I started out building a living Lutheran author list. What could be better? Except then some of the authors went to their eternal rest. Then I thought, can I have a list of recent by no longer living Lutheran authors without including some of the very influential but not recently released?
So this page contains both recent but no longer living Lutheran authors and some classic names & titles I think everyone should read.
Caveat: Who can define recent these days?! Also, I can’t always know when someone has died, and, when someone has died but someone continues to publish the author’s works, I’ll let them linger on the living Lutheran page. When I know that no more books are forthcoming, I will switch them to this one.
Recent by No Longer Living
Novelists
Bo Giertz: fiction & non-fiction
J. R. Kinser, an LCMS pastor and chaplain. The Foundling
Walt Wangerin Jr: A career featuring novels, essays, short stories, children’s story, meditation, and biblical exposition
Poets
(I also have a page for theological poets that contains a substantial list of Lutheran poets.)
- Martin Franzmann (1907-1976) (English/LCMS)
- Jarosalv Vajda (1919-2008) (English/Translation work also)
- Herman Stuempfle (1923-2007) (English/ELCA)
- Henry L Lettermann (1932-1996) (English/LCMS)
Long Time Lutheran Influences
Johann Gerhard (especially Meditations on Divine Mercy & Handbook of Consolations)
Philipp Nicolai, the great Lutheran hymnwriter!