A new book aimed at deepening understanding of the Book of Concord is now available from one of the most respected Reformation scholars of our time.

The Way of Concord: From Historic Text to Contemporary Witness by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Kolb is now available through Concordia Seminary Press, the publishing arm of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Kolb’s new volume about the Book of Concord — the secondary authority of the Lutheran church — is of special significance given its release during the 500th anniversary of the Reformation when many people are turning their attention to the historic events of 1517, which began with Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses.

The essays in the volume build on Kolb’s and colleague Dr. Charles Arand’s years of engagement with the confessional writings of the Lutheran church. The Way of Concord reflects their efforts to emphasize the role and usefulness of the confessional writings for identifying what it means to be Lutheran and for practicing the catechetical and pastoral insights produced by Luther, Philip Melanchthon and their students who composed the Formula of Concord. Arand is the Seminary’s Eugene E. and Nell S. Fincke Graduate Professor of Theology and dean of Theological Research and Publication.

In The Way of Concord, readers will find six glimpses into Luther’s theological genius that continues to provoke and shape global Christianity 500 years later.

“One of the strange but precious gifts of the 16th century Reformation to the church, the confessional documents continue to shape and animate the public witness of the faith today,” said Dr. Erik Herrmann, director of the Seminary’s Center for Reformation Research. “With a lifetime of teaching the Lutheran Confessions, Kolb and Arand deftly weave together the historical events and the theology that moved the reformers’ to offer up their confession for the sake of God’s people.”

Through Kolb’s many books, essays and articles, he has offered invaluable insight into Luther’s thoughts and the network of colleagues and students who helped bring about one of the most important moments in history. He is the author of more than 170 essays published in academic journals and volumes on Reformation history and evangelism, as well as numerous other books, including Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God (2016); The Oxford Handbook to Martin Luther’s Theology (2014); Luther and the Stories of God (2012); Martin Luther, Confessor of the Faith (2009); The Genius of Luther’s Theology (with Dr. Charles Arand, 2008); Bound Choice, Election, and Wittenberg Theological Method From Martin Luther to the Formula of Concord (2005); The Book of Concord (co-editor with Timothy Wengert, 2000); and Speaking the Gospel Today: A Theology for Evangelism (1995).

The Way of Concord: From Historic Text to Contemporary Witness is available through the Seminary’s online store here and at the Seminary’s Campus Store, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105. It is also available on Amazon here.

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.