The Development of Lutheran Preaching: A Review of Select Sermons by Martin Luther, C.F.W. Walther, and Siegbert Becker

Abstract

The phrase Sola Scriptura rings loudly in the minds of Lutheran ministers. Scripture alone is the means by which God brings his life saving message to all people. Pastors want to rightly handle the Word of God as they bring it to his people—the Church. A Lutheran pastor who wants to do justice to the holy Word of God will think long and hard on why, what, and how he preaches. Why and what we preach are firmly established in the Word of God, but how we preach is up for debate. How to do this is no small question. Lutheran preachers since the time of Martin Luther have answered this question in different ways. This thesis will explore the roots of Lutheran preaching to establish why and what we preach. The thesis will then examine the preaching of Martin Luther, C.F.W. Walther, and Siegbert Becker to analyze how Lutheran preaching has changed or stayed the same.