Fortress Lutheran Library Expansion Bundle (30 vols.)

https://www.logos.com/product/120479/fortress-lutheran-library-expansion-bundle 

I only have Lutheran Gold and don't feel like digging through everything - so if I review something that you already have, my apologies.

Braaten/Jensen Christian Dogmatics (Eric Gritisch had nothing to do with this set to my knowledge and is not listed as an editor or coauthor in the print version, contra the web description) was a Dogmatics textbook written going into the ELCA merger, written largely by what would be the more traditionalist side of the ELCA. The six authors are not trying to create the final word in Dogmatics, but rather to teach future pastors how to think theologically within the Lutheran tradition. I learned quite a bit from both the Forde and Jensen authored Loci, and would recommend reading them for just about any theologically interested Lutheran. Braaten, Hefner, and Schwartz are all good readable introductions to what theologians of that generation were saying with a bit of their own voice added. Sponheim? Pretty dense and I never "got" what he was saying...

The Granquist History I know nothing about. The older Nelson text I used in school is certainly showing its age and needed an update...

The Lund Documents is a standard collection of important primary sources in Lutheran History.

Gritsch's Fortress Introduction to Lutheranism is a brief introduction by a good Reformation historian. Solid, but not really brilliant. A useful introduction for the curious.

I do not know this Ngien volume, but the Ngien book I have read shows him to be a good Luther scholar who can lift themes from Luther and apply them to today.

Hallesby? No idea.

Forde's The Law-Gospel debate is a rework of his ThD dissertation - a work I have read both in dissertation form (via inter-library loan mixup) and later in this print edition. At the most basic level it is an argument that the Barth/Lutherans debate of the 20th century has huge roots in 19th century theology, and should be understood in the light of this. It is probably Forde's most academic work, and so in many ways his clearest. 2 thumbs up!

Where God Meets Man is the first "real" theology I read. It is meant as an introduction to Luther's theology for non-experts. Forde writes clearly and understandably. I have used this book in a parish adult education class and witnessed more than a few "ah-ha" moments. That said, it highlights a few (still important) themes, but also leaves a lot out. What do you expect in such a short work? At one time it was highly translated and available in many other languages... Recommended.

Theology is for Proclamation is a work from when he was being criticized as part of the Jurassic Park of the ELCA for well, using Luther's The Bondage of the Will as his primary theological textbook. It is a plea for hearing of his perspective, as well as a good witness that Good Theology cannot avoid these themes and is also what we sinners are dying to hear from the pulpit.

Lutheran Handbooks - I have only read the first two. They are healthily irreverent commentaries on Lutheran life and Luther's Small Catechism. The first one does more with Lutheran life, including some wacky cultural things. The second is, at it says, more Lutheran than the first - digging more into Luther's thought - but still with the same tone that never takes itself too seriously. At best it would be a good introduction to the Joy of theology. I have never been in a place that actually set it free to do this, however.

Gritsch and Jensen - Lutheranism...  This is a highlight from the "Evangelical Catholic" understanding of Lutheranism - one that in the late 20th century went from being a wacky fringe to one of the major understandings of what it means to be Lutheran. This text was used by a generation of pastors to dig into the Lutheran confessions - and my personally copy is one of the most underlined texts I have, since there was so much that was earth-shaking to me. Strongly recommended.

Martin Marty was probably the most prolific Lutheran writer in the 2nd half of the 20th century. He wrote on just about everything - and was particularly known for his commentary on things in The Christian Century and denominational magazines, as well as academic works. Here he tries to put it all together...

Gritsch's Toxic Spirituality...  Don't know this work

Brecht's Luther biography - A classic treatment that no scholar dare ignore.

The Atlas - Certainly a work like this is needed for Americans who do not know the detail of European geography and history needed to understand quite a bit about the Reformation. But I have never seen this particular work.

Bonhoeffer - Will the real Bonhoeffer stand up? There are a lot of understandings of him out there, and as good as these may be, I would need to study the critical edition I have in Logos already before dealing with these. That said, a basic reader could be useful for someone who had heard of Bonhoeffer but doesn't know anything else about him.

Tranvik - I am unfamiliar with this particular work, but the 20th century has many treatments of how Luther changed the concept of Vocation and brought it to the people - a theme we need to hear.

Ted Peters - I am unfamiliar with this work, and actually much of any of his work since his popularization of Pannenberg (God - The World's Future) - which is a solid, understandable contribution...

Annotated Luther. The American Edition of Luther is, to some extent already annotated. But research moves on, and also the typical readers of today are educated a bit differently than they were 50 years ago, and so a fuller treatment and update would be useful. That said, I have been on such a budget I have not actually read any of these volumes.

Graybill's Melanchthon is a work with which I am not familiar.

Matthew C Jones said:

I will probably go ahead and place an order. 

Order placed.