Envy, greed, gluttony, lust, anger, sloth, and pride are all vices and manifestations of unbelief. In his new book, Battle of the Soul: Luther Reforms Vice and Virtue, author Rev. Dr. Michael T. Fieberkorn explains how the daily living of the Ten Commandments can help Christians battle sin and unbelief. This book will guide readers through Martin Luther’s understanding of each Christian’s daily battle against sin using the framework of the seven deadly sins and their contrasting virtues. Battle of the Soul will officially launch on October 31 and is available for preorder now.
“Luther’s reformed understanding of vice and virtue helps us strive each day to carefully guard and watch over our faith, exactly as Jesus teaches us to do . . . ,” Fieberkorn writes. “This is the battle that plays out day by day in the souls of all who are baptized and believe.”
Battle of the Soul includes reflection questions after each chapter, prayers to use after finishing the book, and a chart showing the connections between vice and virtue. With clear connections between Luther’s teachings and the world today, this book will serve believers as a how-to guide on living a Gospel-centered life. By the end, readers will be equipped to live out their Baptism each day by fighting against sin in their lives and growing more and more like Christ.
“Pastor Fieberkorn has done a great service to the church in writing a relevant and accessible book that addresses the challenge of Christian living in a fallen world,” said Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, president of the LCMS Missouri District. “His treatment of vice and virtue, rooted in the writings of Luther, provides practical guidance for the church and the individual Christian.”
Visit cph.org for more information. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.
Praise for Battle of the Soul
Into the current discussion of Christian use of the classical views of vice and virtue, Michael Fieberkorn inserts the witness of Martin Luther. . . . Fieberkorn’s presentation of the Wittenberg reformer’s proclamation of the Christian life, anchored in the First Commandment’s fearing, loving, and trusting in God above all things, invites careful consideration and will help believers in the battle to mortify the flesh as they seek support and guidance for life in a turbulent and tempting world. Reflection questions make this not only a good read but also a practical tool for discussion.
–Rev. Dr. Robert Kolb, professor of systematic theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Pastor Fieberkorn has done a great service to the church in writing a relevant and accessible book that addresses the challenge of Christian living in a fallen world. His treatment of vice and virtue, rooted in the writings of Luther, provides practical guidance for the church and the individual Christian.
–Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, president, Missouri District, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
The battle is real because sin is real. Likewise, the victory is real because victory has been won and given in Christ. With a pastoral mindset, Dr. Fieberkorn shows Luther’s reworked use of vice and virtue and their usefulness in our daily lives as the baptized. Presenting a distinctive Lutheran voice in the virtue ethics discussion, he shows this move from philosophical virtue ethics in the Aristotelian understanding to distinctive Christian virtues informed by the Ten Commandments and the fruit of the Spirit. These flow from faith and are lived in love toward the neighbor in very practical ways in the daily life of a Christian.
–Rev. Andy Wright, STM, senior pastor, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Topeka, Kansas
Dr. Fieberkorn has gifted the church with practical handles on biblical sanctification. No longer are we left with ambiguity regarding our soul’s battlefield. . . . This is a delicious read, full of application and insight on how to live as Christians in the world today.
–Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa, senior pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Irvine, California, and author of Faith That Sees through the Culture, Faith That Engages the Culture, and Faith That Shines in the Culture
About the Author
Rev. Dr. Michael T. Fieberkorn is a pastor, currently serving a congregation in St. Charles, Missouri. Before entering ministry, he graduated from the Air Force Academy and served in the active-duty Air Force for six years. He continues to serve in the Reserves. He earned his master of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, with emphasis in doctrinal theology. He and his wife, Angela, are the parents of Jacob, Kayla, and Logan.
