The wisdom and biblical teaching of the early Lutheran Church has been locked away in German and Latin for centuries. A key to this treasure chest, Lives & Writings of the Great Fathers of the Lutheran Church is a handbook that introduces the chief confessional Lutheran theologians from the era of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1580-1700). Short biographical sketches reveal the little-known life stories of these pastors and theologians, while selections of many of their best writings are presented in first-time English translations. Each chapter also lists all English translations of their work, along with their greatest writings in the original languages. "This volume is offered as a means for familiarizing readers with a too-often neglected, if not maligned, period in the history of God's people and perhaps also to entice some into moving into the deeper waters just described. Taking these fellow believers as conversation partners cannot help but deepen and expand our knowledge of how the Christian faith has come to us as we experience it in our time." -Introduction excerpt by Robert Kolb, professor emeritus of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis