WA: “understood by all… read by non-theologians” — the final word on the St. Louis Edition (Part 2 of 2)

      This concludes from Part 1 in a short series on the analysis and judgment of the famous German Weimar Edition of the American St. Louis Edition of Luther's Works. — In the previous segment we heard the Weimar editor use the term "step backward" in regards to the principle structure of the StL in comparison to the critical editions of Erlanger and Weimar. Did he mean to criticize the StL?  Here is his final judgment: 

St. Louis Edition’s overall importance:

With the improved reprinting of the old Walch edition, the edition principles of the 16th-18th centuries were reverted to, earlier than the Erlangen and Weimar editions, in order to present a complete edition of Luther's works that could be understood by all in terms of language and could also be read by non-theologians. In this intention, the St. Louis Edition could certainly claim an independent place next to the Weimar edition published since 1883, which with its sections “Writings” (61 volumes), “Table Talks” (6 volumes), “German Bible” (12 volumes) and “Correspondence” (17 volumes) forms the provisional conclusion of centuries of efforts to collect Luther's literary works and written legacy.

Allow me to repeat the pertinent excerpts from the above. The St. Louis Edition presented

"…a complete edition of Luther's works that could be understood by all in terms of language and could also be read by non-theologians.… [It can] claim an independent place next to the Weimar edition published since 1883"

While the Weimar editor rightly promotes its own great scholarship, nevertheless it "certainly" gives the St. Louis Edition a place next to it. — Just as Walther praised the Weimar Edition when it premiered in Germany, so the Weimar reciprocates with its analysis and praise of the St. Louis Edition.  

      What follows is the full analysis in WA 60, p. 602-606, on the Walch 2 or St. Louis Edition in English. It has the footnotes moved to the end and hyperlinked with return links for ease of navigation. Also hyperlinks directly to references to English translations of Old Missouri Synod writings are furnished.

The DOCX version may be downloaded >> here <<.

      Another quote from the 2018 book of Luther, Martin Luther in Context, edited by David Whitford, summarizes several points made by the Weimar editors, p. 363:

"The St. Louis Walch edition incorporated numerous texts discovered since the first Walch edition as well as updated or new introductions. Aiming to produce an edition accessible to German-speaking Lutherans in America, the organizers preferred to reproduce the Walch edition rather than texts from one of the contemporary critical editions, Erlangen or Weimer (see the following), both of which included untranslated Latin texts. The St. Louis editors also modernized language and spelling. The St. Louis Walch edition was reprinted in Germany in 1986-1987, reflecting a continued interest in translations of Luther’s Latin works."

May English speaking readers of Luther's works now be further encouraged to make use of the new English machine translation of the German language St. Louis Edition. I am. All of my future references, and some past references, to Luther's works will include links to these English translations.