Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
Reviews of “Where Christ Is Present”

Reviews of “Where Christ Is Present”

Last updated on: June 17, 2015 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

Reviews of “Where Christ Is Present” 2015-06-12T15:52:19-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

More shameless promotion of the new book I edited with John Warwick Montgomery, Where Christ Is Present. (I am uncomfortable with promoting myself and my work, and you have to admit I don’t do it very often. But I really like the essays in our collection and want people to read them. Tell you what. . . .Buy the book, but don’t read my essay. Just read the others. OK, I feel better now and will now promote the book without inhibition.)

After the jump, what people are saying about the book on Amazon. The reviews give you a good idea of what the different essays are about.

Where Christ is Present There Is Vocation

By Bror Erickson [editor’s note: a longtime commenter on this blog]

This collection of essays contributed to and edited by John Warwick Montgomery and Gene Edward Veith is a product of the 1517 Legacy who gave me a promo copy for review. The 1517 Legacy Project is largely centered around Concordia University Irvine where its founder Rod Rosenbladt of “The Gospel for Those Broken by the Church” fame, and longtime cohost of ‘The White Horse Inn” radio show, has long taught theology and apologetics. I have long considered the $40,000 I spent to study under him at Concordia Irvine for two years to be the best money I ever spent. The goal of this organization, in line with this book, is to bring the insights of the Lutheran Reformation back into public consciousness.

This book is largely aimed at those who are looking at various churches for whatever reason and then making a case for becoming Lutheran. To this end, several of the early essays do some comparisons of the gospel as it is presented in different churches, and why the Lutheran distinctive matters. Much in these essays draw upon the experience of their authors in other church bodies before themselves becoming Lutheran. As the book progresses, this theme leaves off in examinations particular Lutheran facets in the realm of Lutheran doctrine and culture.

I especially liked “Vocation versus Narcissus” By Uwe Siemon-Netto explicating the Lutheran doctrine of vocation relating how the gospel frees us to be servants of our neighbors. His application of the Max Weber thesis to the Lutheran Doctrine of Vocation in relation to the automobile industry was fascinating, especially his citation of Roland Peugeot crediting the Lutheran doctrine of vocation in being instrumental to the quality of the Peugeot product. This theme carries on into essays by Craig Parton concerning a Lutheran gospel centered freedom concerning music and the arts using the legacy of Bach to illustrate the genius of it. Angus Menuge picks up on this same freedom to show how the Lutheran Reformation helped carry along the Copernican Revolution by actually publishing Copernicus, influencing Kepler (ironically away from Holy Ministry, to a holy service in science) and driving the work of Tycho Brahe, mostly by breaking the alliance of theology with Aristotelian philosophy that had so long dominated the Roman Catholic Church with tyrannical results. Angus uses this as a warning against making the Christian faith dependent upon any particular scientific worldview or philosophy in one’s presentation of it.
These essays will not only be good for those inquiring into the Lutheran Church, but for many Lutherans who may not understand the great cultural contributions of the Lutheran faith, and how they continue even today. More to the point, pastors and other Lutherans who are interested in the work of evangelism, that is sharing your Christian faith with friends and neighbors who perhaps are not Christian, or are suffering the effects of bad Christian theology at the local non-denominational big box church, will find this book to be a refreshing resource to help you shape your conversation and deepen your own understanding of the Christian faith.

Lutheranism 102: The Conservative Reformation

By John J Bombaro

The 500th anniversary of the Reformation will see a profusion of publications analyzing virtually every aspect of the sixteenth century megashift in Christianity triggered by the daring genius of one Augustinian Friar named Martin Luther.

Fast out of the gates is this volume edited by John Warwick Montgomery and Gene Edward Veith with worthy contributions by notable Lutherans within the American academic and pastoral scene. This book, however, makes an important distinction between the Conservative Reformation and the Radical Reformation, that is, between confessional Lutheranism and much of the rest of Protestantism. It is a monumental distinction manifest in terms of theology, praxis, liturgy, sacramentology, and vocation. And it is a helpful and necessary distinction. As each of the authors make abundantly clear, Lutheranism isn’t your garden variety fellowship of believers amidst a largely indistinct panoply of denominations. No. Confessional Lutherans are “evangelical-catholics” (p.32), whose theological epicenter is the Cross of Christ and who, at the same time, conserve the valued and useful traditions of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, so long as they do not hinder the Holy Gospel but rather assist in the church’s catechesis.

Of the twelve chapters, editor Gene Edward Veith offers one of the more useful contributions through his diagnosis of contemporary American Christianity. Likewise, Cameron A. MacKenzie’s chapter adroitly sketches Luther’s theological and pastoral journey in context and further traces the trajectories of disagreement with Calvinists and Anabaptists, as well as Roman Catholics, though without being pugnacious but rather gracious. Adam Francisco’s chapter entitled, “Authority: The Holy Scriptures”, shows nuance and sensitivity regarding sola scriptura — rightly distancing Luther and Lutheranism from implausible solo scriptura commitments, fundamentalism, and the all-too-common failure to recognized how God uses His Word.
The three standout chapters come from Todd Wilken (“God’s Two Kingdoms”), Uwe Siemon-Netto (“Vocation versus Narcissus”), and Craig Parton (“Christian Liberty, The Arts, and J.S. Bach”). Each essay is worth the price of the book.
Collectively, this is a welcome contribution from Lutherans saying, as it were, ‘Here we stand with the Gospel in Word and Sacraments.’ Lutherans longing to understand their holy faith more deeply, evangelicals dissatisfied with trivialities and emotionalism, Calvinists recognizing the efficacy of God’s Word in the sacraments and liturgy, and disenfranchised Roman Catholics will find rich faire for their souls at Wittenberg, the home of the conservative Reformation.

Let’s Get Back to Basics

by Ken Lopez Maddox

This is an easy to read and theologically sound collection of essays on the importance of orthodoxy, sola scriptura, and the rejection of today’s secularized christianity so often preached by the like of Joel Osteen and others. This book is written by some of the premier theologians of orthodox Lutheran apologetics. I would highly recommend this book to not just Lutherans but also to evangelicals and mainstream protestants who have witnessed the infusion of modern rationalism into their doctrine.

via Where Christ Is Present: A Theology for All Seasons on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Note: You can get the book cheaper than at Amazon here.

John Warwick Montgomery

Lutheranism

Where Christ Is Present

Previous Post

June 17, 2015

Recovering Friendship

Next Post

June 18, 2015 The Cardinals' hacking scandal

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"While she worked for Trump she was a tool's tool!"

reg

Luther on Tools

"I know wired earbuds are making a comeback (I never stopped using them as I ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Greek word 'Christos' mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Redeemer Savior Lord Anointed One

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »