The Lutheran Confessions play a vital role in the church—both centuries ago and today. However, it can be difficult to understand how they apply to the modern, daily life of ordinary people. In his new book, Faithfully Formed: The Lutheran Confessions in Daily Life, Pastor Andy Wright quotes, summarizes, and synthesizes the key teachings from the Lutheran Confessions, revealing their relevance in the lives of common people. This book from Concordia Publishing House will be available in June 2024.
“Christians think differently and look at the world differently,” writes Wright. “That doesn’t mean we stand on our heads or walk backward down the street. It means that because we are in Christ and have His Word, we think differently than the fallen world around us. . . . Regardless, we hear through these words that God calls us to present our lives as living sacrifices. This is done as we live in faith toward God and in love toward our neighbors.”
Using his experiences as a pastor and his study of the Lutheran Confessions, Wright explains questions that are commonly asked within the church when reading through these documents. Through discussion questions for both individuals and groups, Wright’s words offer a deeper relationship with, and appreciation of, the Lutheran Confessions that helped establish the Lutheran doctrine.
Wright “takes readers into the text of the Lutheran confessional documents and engages the foundations of our trust in the Creator; restoration of our humanity through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ; and the work of delivering absolution and new life of the Holy Spirit,” says Robert Kolb, emeritus professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. “Wright’s guide to the exploration of the historical confessions effectively stimulates individual readers and study groups to absorb the confessions’ content into their own way of thinking.”
Visit cph.org/faithfullyformed for more information. Contact Erica Sontag to schedule an interview with the author.
Praise for Faithfully Formed
Pastor Andy Wright poses three fundamental questions—regarding God’s identity, what it means to be human, and how we relate to God’s creation—as the framework for setting forth the testimony of the Book of Concord that defines the Lutheran confession of faith in Christ and proclamation of the message of Scripture. This volume takes readers into the text of the Lutheran confessional documents and engages the foundations of our trust in the Creator; the restoration of our humanity through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ; and the work of delivering absolution and new life of the Holy Spirit. Wright’s guide to the exploration of the historical confessions effectively stimulates individual readers and study groups to absorb the confessions’ content into their own way of thinking.
—Robert Kolb, emeritus professor of systematic theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
To the lay reader, Pastor Wright has given an inviting—and highly teachable—introduction to the documents that make us Lutheran Christians. To the pastor, he’s given a thoughtful review in which we’ll each still discover new gems. To both, he’s given a reading of the confessions and a hearing of Christ that puts them in the context of life—as perhaps has never been done quite this way before.
—Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher II, professor of pastoral ministry and missions, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Lutheran Confessions are a tremendous gift for us all. Faithfully Formed connects the Lutheran Confessions to everyday life and ordinary questions. Pastor Wright has authored a wonderful resource for living out our confessional heritage. I am excited to use this book within my congregation!
—Rev. Dr. A. Trevor Sutton, senior pastor, St. Luke Lutheran Church; author of Being Lutheran
About the Author
Pastor Andy Wright serves as senior pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas, and previously served St. John Lutheran Church in Keystone, Iowa. He holds a BA in biblical languages from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pastor Wright also holds an MDiv and an STM in systematic theology from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is currently working on his dissertation pertaining to the Lutheran Confessions for a PhD in doctrinal theology from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Pastor Wright and his wife, Rebekah, have been blessed by God with four daughters, a son, and children who went to be with the Lord from the womb. His areas of focus and interests in theology are the Lutheran Confessions, Luther studies, and pastoral theology. Outside of theology, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis, and anything pertaining to aviation and the space program
