked questions on important topics and brief but complete answers from a distinguished Lutheran historian and theologian. Contents include questions and answers about: Lutheran History and Heritage Bible God Jesus Christ Humanity Holy Spirit Salvation Church Worship Sacraments Christian Life Reign of God Polity

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, Christian, Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2007

About the author

Martin E. Marty was an American religious scholar and historian known for his extensive work on religion in the United States. A Lutheran pastor before transitioning into academia, he became a leading voice in religious studies, particularly in the areas of American Protestantism, fundamentalism, and public religion. He was a longtime professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he mentored numerous doctoral students and held the prestigious Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professorship.
Marty wrote or edited a book for nearly every year of his academic career, producing influential works such as Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America, which won the National Book Award, and the five-volume Fundamentalism Project, co-edited with R. Scott Appleby. He was a prolific columnist for The Christian Century and wrote extensively on religion's role in American public life.
A recipient of numerous honors, including the National Humanities Medal and over 80 honorary doctorates, Marty also served as president of several academic societies and participated in U.S. presidential commissions. The Martin Marty Center for the Advanced Study of Religion at the University of Chicago was named in his honor.

Reviews

[Greg D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good read. Not intended to be a comprehensive manual of the Lutheran faith, but rather quick summaries of various understandings and beliefs from a Lutheran perspective. However, the author left a lot of questions unanswered, which I assume was intentional. Questions were often answered with more questions. This, I didn't care much for, but I understand why. Questions about the Lutheran view of heaven or hell were surprisingly absent. But, many other pertinent questions were answered and very informational. Again, this is only a short summary of many views of the Lutheran faith and is no means intended to be exhaustive. I recommend this book for a basic understanding of Lutheran theology and it's history.

[Matt Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have questions about Christianity, or Lutherans in particular, this is a great starting point for anyone new. It is easy to read, even without background knowledge or experience in the Church.

[Adam Huck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read for a lay person who is interested in some of the "larger" questions of Lutheranism

[Laura Ballard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was good to re-learn and reinforce all that I learned in Confirmation, and to be able to see our theology articulated so well.