Augsburg and Constantinople: The Correspondence between the Tubingen Theologians and Patriarch Jeremiah II of Constantinople on the Augsburg Confession

In a field replete with books that highlight the differences between Protestant thinking and Roman dogma, this one is essential reading for those who wish to learn about the differences between contemporary and historic Christianity.The Introduction by Fr. Mastrantonis provides the background for understanding the heavy theological dialogue of the correspondence, masterfully translated and presented by himself.Protestant inquirers will find the usual materials to study the standard tenets of modern Western Christianity, e. g., Justification, Free Will, the Sacraments, etc., but the issue that comes out of left field is the Filioque.Reading the letters will reveal that the Lutherans ended up punching above their weight as they tripped and stumbled trying to defend the Filioque. In their obsessive struggle against Roman supremacism, they were oblivious to the fact that it was just another Roman political device... cherry picking the Fathers and ignoring the seven Ecumenical Councils, they inadvertently demonstrated that Sola Scriptura is not sufficient for establishing something as fundamental as the Trinitarian doctrine of the original Nicene Creed. Such was the state of mind of the generation after Luther, one that did not have the benefit of experiencing Sacred Tradition, even if it was tainted.There's much food for thought in the book and it's heavy reading, but it's well worth the effort. You might even feel moved to invoke the Saints in prayer!

This book wasn't quite what I expected. Firstly, I have yet to find the actual "Augsburg Confession" in the text of the book. Secondly, there isn't as much dialogue on the part of the Lutherans as I was hoping to read. I was looking for a better understanding of the Lutheran Dogma, but the Tubingen Theologians seem to be a lot like my Lutheran Sunday School teachers and pastors: it is what it is because The Bible says so. As a recent Orthodox convert, the writings of Bishop Jeremiah have been very helpful, even though, or because of the fact, he holds true to the Greek style of finding a longer way of saying what could be said in brief. He and his staff of theologians elucidate every topic of contention the Lutherans bring up, and they support their positions with Scripture references, writings of The Holy Fathers, and tradition and experience. The Lutherans then counter the argument by quoting their interpretation of the Greek Scripture and holding to "Sola Scriptura." I really wanted their explanation for professing "Sola Scriptura," but it never came. The Lutherans lost my audience when they argued with the Greeks on the meaning of the Greek words in the Scripture. This book is very meaty, but I recommend it strongly to those interested. The letters provide a deeper understanding of both Lutheran and Orthodox beliefs. They provide a window into the age they were written in: the manners used in disagreement are delightful. They also provide a look into human nature itself. Read carefully or you may injure yourself.

The previous poster noted that the book has fallen out of print. I'm happy to say that I contact Holy Cross Seminary Bookstore last week and I now have a copy of this book on my shelf. FYI.

Beautiful and readable translation. I'm amazed that I only recently found out about this.I was surprised that the version of the Augsburg Confession that Melanchthon prepared and sent to the Patriarch was not included in this book. I'm going to try to find it.