Die Augsburger Confession

Philipp MelanchthonProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 88K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Die Augsburger Confession by Philipp MelanchthonAuthor: Melanchthon, Philipp, 1497-1560,Language: Latin, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Jul 1, 1996

Editor's review

The Augsburg Confession is a key document of the Reformation, drafted by Melanchthon, setting out the essentials of faith in concise articles that serve both as doctrinal exposition and as a response to a particular situation. Its value lies not only in the articles themselves but in how it shows a sixteenth-century theological controversy being addressed through restrained, clear formulation that seeks room for dialogue. Readers may attend to the tact of its wording: which articles aim to clarify a position, and which phrases leave room for reconciliation. For students of Reformation history, confessional documents, or early modern Latin texts, this is a compact but information-dense primary source. It is best read alongside historical background rather than in isolation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Reformation history and confessional documents
Students of religion who need access to primary Latin texts
Readers interested in sixteenth-century European intellectual history

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic introduction to theology
General readers without Latin and without annotated aids

Reading tips

First learn the basic background of the Diet of Augsburg, then read the articles one by one.
Compare with other confessional texts of the same period to observe differences in wording and points of dispute.
As you read each article, note the controversy it addresses and build your own article-by-article summary.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is this document in?

This Project Gutenberg edition is marked as Latin. Latin confessional texts are often cited in scholarship, but reading them requires the relevant language skills; if you lack these, use a bilingual or annotated edition for comparison.

Is it suitable as an introductory text on the Reformation?

Not really for absolute beginners. Its articles are concise and assume considerable background; without historical context they are easily read as isolated items. A safer approach is to read a general history of the Reformation first, then return to the original text.

What reference materials should I prepare before reading?

It is advisable to prepare a basic historical introduction to the Diet of Augsburg and the Reformation period, along with a Chinese or English parallel explanation of the confessional articles. This will help you better understand why the articles are worded as they are and where they stand in the debate.

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About the author

Philipp Melanchthon Author · German · 1497–1560

Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560), originally named Schwarzerdt, was a German humanist, reformer, theologian and educator. In 1518 he became professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg and worked with Martin Luther to advance the Reformation. In 1530 he drafted the Augsburg Confession and wrote the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, systematically setting out the reforming party's doctrinal position; he was known as the "Teacher of Germany." His works consist mainly of theological disputations and confessional texts, combining humanist rhetorical training with rigorous argument, and stressing clarity and conciliation in doctrinal formulation. They deeply influenced later Protestant confessional tradition and educational thought.