The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew
By Magnus Persson
03/25/26
12mins

The Original Sin of Preaching: The Constant Craving for a Useful God in Pulpit and Pew

God is not a tool in our hands. He does not exist to serve our goals, our metrics, or our platforms.
Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior
Russ Lackey
Russ Lackey
03/23/26

Even Chuck Norris Needed a Savior

The gospel isn’t for the strong but people who know they aren’t.
Post-Denominational Lutheranism
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
03/20/26

Post-Denominational Lutheranism

One great thing about our post-denominational age is that it has opened up opportunities to make common cause with other Lutherans who, despite their differences and eccentricities, can agree on some of the most important things.

All Articles

1517 Staff
1517 Staff
12/29/25

1517's Favorite Books from 2025

Below is a list of our favorite theological books - across all categories - from 2025. A special thanks to our contributors who submitted titles, wrote summaries and full reviews for these books and more throughout the year.
Donavon Riley
Donavon Riley
12/19/25

A Christmas Message for Contemporary Pagans

To know the cure is not to become immune to sorrow.
Matthew L. Rubinstein
Matthew L. Rubinstein
12/05/25

Death and the Maiden

It is death that deserves derision, not the disciple who reaches through sorrow for his Lord.
Adam Francisco
Adam Francisco
12/03/25

Did the Church Replace Israel?

The unity of God’s people is grounded not in lineage nor land but in the promise of the coming Christ.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/25/25

A Review of The Well That Washes What it Shows by Jonathan Linebaugh

“The well that washes what it shows” captures the essence of Linebaugh’s project, which aims to give the paradigmatic law-gospel hermeneutic a colloquial and visual language.
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
11/24/25

Psalm 10: Why Do You Hide Yourself, O Lord?

Why would David write this psalm for all to read when he was no longer God’s greatest king, but rather God’s greatest sinner?
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/13/25

Shattered Expectations and Steadfast Grace

It is by his perfect surrender that our true Exodus was accomplished.
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
10/16/25

An Introduction to The Bondage of the Will: The Preached and Unpreached God

This is the fifth installment in our article series, “An Introduction to the Bondage of the Will,” written to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will.
Caleb Keith
Caleb Keith
10/15/25

An Introduction to the Bondage of the Will: Election and the Word

This is the fourth installment in our article series, “An Introduction to the Bondage of the Will,” written to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will.
John W. Hoyum
John W. Hoyum
10/13/25

An Introduction to the Bondage of the Will: The Clarity of Scripture

This is the second installment in our article series, “An Introduction to the Bondage of the Will,” written to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
09/30/25

An Excerpt from Untamed Prayers: Psalm 123 and Psalm 136

The following entries are excerpts from Chad Bird’s new book, Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of the Psalms (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 311 and 335
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
09/25/25

God's Sufficiency in the Face of Our Inadequacy

He is the God who always is, whose Word is true, and never fails. He is a God who acts and always does what he says he’s going to do.
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