2 new books: (2) Concordia Triglotta (2 of 2); Renaissance? (Part 1); Table of Contents

Continued from the previous Part 1.
    (See bottom of this post for Table of Contents on entire Concordia Triglotta series)

2) Concordia Triglotta

The venerable Concordia Triglotta is now again available from CPH. It was dropped from their lineup many years ago.  Back then it was a hardback book and included Friedrich Bente's "Historical Introductions...".   For awhile, Northwestern Publishing House picked up this basic Lutheran book but it was dropped again a few years ago.  And it seems this book was unavailable except "Used" from Amazon for some time... maybe a few years.  I would imagine that both institutions, CPH and NPH, would say that it was "too expensive", "unprofitable", "used the German fraktur font", and "not enough interest".  To that, I would say "Why was this so?"  Why was there too little interest in the book that contained the basic documents of the Lutheran Church?  Surely it wasn't because their church bodies had ceased being truly "confessional Lutherans"?  Surely it wasn't for a lack of continually teaching the beautiful Christian doctrines from the Lutheran Confessions?... a lack of continually bringing the history of the Lutheran Church that is so detailed in Bente's Historical Introductions... in adult Bible classes?  Surely not... was it?

But now there is a new publication of the Concordia Triglotta, this time again from Concordia Publishing House.  (See McCain's cyberbrethren blog on this from 2010).  But it is probably not in hardback, rather it is "Print-On-Demand" and it does not include Friedrich Bente's Historical Introductions....  And because it is "Print-On-Demand", it takes 2-3 weeks to produce digitally and is non-returnable.  I am glad to see that it is being offered again, but I suggest that the reader investigate available used copies before spending $70 + shipping on this new digitally produced version.  And who knows what sorry "introduction" or "preface" or "historical context" that CPH will have added to this new publishing?

This edition must be new since it is not yet listed on Amazon or the WorldCat catalogue.  Who knows if their "Print On Demand" books will ever be noted in the WorldCat system since CPH is calling this version the "1968" edition.  I must assume that this edition includes the original German and Latin versions along with the English translation of F. Bente and W.H.T. Dau.

There remains a Concordia Triglotta Edition on Amazon in a Kindle version for $0.99 USD, but the name is deceiving because it is only the English translation, and does not include the original German or Latin editions.  So this printed book appears to be the only way to purchase all 3 languages together, a good reference to compare the original languages to the English.  This can be handy when Walther or Pieper quote the Latin or German texts in their writings.  I use it regularly when I need the most authoritative source for all things "Book of Concord".

It seems CPH is becoming like the rogue publishers (e.g. Kessinger, Ulan, Nabu, etc.) who are using free online Google Books to print and sell again.  These publishers care nothing of the content of the books but only to make a monetary profit.  CPH is becoming more like the Expresso Book Machine that prints many books, old Google eBooks or new publishings "On Demand" — CPH cares little of the content of the old (German) Missouri Synod.

As for Friedrich Bente's Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, it is strangely unavailable on Google Books but is available on Gutenberg.org – so far.  If it is ever pulled off Gutenberg.org, here is a downloadable HTML file:

• Bente- Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books (Gutenberg) pg26909.html

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==>> To: Rev. Paul T. McCain, Publisher - Concordia Publishing House, (BOC1580@gmail.com)

• Perhaps you should highlight the fact that Prof. John T. Pless, in his new book Martin Luther: Preacher of the Cross uses the unionistic Kolb-Wengert edition of the Book of Concord and maybe not this Concordia Triglotta or your new Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions book.  Page 20 of your sampler says: "Quotations from the Book of Concord with the abbreviation K-W are from Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, eds. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000). Reproduced by permission of Augsburg Fortress."       ===>>>  But you call it "A New Classic"??
• Perhaps you should also highlight on your blog how your chief "Academic, Professional Editor" Benjamin T. Mayes says "Martin Luther was NOT the lone hero of the Reformation"! Yes, that should be the headline of your next cyberbrethren blog post.

I can't wait to see these on your next blog posts, Rev. McCain.
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Be not deceived, dear reader, by those who would claim that there is a "renaissance" in today's LC-MS.  What is happening in today's CPH and LC-MS is happening because they are embarrassed to find that the old (German) Missouri Synod was actually religious and spiritual... just like all the others they consider to be religious and spiritual, e.g. Herman Sasse, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Wilhelm Loehe, etc..  But as this "renaissance" proceeds, e.g. a republishing of the Concordia Triglotta, more of Luther's Works, and more of Walther's works, Walther's Hymnal, etc., it is apparent that what they really mean to do is place the old (German) Missouri Synod on an equal religious and spiritual footing to these others.  Ooooo....  wooowww!  CPH is printing German and Latin now!  We should be impressed!...  they are so religious and spiritual!  How they "began to pray and chant" and use "The Brotherhood Prayer Book"!  And how they soar now with their Gregorian chants... so high that they can judge Pieper, Walther, and...  Martin Luther!  Yes, they know the "truth", the great "truth" that Martin Luther was not "the lone hero of the Reformation"!  Oh, wow!... what religiosity!  What depth of spirituality!...

What blindness is their "renaissance".

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Table of Contents - Concordia Triglotta series of blogs

Part 1 -  (this post) New/old book from CPH; Renaissance?
Part 2 -  Graebner vs. Pieper
Part 3 -  Unionistic editions of the Book of Concord
Part 4a - Pieper intro to Concordia Triglotta
Part 4b - Pieper: Bente's Preface - perfect agreement w/ Scriptures
Part 4c - Pieper: The Scripture Principle
Part 4d - Pieper: Luther, Scripture, detractors; Bente's Historical Introduction
Part 4e - Pieper: German/English language?; Amish analogy
Part 5a - Sasse/Ziegler confusion on "Missouri Synod" & Confessions
Part 5b - Sasse/Ziegler: criticize "Missouri"; Brief Statement over Confessions?
Part 5c - Sasse/Ziegler: "Statementarians"; The Confessional Lutheran
Part 5d - Sasse/Ziegler: Worship & Church Fellowship
Part 5e - Sasse/Ziegler: Ministry & Church
Part 5f - Sasse/Ziegler: Conclusion ("something lacking in Missouri's orthodoxy"?)
Part 5g - Sasse/Ziegler: An Appeal to Prof. Ziegler (Perhaps Not!)
Part 5h - Ziegler/Sasse: A dedication to Ziegler