Pastor Zip's Lutheran Web Links

Pastor Zip's Lutheran Web Links

First, here is a link to Pastor Zip's Christian Links Page for more about the Christian Faith.

Dr. Martin Luther

Sites about Martin Luther, his theology, and his teachings.

The Life of Martin Luther

A comprehensive time-line chart of Luther's life, with many interesting links.

Luther the Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career

This excellent biography of Luther, written by the late Professor James M. Kittleson, covers his entire life and career. A very accessible and accurate introduction to Luther and his theology. Highly recommended!

Lutherstadt Wittenberg

The web site of Lutherstadt, Wittenberg, Germany -- where the Lutheran Reformation began.

The Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther

What every Christian needs to know about the faith, Luther originally wrote this in 1529 for the use of fathers to teach the Christian Faith to their children. This Catechism is one of 3 documents written by Luther included in The Book of Concord, which includes all the Lutheran confessional documents. This is a modern, public domain translation by the Rev. Robert Smith of Project Wittenberg (described below). For other translations, click here.

The Large Catechism

Also called The German Catechism, it was written by Luther in 1529 for pastors so they could rightly teach the Christian Faith to their congregations. It is also included in The Book of Concord.

The Smalcald Articles

Sometimes described as Luther's "theological will" written in 1537. It is the last of the 3 Lutheran confessional documents written by Luther.

The Ninety-five Theses of Martin Luther

It wasn't his intention, but Luther's academic challenge to the sale of indulgences on October 31, 1517, is what started the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. For all their notoriety, they are not among the confessional documents of the Lutheran churches.

Selected Works of Martin Luther

Many more writings by (and a few about) the 16th Century reformer of the Church, from Project Wittenberg.

The Sermons of Martin Luther

No, it's not all of them, but it is a web version of a set of 117 sermons that follow the old lectionary. They were first published in English in 1905, and are indeed a fine resource.

The Luther Rose

Also called "Luther's Seal" (you'll find a graphic of it at the top of this page, and similar graphics elsewhere on Pastor Zip's web site), this is his explanation of its meaning.

Luther Digest

An annual abridgment of Luther studies, reading this is an excellent way to keep up with the latest on Luther.

EKD Quiz on Martin Luther

Facts about Luther from the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland -- that is, the Evangelical (or Protestant) Church in Germany.

Lutheranism

Sites on the theology and teachings of the Lutheran churches.

The Augsburg Confession

Presented in 1530 to the Holy Roman Emperor at the Diet of Augsburg, these are the chief articles of faith in all Lutheran churches. It was not written by Luther, but chiefly by Philipp Melancthon (one of his chief theological co-horts) for the "Lutheran" princes to present to Emperor Charles V in defense of the Evangelical faith they were permitting to be taught in their territories.

The Book of Concord

Completed in 1580, this is the book of all the Lutheran Confessions beginning with the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds (linked on Pastor Zip's Christian Links Page); the Augsburg Confession of 1530 (see previous entry); and Luther's Smalcald Articles, Small Catechism, and Large Catechism (see links above).

Also included are the Apology of the Augsburg Confession ("apology" is an academic term that means "defense" and not, "I'm sorry I wrote the thing" -- from this word comes the kind of theology called "apologetics") and the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (both written by Melancthon).

The Book of Concord concludes with the Formula of Concord of 1577, which brought theological harmony ("concord") in the German Lutheran Church which had bitterly debated some theological issues after Luther's death. It is presented in two forms: the Solid Declaration is the full document; but there is also a summary form called the Epitome.

Project Wittenberg

The internet "home to works by and about Martin Luther and other Lutherans. Here you will find all manner of texts from short quotations to commentaries, hymns to statements of faith, theological treatises to biographies, and links to other places where words and images from the history of Lutheranism live."

Project Canterbury's Lutheran Resources

Lutheran-related documents on Project Canterbury, a wonderful "online archive of out-of-print Anglican texts and related modern documents."

Lutheran Theology Web Site

Created by David Jay Webber, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod when he was serving as Rector of Saint Sophia Ukrainian Lutheran Theological Seminary, this is a marvelous and extensive site with links to all sorts of materials that "promote, extend, and defend the theology of Confessional Lutheranism, as reflected especially in the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church." Check out Pastor Webber's other sites, too!

Melanchthon Year 1997 in Germany

An excellent site about the reformer and humanist Philipp Melanchthon created for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of his birth. Melanchthon was the primary author of three of the Lutheran confessions and the most important colleague (and dear friend) of Luther.

Arthur Carl Piepkorn Center for Evangelical Catholicity

was "established to make the personal and professional written works of Arthur Carl Piepkorn (1907-1973+), Pastor, U.S. Army Chaplain, Professor of Lutheran Symbolics, and Confessor of the Faith available on the Internet and on digital media at little or no cost to users." Piepkorn was a leading figure in a confessional revival in the Lutheran church, and his influence is widespread today in both the Missouri Synod (he was Professor at its Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) and the ELCA.

Lutheran Forum

"An independent theological quarterly for clergy and laity" published by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau (see next item), Lutheran Forum is edited and written by Lutherans in the ELCA and LCMS, as well as Lutheran church bodies across the world. "LF has pursued and pondered American Lutheran church unity, while commenting on and critiquing the state of the church. LF seeks to create a theological vision that is faithful to the Scriptures, creeds, and confessions, to support pastors in their daily work and laypeople in their vocations."

The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau

Publishers of Lutheran Forum and its companion Forum Letter, ALPB "makes the theological, liturgical and devotional resources of our confessional heritage accessible and relevant to all Lutherans as well as to friends in other communions." Pastor Zip highly recommends the ALPB's books, tracts, periodicals, and other materials. You will also find him posting to the ALPB Forum fairly regularly.

Lutheran Quarterly

A quarterly "journal for the Evangelical-Lutheran Church everywhere, its history and theology..." Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum (the Word of the Lord remains forever).

Journal of Lutheran Ethics

A free, interactive, online journal "dedicated to promoting awareness of, study of, and conversation about Christian ethics in the Lutheran tradition" sponsored by the Church in Society unit of the ELCA. JLE is "a bridge between the academic study of Christian ethics and the contemporary life of the Church," and "a meeting place for scholars and professors, seminary and college students, pastors and bishops, and theologically informed lay leaders." (And it graciously has a link to this page!)

Lutheran Churches

Pastor Zip's US Lutheran Web Links

Over one-third of US Lutherans are members of congregations not in the ELCA. Most of the other US Lutheran church bodies claim to be more confessional and conservative than the ELCA. They tend to be very small and sectarian, and usually have their roots in Pietist movements of the 19th Century. Several of them were formed as a rejection of the various mergers (because the "new" church would be "too liberal") that eventually led to the ELCA's formation in 1988. Find them on this separate page.

Pastor Zip's International Lutheran Web Links

is a separate page for English-language links to Lutheran church bodies outside the United States of America.

Lutheran Renewal

Many groups and publications seek to strengthen and renew faithfulness within the Lutheran Churches. These are among the better ones, particularly for members of the ELCA. Following Mom's advice ("If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all.") not linked are renewal/reform movements within the Lutheran Churches (ELCA, LCMS, etc.) whose proposed solutions are worse than the situations they critique. See also the publications above for other positive agents for Lutheran renewal.

Lutheran CORE - Coalition for Reform

A broad-based coalition of ELCA pastors, laity, congregations, and reforming groups that seek to preserve in that church body the authority of the Word of God according to the Lutheran confessions. Among the reforming groups that are part of CORE are the Evangelical Lutheran Confessing Fellowship (based in Pennsylvania, but with links across the ELCA) and Call to Faithfulness in Iowa.

Society of the Holy Trinity

Organized in 1997, the STS (from the Latin Societas Trinitatis Sanctae) is pastoral society (or ministerium) committed to the confessional and spiritual renewal of the Lutheran churches through prayer and mutual support. An outgrowth of the 9.5 Theses (next entry), the Society recognizes that the crisis we face is broader than the ELCA and that it is more than differences of opinion. The STS after Pastor Zip's name tells you that he has subscribed to the Rule and is a member of the Society. He also currently serves as the STS Webmaster.

The 9.5 Theses

In 1995 this call to debate the direction of the ELCA was issued: Will we be faithful to the Scriptures, Creeds, and Confessions? Or will the ELCA succumb to today's social or religious ideologies? Sent to all ELCA pastors, over 700 of them (and some 300 laity) signed the theses. Read about how they were received (or ignored) in the ELCA (and elsewhere) in the Pentecost 1998 issue of the journal Let's Talk, the journal of the ELCA's Metropolitan Chicago Synod.

Saint Augustine's House

A Lutheran monastery of the Benedictine tradition in Oxford, Michigan. Yes, a Lutheran monastery!

Center for Theology

This Center at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, North Carolina was "established as a reaffirmation...of the intention of its founders to establish a Christian college...as an ecumenical resource 'to foster clarity in understanding and passion in proclaiming the Gospel, centered upon the evangelical dogma of justification by grace alone through faith alone, according to the classic, orthodox theology of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and thus to assist in shaping the future of the Church in faithfulness to the Word of God.'"

A Lutheran Statement on the Authority and Interpretation of Scripture in the Church

A statement signed by (thus far) some 485 ECLA members (including Pastor Zip and over 180 ELCA pastors) appreciative of, yet deeply concerned about the ELCA's five-year initiative on Scripture and the Word of God, "Book of Faith: Lutherans Read the Bible

A Pastoral Statement of Conviction and Concern (aka The Kansas City Statement")

This statement in response to the current ELCA studies on sexuality was presented and honed at the ALPB's Conference on Christian Sexuality in October 2002. Pastor Zip attended the Conference, participated (in a small way) in the fine tuning of the original document, and quickly added his signature to it.

The Hickory Declaration (originally called "the North Carolina Declaration")

Another statement "regarding the Apostolic and Catholic Faith, the Model of Creation, and the ELCA Sexuality Study," written by and for concerned pastors who wish to speak faithfully regarding a difficult matter in these uncertain times. (Yes, Pastor Zip has signed this one, too.)

The Bukoba Statement

After a week of spiritual retreat and prayer in February 2004, the Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania issued this statement on globalization, human sexuality, and AIDS.

Lutherans For Life International

The pro-life organization for all American Lutherans. There are many materials here on all sorts of "life issues" that we face in what Pope John Paul II rightly called this "culture of death."

Via de Cristo

Strengthening and renewing the Christian faith of the laity, this national Lutheran movement is based on the Catholic Cursillo. De Colores!

Lutheran Marriage Encounter

A Lutheran version of Marriage Encounter, which seeks to strengthen and renew Christian marriages.

Gottesdienst

A quarterly Journal of the Evangelical-Lutheran Liturgy, Gottesdienst means "God's service" and is the word used by the Lutheran Reformers for "worship service." The journal's slogan is Leitourgia Divina adiaphora non est, or "The Divine Liturgy is not adiaphora [an indifferent thing]"). Amen!

LOGIA: A Journal of Lutheran Theology

A journal by conservative, confessional Lutherans mainly of the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods.

Other Lutheran Sites

A mish-mash of other sites related to the best of Lutheranism.

Lutheran World Relief

Originally begun by U. S. Lutherans to assist their German and Scandinavian kin left homeless by World War II, LWR "works with partners in 50 countries to help people grow food, improve health, stringthen communities,, end conflict, build livelihoods, and recover from disasters." With basic support for LWR coming from the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and LCMS World Relief & Human Care, LWR is one of the most effective relief agencies in the world.

Wheat Ridge Ministries

Originally a sanitorium for Lutherans suffering from tuberculosis, Wheat Ridge is an independent Lutheran charitable organization that provides support for new church-related health and hope ministries. It relates to both the ELCA and the LCMS.

Lift Up Your Hearts

The Worship and Spirituality site of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, this is one of the most extensive set of links that deal with all aspects (corporate and individual, and not only "Lutheran" ways) of worshiping the Triune God.

Lutheran-Hymnal.Com

A site featuring Christian hymns found in hymnals curently used Lutherans in North America and Germany.

Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

ALCM works at strengthening the proclamation of the Gospel through music and the practice of worship among Lutherans in North America.

Lutheran Blog Directory

A directory of Lutheran blogs, which includes Pastor Zip's Blog in its listings. Some of these web logs, by both clergy and laity, are quite good.

A Home for the Seeking Spirit

A site by Robert Longman, Jr., an ELCA layman. Here "you can learn about how Christians view spirituality, and about the Holy Spirit who makes it possible."

Famous Lutherans!

An interesting (though incomplete) list of famous people who were (or are) Lutheran, brought to you originally by a congregation in Connecticut.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Home Page

About the German Lutheran Pastor and theologian, who was executed by the Nazis for being part of the resistance against Hitler.

The official Web site of Davey and Goliath

This claymation children's TV series was first produced by the old United Lutheran Church in America in the 1950s and remained in production into the mid-1970s by the Lutheran Church in America. Now in the 21st Century, it is coming back into production! Meanwhile, the old episodes continue to air, and are becoming available on video and DVD.

The Unofficial Davey & Goliath Home Page

An affectionate look at the classic Davey and Goliath program.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

A financial services company and fraternal organization for Lutherans, this Fortune 500� company (with its still stupid name) is the result of the merger of Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood in 2001.

The Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peoria Website
where Pastor Zip serves

Pastor Zip's Christian Web Links Page
where this page started

The Steven P. Tibbetts Home Page
An answer to the question, "Who is Pastor Zip?

The Rev. Steven Paul Tibbetts, STS
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
1534 S. Easton Avenue
Peoria, IL 61605-3407
(309) 637-9150
pastorzip@mac.com

Copyright © 1996-2008 Steven P. Tibbetts. All rights reserved.
Pastor Zip's Christian Web Links created -- 2 December 1996
Pastor Zip's Lutheran Web Links branched -- 8 April 1998
Last Revision -- 24 November 2008

URL: homepage.mac.com/pastorzip/lutheranlinx.html