No twentieth-century American understood Luther's law-gospel distinction better than Gerhard O. Forde, who was professor of theology at Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Because Forde kept this Lutheran distinction razor sharp, his theological writings are an essential inheritance for us today. This volume, The Essential Forde, aims to provide the essence of Forde's writing centered upon LutherAs and Scripture's essential distinction, that is, the distinction between law and gospel. The editors of this volume have chosen some of the most definitive writings of the renowned Gerhad Forde, whose influence continues to grow. The list of works trace the contours of Forde's theological argument. Organized around "Law and Gospel," the selections start off with some historical background on that doctrinal locus, but for the most part express Forde's own views of the law and the gospel, including death and resurrection, the bondage of the will, good works, preaching, and the sacraments. Besides these essential writings, the book will provide a definitive introduction by the editors, which includes a brief biography of Forde, an essay regarding his doctrinal interpretation, and a sketch of the Forde legacy. Also contained in the volume will be a comprehensive bibliography of all of Forde's published works plus work published about him.
Steven D. Paulson is professor of systematic theology at Luther House of Study, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Paul Rorem, Princeton Theological Seminary"s Benjamin B. Warfield Professor of Medieval Church History, holds an MDiv from Luther Theological Seminary, an STM from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and a PhD from Princeton Seminary. He is author of Hugh of Saint Victor (2009) and of several volumes on the Dionysian corpus. James A. Nestingen has taught Church History at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is a nationally recognized Luther scholar as well as a popular speaker and lecturer. Nestingen is the author of numerous books, including Martin Luther: A Life (2003) and Sources and Contexts of The Book of Concord (coeditor, 2001).
"The editors have produced a helpful sample of significant studies from the pen of the most insightful North American interpreter of Luther in the latter decades of the twentieth century. Readers experience the master of the phrase well-turned on Luther's lathe from a number of Forde's writings. The personal reflections and ruminations of the editors prepare readers for venturing into the depths of Forde's imaginative contemporary translation of the heart of the proclamation of Christ in the works of the Wittenberg Reformer. Here, readers learn how the law kills both nomian and antinomian attempts to turn away from the crucified and risen Christ's freely given gift of new life and what it means to live as a righteous child of God through daily repentance and the forgiveness of sins." --Robert Kolb, professor emeritus, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis
