The Annotated Luther, Volume 4: Pastoral Writings

Volume 4 of The Annotated Luther series presents an array of Luthers writings related to pastoral work. Luthers famous Invocavit Sermons and other selected sermons show a forthright and lively preacher. Hymn texts reveal Luthers grasp of hymnody as a tool for conveying and expressing faith. His Small Catechism as well as several pieces on prayer, including his Personal Prayer Book and A Simple Way to Pray, show his engagement in the basic task of teaching the faith. Luthers prefaces to his own writings contain personal reflections on his reforming work. Also in this volume are his commentary on The Magnificat. Selected letters, and shorter pieces that display his pastoral responses to particular situations: Sermon on Preparing to Die, Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague, and Comfort for Women Who Have Had a Miscarriage.

Each volume in The Annotated Luther series contains new introductions, annotations, illustrations, and notes to help shed light on Luthers context and interpret his writings for today. The translations of Luthers writings include updates of Luthers Works, American Edition or entirely new translations of Luthers German or Latin writings.

Mary Jane Haemig is professor of church history emerita at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She received her ThD from Harvard Divinity School in 1996. She taught at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, from 1994 to 1999 and at Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, from 1999 to 2018. She focuses on the study of the Lutheran Reformation. She is the editor of The Annotated Luther volume 4, Pastoral Writings (2016), and an associate editor of the Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions (2017). She resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota.