Book of Concord
Encyclopedia
The Book of Concord or Concordia (1580) is the historic doctrinal
standard of the Lutheran Church
, consisting of ten credal
documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism
since the 16th century. They are also known as the symbolical
books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The Book of Concord was published in German
on June 25, 1580 in Dresden
, the fiftieth anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession
to Emperor Charles V
at the Diet of Augsburg
. The authoritative Latin
edition was published in 1584 in Leipzig
.
Those who accept it as their doctrinal standard recognize it to be a faithful exposition of the Holy Scriptures
. The Holy Scriptures are set forth in the Book of Concord to be the sole
, divine source and norm of all Christian
doctrine.
and Martin Chemnitz
at the behest of their rulers, who desired an end to the religious controversies in their territories that arose among Lutherans after the death of Martin Luther
in 1546. It was intended to replace German territorial collections of doctrinal statements, known as corpora doctrinæ (bodies of doctrine
) like the Corpus doctrinæ Philippicum or Misnicum. This aim is reflected by the compilers' not calling it a corpus doctrinæ although it technically is one. The list of writings predating the Formula of Concord
that would be included in The Book of Concord are listed and described in the "Rule and Norm" section of the Formula.
Following the preface written by Andreae and Chemnitz (1578–80) the "Three Ecumenical Creeds" were placed at the beginning in order to show the identity of Lutheran teaching with that of the ancient Christian church. These creeds were the Apostles' Creed
, Nicene Creed
, and Athanasian Creed
, which were formulated before the East-West Schism
of 1054, but the Nicene Creed
is the western version containing the filioque.
The other documents come from the earliest years of the Lutheran Reformation (1529–77). They are the Augsburg Confession
, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
, both by Philipp Melanchthon
, the Small
and Large Catechisms
of Martin Luther, his Smalcald Articles
, Melanchthon's Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
, and the Formula of Concord
, which was composed shortly before the publishing of the Book of Concord and intended for the same purpose: the pacification and unification of the growing Lutheran movement. The preface of the Book of Concord was considered to be the preface of the Formula of Concord
as well.
The Augsburg Confession has singular importance
for "an agreeing together") is fitting for the character of its contents: Christian statements of faith setting forth what is believed, taught, and confessed by the confessors "with one heart and voice." This follows St. Paul's
directive: "that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. 1:10)(NKJV
). Lutherans believe that the creed
s and confessions that constitute the Book of Concord are not the private writings of their various authors:
s." They consider the Book of Concord the norma normata (Latin, "the normed norm") in relation to the Bible
, which they consider the norma normans (Latin, "the norming norm"), i.e. the only source of Christian doctrine (God's authoritative word). In this view the Book of Concord, on the topics that it addresses, is what the church authoritatively understands God's authoritative word to say. This is also called a "quia" (because) subscription to the Lutheran confessions, i.e. one subscribes because the Book of Concord is a faithful exposition of the Scriptures. It implies that the subscriber has examined the Lutheran confessions in the light of the Scriptures in order to arrive at this position, which in the subscriber's view does not require the disclaimer implied in a "quatenus" (insofar as) subscription. One who subscribes the Lutheran confessions quatenus, insofar as they are a faithful exposition of the Scriptures, believes that there might be contradictions of the Scriptures in them. In some cases this is the manner of subscription of some other Lutheran churches, which regard the Book of Concord as an important witness and guide to the historical teachings of the Lutheran Church although not necessarily doctrinally binding. The largest Lutheran church to subscribe unconditionally to the Book of Concord is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
with 4.6 million members.
Henry E. Jacobs and others published the next English version in 1882 with a revised "People's Edition" in 1911. The 1882 edition was accompanied by a companion volume that contained historical introductions and English translations of other documents illustrative of the history of The Book of Concord.
The third English edition was published as a jubilee observance of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation (1917) along with the German and Latin texts as the 1921 Concordia Triglotta: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church, German-Latin English edited by Friederich Bente. A smaller edition with just the English text was also published.
With the appearance of the 1930 Bekenntnisschriften critical text
a new English version was deemed desirable. This was begun but left unfinished by John C. Mattes, who died in 1948. Theodore G. Tappert as general editor and translator produced the 1959 "Tappert Edition" along with Jaroslav Pelikan, Robert H. Fisher, and Arthur Carl Piepkorn.
An extensive revision of the Tappert Edition came out in 2000 translated and edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert. As with the Tappert Edition, the "Kolb-Wengert Edition" was translated by scholars from two different Lutheran denominations (the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
). Besides Drs. Kolb and Wengert the translators were Eric Gritsch, Charles Arand, William Russell, James Schaaf, and Jane Strohl. The differences of the German translation from the original Latin text of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession were made apparent by F. Bente's insertion of the variant readings of his English translation of the German text in square brackets into the main body of his translation of the original Latin text. The reason for these differences partly stemmed from two editions of The Apology published in 1531: they were the "quarto
edition" and the "octavo
edition": so called because of the manner in which they were printed. The quarto edition was published with the first publication of The Augsburg Confession in April or May of 1531; hence, the name "editio princeps" ["first edition"]. The octavo edition followed in September, 1531. Justus Jonas
, who translated the Apology into German, made use of both the quarto edition and the octavo edition. The other reason for the differences between the German and Latin texts of the Apology was the "looseness" of the Jonas translation, making it more like a paraphrase than a translation. The editors and translators of the 2000 Kolb-Wengert edition decided to use the octavo edition as the main source for their translation with variant readings from the quarto edition set in italics because it was their belief that the octavo edition was the "official text" of The Apology. They apparently did this following the opinion of the German scholar Christian Peters, who claimed the quarto edition was merely a stage on the way to a definite text, i.e. the octavo edition. The octavo edition Latin text was utilized in a private Latin edition of The Book of Concord in 1580, but scholars question whether or not this octavo edition text can be considered the text approved by the Lutheran Church in the 16th century. The official 1584 Latin Book of Concord has the quarto edition text as its text of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Another issue with this edition is the setting off of "the filioque" of the Nicene Creed
in square brackets.
The most recent English version of the Book of Concord was published in 2005 to commemorate the 425th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord, and the 475th anniversary of the presentation of The Augsburg Confession.It is a revision of the English text of the Concordia Triglotta and entitled Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions—A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord and edited by Paul T. McCain, Edward A. Engelbrecht, Robert C. Baker, and Gene E. Veith. A second edition followed in 2006. The preface to the first edition expresses the intention with this English version to provide an edition for use by those who are unfamiliar with the Lutheran Confessions, being designed for use not only in seminary and college classrooms, but also in homes and churches. The McCain edition is based strictly on the texts of the Lutheran Confessions contained in either of the two official editions of the Book of Concord, the German edition of 1580 and the Latin edition of 1584. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions is a unique study and reader's edition containing extensive annotations, and tools and guides intended to aid reading and comprehension. The history and persons associated with the various documents in the Lutheran Confessions are featured. There are more than 115 black and white and 31 full-color plates, as well as a timeline, general index, additional essays providing an overview of the textual issues and history of the Lutheran Confessions, and a summary of the nature and meaning of the traditional Lutheran approach to accepting and using the Lutheran Confessions.
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
standard of the Lutheran Church
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, consisting of ten credal
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
since the 16th century. They are also known as the symbolical
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The Book of Concord was published in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
on June 25, 1580 in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, the fiftieth anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
to Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
at the Diet of Augsburg
Diet of Augsburg
The Diet of Augsburg were the meetings of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire in the German city of Augsburg. There were many such sessions, but the three meetings during the Reformation and the ensuing religious wars between the Roman Catholic emperor Charles V and the Protestant...
. The authoritative Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
edition was published in 1584 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
.
Those who accept it as their doctrinal standard recognize it to be a faithful exposition of the Holy Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The Holy Scriptures are set forth in the Book of Concord to be the sole
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
, divine source and norm of all Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
doctrine.
Origin and arrangement
The Book of Concord was compiled by Jakob AndreaeJakob Andreae
Jakob Andreae was a significant German Lutheran theologian, involved in the drafting of major documents.-Life:He was born in Waiblingen, in the Duchy of Württemberg. He studied at the University of Tübingen from 1541...
and Martin Chemnitz
Martin Chemnitz
Martin Chemnitz was an eminent second-generation Lutheran theologian, reformer, churchman, and confessor...
at the behest of their rulers, who desired an end to the religious controversies in their territories that arose among Lutherans after the death of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
in 1546. It was intended to replace German territorial collections of doctrinal statements, known as corpora doctrinæ (bodies of doctrine
Body of Doctrine
Body of Doctrine in Protestant theology of the 16th and 17th centuries is the anthology of the confessional or credal writings of a group of Christians with a common Confession of faith....
) like the Corpus doctrinæ Philippicum or Misnicum. This aim is reflected by the compilers' not calling it a corpus doctrinæ although it technically is one. The list of writings predating the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
that would be included in The Book of Concord are listed and described in the "Rule and Norm" section of the Formula.
Following the preface written by Andreae and Chemnitz (1578–80) the "Three Ecumenical Creeds" were placed at the beginning in order to show the identity of Lutheran teaching with that of the ancient Christian church. These creeds were the Apostles' Creed
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
, Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
, and Athanasian Creed
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
, which were formulated before the East-West Schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
of 1054, but the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
is the western version containing the filioque.
The other documents come from the earliest years of the Lutheran Reformation (1529–77). They are the Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Apology of the Augsburg Confession
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession was written by Philipp Melanchthon during and after the 1530 Diet of Augsburg as a response to the Pontifical Confutation of the Augsburg Confession, Charles V's commissioned official Roman Catholic response to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession of June 25, 1530...
, both by Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
, the Small
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
and Large Catechisms
Luther's Large Catechism
Luther's Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations...
of Martin Luther, his Smalcald Articles
Smalcald Articles
The Smalcald Articles or Schmalkald Articles are a summary of Lutheran doctrine, written by Martin Luther in 1537 for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League in preparation for an intended ecumenical Council of the Church.-History:...
, Melanchthon's Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope , The Tractate for short, is the seventh Lutheran credal document of the Book of Concord...
, and the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
, which was composed shortly before the publishing of the Book of Concord and intended for the same purpose: the pacification and unification of the growing Lutheran movement. The preface of the Book of Concord was considered to be the preface of the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
as well.
The Augsburg Confession has singular importance
as the unanimous consensus and exposition of our Christian faith, particularly against the false worship, idolatry, and superstition of the papacy and against other sects, and as the symbol of our time, the first and unaltered Augsburg Confession, which was delivered to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg during the great Diet in the year 1530 ...A recent book on Lutheranism asserts, "To this day ... the Augsburg Confession ... remains the basic definition of what it means to be a 'Lutheran.'"The Apology, the Smalcald Articles, the Treatise, and the Formula of Concord explain, defend, or serve as addenda to The Augsburg Confession.
Contents
- Preface (1579)
- The Three Ecumenical creedsEcumenical creedsEcumenical creeds is an umbrella term used in the western church to refer to the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. The ecumenical creeds are also known as the universal creeds. These creeds are accepted by almost all mainstream Christian denominations in the western...
.- The Apostles' CreedApostles' CreedThe Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
- The Nicene CreedNicene CreedThe Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
- The Athanasian CreedAthanasian CreedThe Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
- The Apostles' Creed
- The Augsburg ConfessionAugsburg ConfessionThe Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
of 1530 - The Apology of the Augsburg ConfessionApology of the Augsburg ConfessionThe Apology of the Augsburg Confession was written by Philipp Melanchthon during and after the 1530 Diet of Augsburg as a response to the Pontifical Confutation of the Augsburg Confession, Charles V's commissioned official Roman Catholic response to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession of June 25, 1530...
(1531) - The Smalcald ArticlesSmalcald ArticlesThe Smalcald Articles or Schmalkald Articles are a summary of Lutheran doctrine, written by Martin Luther in 1537 for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League in preparation for an intended ecumenical Council of the Church.-History:...
of Martin LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
(1537) - Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the PopeTreatise on the Power and Primacy of the PopeThe Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope , The Tractate for short, is the seventh Lutheran credal document of the Book of Concord...
(1537) - The Small Catechism of Martin LutherLuther's Small CatechismLuther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...
(1529)- Luther's Marriage Booklet (1529) and Baptism Booklet (1526) were included as part of the Small Catechism in a few of the 1580 editions of the German Book of Concord
- The Large Catechism of Martin LutherLuther's Large CatechismLuther's Large Catechism consisted of works written by Martin Luther and compiled Christian canonical texts, published in April of 1529. This book was addressed particularly to clergymen to aid them in teaching their congregations...
(1529) - Epitome of the Formula of ConcordFormula of ConcordFormula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
(1577) - The Solid or Thorough Declaration of the Formula of ConcordFormula of ConcordFormula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
(1577).- The Catalog of Testimonies was added as an appendix in most of the 1580 editions.
Context in Christendom
The simple Latin title of the Book of Concord, Concordia, (LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "an agreeing together") is fitting for the character of its contents: Christian statements of faith setting forth what is believed, taught, and confessed by the confessors "with one heart and voice." This follows St. Paul's
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
directive: "that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. 1:10)(NKJV
New King James Version
The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The New Testament was published in 1979. The Psalms in 1980. The full Bible was published in 1982. It took a total of 7 years to complete...
). Lutherans believe that the creed
Creed
A creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
s and confessions that constitute the Book of Concord are not the private writings of their various authors:
Inasmuch, however, as they are in complete agreement with Holy Scripture, and in this respect differ from all other particular symbols i.e., denominational creeds and credal statementsCreedA creed is a statement of belief—usually a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community—and is often recited as part of a religious service. When the statement of faith is longer and polemical, as well as didactic, it is not called a creed but a Confession of faith...
, the Lutheran confessions are truly ecumenical and catholic in character. They contain the truths believed universally by true Christians everywhere, explicitly by all consistent Christians, implicitly even by inconsistent and erring Christians. Christian truth, being one and the same the world over is none other than that which is found in the Lutheran confessions.
Contemporary subscription
To this day the Book of Concord is doctrinally normative among traditional and conservative Lutheran churches, which require their pastors and other rostered church workers to pledge themselves unconditionally to the Book of Concord. They often identify themselves as "confessional LutheranConfessional Lutheran
Confessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
s." They consider the Book of Concord the norma normata (Latin, "the normed norm") in relation to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, which they consider the norma normans (Latin, "the norming norm"), i.e. the only source of Christian doctrine (God's authoritative word). In this view the Book of Concord, on the topics that it addresses, is what the church authoritatively understands God's authoritative word to say. This is also called a "quia" (because) subscription to the Lutheran confessions, i.e. one subscribes because the Book of Concord is a faithful exposition of the Scriptures. It implies that the subscriber has examined the Lutheran confessions in the light of the Scriptures in order to arrive at this position, which in the subscriber's view does not require the disclaimer implied in a "quatenus" (insofar as) subscription. One who subscribes the Lutheran confessions quatenus, insofar as they are a faithful exposition of the Scriptures, believes that there might be contradictions of the Scriptures in them. In some cases this is the manner of subscription of some other Lutheran churches, which regard the Book of Concord as an important witness and guide to the historical teachings of the Lutheran Church although not necessarily doctrinally binding. The largest Lutheran church to subscribe unconditionally to the Book of Concord is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the national church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....
with 4.6 million members.
English translations
English translations of individual documents of The Book of Concord, notably The Augsburg Confession, were available since the 16th century. The first complete English translation of The Book of Concord was the 1851 Henkel edition followed by a second edition in 1854. These volumes included historical introductions.Henry E. Jacobs and others published the next English version in 1882 with a revised "People's Edition" in 1911. The 1882 edition was accompanied by a companion volume that contained historical introductions and English translations of other documents illustrative of the history of The Book of Concord.
The third English edition was published as a jubilee observance of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation (1917) along with the German and Latin texts as the 1921 Concordia Triglotta: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church, German-Latin English edited by Friederich Bente. A smaller edition with just the English text was also published.
With the appearance of the 1930 Bekenntnisschriften critical text
Textual criticism
Textual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
a new English version was deemed desirable. This was begun but left unfinished by John C. Mattes, who died in 1948. Theodore G. Tappert as general editor and translator produced the 1959 "Tappert Edition" along with Jaroslav Pelikan, Robert H. Fisher, and Arthur Carl Piepkorn.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
). Besides Drs. Kolb and Wengert the translators were Eric Gritsch, Charles Arand, William Russell, James Schaaf, and Jane Strohl. The differences of the German translation from the original Latin text of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession were made apparent by F. Bente's insertion of the variant readings of his English translation of the German text in square brackets into the main body of his translation of the original Latin text. The reason for these differences partly stemmed from two editions of The Apology published in 1531: they were the "quarto
Quarto
Quarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
edition" and the "octavo
Octavo
Octavo to is a technical term describing the format of a book.Octavo may also refer to:* Octavo is a grimoire in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett...
edition": so called because of the manner in which they were printed. The quarto edition was published with the first publication of The Augsburg Confession in April or May of 1531; hence, the name "editio princeps" ["first edition"]. The octavo edition followed in September, 1531. Justus Jonas
Justus Jonas
Justus Jonas was a German Lutheran reformer.-Biography:Jonas was born at Nordhausen in Thuringia. His real name was Jodokus Koch, which he changed according to the common custom of German scholars in the sixteenth century, when at the University of Erfurt...
, who translated the Apology into German, made use of both the quarto edition and the octavo edition. The other reason for the differences between the German and Latin texts of the Apology was the "looseness" of the Jonas translation, making it more like a paraphrase than a translation. The editors and translators of the 2000 Kolb-Wengert edition decided to use the octavo edition as the main source for their translation with variant readings from the quarto edition set in italics because it was their belief that the octavo edition was the "official text" of The Apology. They apparently did this following the opinion of the German scholar Christian Peters, who claimed the quarto edition was merely a stage on the way to a definite text, i.e. the octavo edition. The octavo edition Latin text was utilized in a private Latin edition of The Book of Concord in 1580, but scholars question whether or not this octavo edition text can be considered the text approved by the Lutheran Church in the 16th century. The official 1584 Latin Book of Concord has the quarto edition text as its text of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession. Another issue with this edition is the setting off of "the filioque" of the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
in square brackets.
The most recent English version of the Book of Concord was published in 2005 to commemorate the 425th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord, and the 475th anniversary of the presentation of The Augsburg Confession.It is a revision of the English text of the Concordia Triglotta and entitled Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions—A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord and edited by Paul T. McCain, Edward A. Engelbrecht, Robert C. Baker, and Gene E. Veith. A second edition followed in 2006. The preface to the first edition expresses the intention with this English version to provide an edition for use by those who are unfamiliar with the Lutheran Confessions, being designed for use not only in seminary and college classrooms, but also in homes and churches. The McCain edition is based strictly on the texts of the Lutheran Confessions contained in either of the two official editions of the Book of Concord, the German edition of 1580 and the Latin edition of 1584. Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions is a unique study and reader's edition containing extensive annotations, and tools and guides intended to aid reading and comprehension. The history and persons associated with the various documents in the Lutheran Confessions are featured. There are more than 115 black and white and 31 full-color plates, as well as a timeline, general index, additional essays providing an overview of the textual issues and history of the Lutheran Confessions, and a summary of the nature and meaning of the traditional Lutheran approach to accepting and using the Lutheran Confessions.
Available Editions of The Book of Concord
- Die Bekenntnisschriften der evangelisch=lutherischen Kirche. Herausgegeben in Gedenkjahr der Augsburgischen Konfession 1930. 12th edition. Göttingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 1998. ISBN 978-3-525-52101-4 (Critical textTextual criticismTextual criticism is a branch of literary criticism that is concerned with the identification and removal of transcription errors in the texts of manuscripts...
of the original German and Latin Book of Concord)
- The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Theodore G. Tappert, translator and editor. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959. ISBN 0-8006-0825-9. (First English translation of The Book of Concord texts as published in Die Bekenntnisschriften) [Called "Tappert" or the "Tappert Edition" for short]
- The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, editors. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8006-2740-7. (Second English translation of The Book of Concord texts as published in Die Bekenntnisschriften. The source of its translation of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession is not the official 1584 Latin Book of Concord text, which had been the basis of the 1959 "Tappert Edition" English translation of the Apology [the later "octavoOctavoOctavo to is a technical term describing the format of a book.Octavo may also refer to:* Octavo is a grimoire in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett...
edition" text of 1531 rather than the earlier "quartoQuartoQuarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
edition" text of 1531 is utilized; however, the variant readings of the quarto edition appear in italics].
- Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions — A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord. Paul Timothy McCain, general editor. second edition. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006. ISBN 0-7586-1343-1. (A modern language version of the English text of Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: CPH, 1921 interspersed with explanatory notes)
- Concordia Triglotta: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church, German-Latin-English. F. Bente, editor. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921. (This trilingual version had been reprinted by Northwestern Publishing House until recently)
Historic and Contemporary English Versions of The Book of Concord available online
- 1851 Henkel Book of Concord first edition
- 1854 Henkel Book of Concord second edition
- 1911 Jacobs "People's edition" Book of Concord
- 1921 Bente Concordia Triglotta English text
- 1921 Bente Concordia Triglotta PDF
- 1959 Tappert Book of Concord (Google books)
- 2000 Kolb-Wengert Book of Concord (Google books)
The Book of Concord and study resources online
An internet website provides an online version of The Book of Concord along with study resources from the perspective of what is considered to be traditional Lutheranism. It is presented as "the Book of Concord's home on the internet." This is the link to this The Book of Concord websiteExternal links
- Article on Lutheran Confessions in the Christian Cyclopedia
- Lutheran Scholarly and pastoral essays on the Lutheran Confessions from the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library
- Why Bible-Believing Lutherans Subscribe to the Book of Concord (classic example of a quia perspective)
- Concordia Triglotta, by Theodore Graebner from the October 1921 Theological Monthly