About Lutheran Quarterly

Lutheran Quarterly, New Series, a journal for all interested in the Evangelical-Lutheran Church everywhere, its history and theology, continues the tradition of Lutheran Quarterly, 1949–1977, a successor to Evangelical Review since 1849, Lutheran Church Review,1882, and the Augustana Quarterly, 1922.

Lutheran Quarterly appears in Spring, Summer,

Autumn & Winter issues each year.

Lutheran Quarterly Journal cover

The aims of the New Series are to provide a forum for:

  • the discussion of Christian Faith and life on the basis of the Lutheran Confession
  • the application of the principles of the Lutheran Church to the changing problems of religion and society
  • the fostering of world Lutheranism
  • the promotion of understanding between Lutherans and other Christians

 

Lutheran Quarterly is indexed in America with (ISSN 0024-7499):

  • History and Life,
  • Ecumenical Review,
  • Historical Abstracts,
  • Index to Religious Periodical Literature,
  • Luther Jahrbuch and
  • Religious Index One: Periodicals.

 

OUR LOGO
VDMA: Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

The biblical phrase represented on our cover and spelled out on the back cover, Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum (I Peter 1.25), was adopted as motto by Luther’s sovereign, Frederick the Wise, and his successors. The original “Protestant’’ princes walking out of the imperial Diet of Speyer 1529, unruly peasants following Thomas Muentzer, and from 1531 to 1547 the coins, medals, flags and guns of the Smalcaldic League all bore the most famous Reformation slogan, the first Evangelical confession: the Word of the Lord remains forever.

 

While the appearance of the phrase varies in historical use, the square design on our pages since 1987 is an original trademark of Lutheran Quarterly, Inc., and should not be used without permission from the managing editor Dr. Nicholoas Hopman, nicholas.hopman@alum.ptsem.edu. The square VDMA design is an original trademark since 1987 of Lutheran Quarterly, Inc., and should not be used without permission from the managing editor Nicholas Hopman.

VDMA
A Brief History

Some notes about the history of Lutheran Quarterly from Paul Rorem, current Editor.

As Lutheran Quarterly, new series, begins its thirtieth year ofpublication, we are grateful for predecessors stretching ack over a century and for the new publishingpartnership for print and online editions now underway with Johns Hopkins University Press.

 
Learning from the past

Lutheran Quarterly is an independent, pan-Lutheran publication for reliable history and evangelical (solafide) theology in the tradition of the Evangelical Review (1849), Lutheran Church Review (1882), the Augustana Quarterly (1922), Lutheran Church Quarterly (1928), and our immediate predecessor, The Lutheran Quarterly (1949—1977). aims articulated in 1949 remain unchanged and appear in the front matter of every issue: to provide a forum l) for the discussion of Christian faith and life on the basis of the Lutheran Confession; 2) for the application of the principles of the Lutheran Church to the changing problems of religion and society; 3) for the fostering of world Lutheranism, and 4) for the promotion of understanding between Lutherans and other Christians.

Our first issue, in 1987, was intentionally indicative of doctrinal emphasis and historical method. Leading the ytray as the very first essay was Gerhard O. Forde’s “Radical Lutheranism,” providing a theological direction for the journal in terms of the radical implications of justification by faith alone. Ever since, Lutheran Quarterly has championed the biblical and confessional emphasis on death and resurrection as a way to understand the effective power of the justifying Word. Many authors have taken up this emphasis over the years, especially Oswald Bayer, our most frequent contributor. Next in that same inaugural issue was an essay titled “Theodore Tappert’s Journal, The Lutheran Quarterly from 1953 to 1965,” indicating not only the legacy being carried forward but also the historical method and rigor to be applied. As in Tappert’s publications overall, the goal of Lutheran Quarterly has long been the effective presentation of careful research in the predecessor journals that I, as current editor, have also considered distinctive:

 

Currents in Theology and Mission 43; I (January 2016)

“Lutheran Quarterly has championed the biblical and confessional emphasis on death and resurrection as a way to understand the effective power of the justifying Word.”

Please read the full history HERE

 

Tributes to Mary Jane Haemig

Mary Jane Haemig was our book editor from 2003 to 2026.  Read comments from her coworkers HERE

Permissions

No portion of Lutheran Quarterly may be reproduced by any process or technique without the formal consent of the publisher. Please visit the Press’s permissions department at www.press.jhu.edu/ cgi-bin/permissions.cgi for more information

Lutheran Quarterly, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit society under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, May 21, 1984.