I was amazed by the endorsements of the book that Trevor Sutton and I have just published, Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology Speaks to the Postmodern World–both the caliber of the people whom CPH got to read the manuscript and the kind things that they said. I was especially gratified and amused by the words they used to describe it: “scintillating,” “daring,” “provocative,” “enlightening,” “astonishing,” “engaging,” “marvelous,” “refreshing.”
I feel embarrassed pushing our book, but I think readers of this blog, overall, would like it. All of this praise I will deflect to Trevor.
Endorsements for Authentic Christianity:
“Gene Veith was one of the first Lutherans to engage postmodernism over twenty years ago. Now he teams up with Pastor Trevor Sutton to use Lutheran theology—particularly the chief article of justication by faith alone—to provide readers with a robust and thoughtful apologetic. I was especially pleased with the authors’ use of the work of the counter- Enlightenment thinker Johann Georg Hamann in articulating a response to Postmodernism. Theological themes of Christology, biblical interpretation, Law and Gospel, vocation, sanctification, and the two kingdoms are aptly covered. This book will spark conversations and fuel a more confident Christian witness in our day.”
—Rev. John T. Pless Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry & Missions; Director of Field Education, Concordia eological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN
“This book shows that we now live in a post-secular world where anti-Christian attitudes have no privileged stance for setting the agenda for public discourse. It is high time that Lutherans roll up their sleeves, and like Paul in Athens share the Gospel in the agora of ideas. Veith and Sutton demonstrate that unlike Puritan, Revivalist, or Roman Catholic views of Christian faith, Lutherans are well positioned to share God’s Good News to a world fragmented by modernity and postmodernity.”
—Dr. Mark Mattes Chair, Department of Philosophy and eology, Grand View University, Des Moines, IA
“I’m convinced that the best way to understand another tradition is to listen to its most articulate, informed, and passionate advocates. This book certainly fits that bill for those who want to understand Lutheranism. You don’t have to agree with everything (I don’t!) to appreciate the rich delights that Luther and his spiritual heirs bring to the feast.”
—Dr. Michael Horton J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic eology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; co-host of the White Horse Inn, and author of Core Christianity
“ This scintillating study, which combines the literary and cultural expertise of Veith with the historical and theological wisdom of Sutton, shows how classical Lutheranism addresses the concerns of the post- modern world in a surprising way. It is daring in its claim that Lutheran theology does full justice to the paradoxes of God’s revelation and human life, provocative in its conviction that Lutheran practice unites what is separated in other denominations, and enlightening in its clear exposition and apt use of fresh illustrations.”
—Dr. John W. Kleinig, professor emeritus at the Australian Lutheran College (formerly Luther Seminary) in the University of Divinity, Adelaide, Australia
“Half a century after Luther’s Reformation, Protestantism seems hopelessly in decline. God has been banished from objective reality. The Gnostic heresy denying the significance of the body is experiencing a resurgence, to wit feminist theology. Yet, in this astonishing book, Gene Veith and Trevor Sutton boldly and brilliantly argue that in the next 500 years an authentic church will survive, but as a Metachurch, a church beyond the church, and it will have a distinctly Lutheran flavor stressing God’s Word, His nearness, His presence in the Sacraments and every Christian’s priesthood rooted in the divine purpose found in his everyday work.”
—Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto, Director Emeritus, The League of Faithful Masks, Capistrano Beach, CA
“The Holy Christian Church has always had both its resident Deceivers and Truth Tellers, or those skilled at promoting the doctrines of man versus the doctrines of God. Regardless of motivation, the end result is always defense and support of either heterodoxy or orthodoxy. To countervail heterodoxy, idolatry, and heresy, God the Holy Trinity has unfailingly raised up Christian Parrhesiasts who witness yet once again to the Holy Scriptures as the final authority on matters of doctrine. Dr. Veith is one of those Truth Tellers. I cannot recommend highly enough his new book Authentic Christianity; he and Pastor Sutton skillfully sort out the pillars of truth from the pillars of falsehood. This monograph is consistently engaging from cover to cover.”
—George V. Strieter, Publisher, Ballast Press TM
“Veith and Sutton partner to bring forward a rich in detailed history, systematically sound, and a complete practical approach to our Lutheran theology as applied to the world yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Authentic Christianity is informative, thought provoking, and easily accessible. For those wondering how our Lutheran Confessions compare to other denominations, this is the resource for you. It will be the go-to reference material for Christians to fully understand how we are to live out our vocations as faithful Christ followers. Authentic Christianity comes at just the right time, the 500th Anniversary for the Reformation. What better time to clarify and confess our faith? Kudos to Veith and Sutton, job well done at just the right time.”
—Rev. Eric Ekong, Senior Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Ministries, Jackson, MI
“Culture has changed; Lutheran theology has not. As a result, Lutheran theology must not be adjusted to keep up with the times but be reintroduced to individuals, people who are often tossed around by the waves of every cultural ideology. And that is just what Veith and Sutton have done in this marvelous book. Whether you are a spiritual nomad looking for truth or a lifelong Lutheran, this book speaks Lutheran theology— Authentic Christianity—to people with postmodern ears and individuals learning to navigate within this new culture. This excellent book is a superb tool for recovering the Authentic Christianity of the past while embracing and applying it to whatever lies before us.”
—Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard, Zion Lutheran Church, Gwinner, ND; Author of Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? 12 False Christs
“Veith and Sutton show that Christianity is not a product of human experience but founded on God’s revelation. Addressing the contemporary forms of Christianity that have failed to reach the rising tides of postmoderns, the authors contend for an authentic Lutheranism that can make sense of people’s suffering and give lives meaning for today and eternity. The answer is not yet another ‘style’ of Christianity. Instead, Veith and Sutton boldly call for a ‘new’ Reformation that is a continuation of Lutheranism’s first principles: God’s justifying Word, life-giving Sacraments, and the purpose of the individual’s divine callings.”
—Rev. Christopher S. Esget, LCMS Sixth Vice-President Senior Pastor, Immanuel Ev.-Lutheran Church, Alexandria, VA
“Engaging, in the truest and freshest sense of that word; that’s what Veith and Sutton provide for us here in at least three ways. First, while many thinkers neatly engage textbook worldviews that are difficult to find in real life, this book tackles the messy fluidity of this world’s ‘prettified gods.’ Second, while many Christians nowadays propose withdrawal from the world as the best option for dealing with evil, these authors contrastingly assert that faith is realized and fulfilment is found as we engage virtuously within the arenas of real life. Finally, conscientious readers will embrace the Holy Spirit’s lure in this book to engage personally in enduring questions such as: ‘Why am I really here?’ ‘What is real freedom for?’ and ‘Who is my neighbor?’”
—Rev. Dr. John Arthur Nunes, President, Concordia College New York
“This book is a refreshing re-presentation of the full power of the Lutheran proclamation of the Gospel for the sake of the Church and the world in which we all live. For the layperson, the pastor, the scholar, or the seeker, if you are looking for a book that roots and strengthens your faith as well as one that demonstrates the power of the life of faith lived out in the world of today, then this book is for you!”
—Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, Executive Director, the Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, Emeritus
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