1517's Favorite Books from 2025
By 1517 Staff
12/29/25
17mins

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.
The Scandal and Splendor of the Savior’s Birth
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
12/26/25

The Scandal and Splendor of the Savior’s Birth

Every sinner can trace their salvation back to this moment when the Savior was born in accordance with the Word of God so that all of God’s words would be realized.
What to Preach and Not to Preach at Christmas
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
12/25/25

What to Preach and Not to Preach at Christmas

Christmas is not for remembering, thinking, pondering, trying to make sure you are really celebrating it properly, or for wondering whether you truly have faith.

All Articles

Rod Rosenbladt
Rod Rosenbladt
10/31/16

What Drove Luther's Hammer?

This evening we will together take a very abbreviated look at what led Luther down the long road to the discovery of the Gospel.
Steven A. Hein
Steven A. Hein
10/31/16

Human Depravity: The Doctrine on which Justification Stands or Falls

Lose trust in the free grace of the righteousness of Christ alone, and the holiness of the Church and all in her is lost.
Joel Hess
Joel Hess
10/30/16

The Reformation Will Not Be Televised

The same can be said of the Reformation. I have often heard both Roman Catholic and Lutheran brothers and sisters bemoan the celebration of the Reformation.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
06/25/16

Celebrating the Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession

The time constrained authoring of the Augustana caused great angst, for the part of Melanchthon that was never satisfied with his own literary output.
Sam P. Schuldheisz
Sam P. Schuldheisz
05/27/16

Heidelberg and Hobbiton: Theology of the Cross in Middle-earth

As the story unfolds we see Luther’s Heidelberg theses on display, even before the Fellowship leaves Rivendell.
Craig Donofrio
Craig Donofrio
05/12/16

Islam and the Divine Fox in Europe

Hus was burned at the stake in his early 40s, Luther lived to a fairly ripe, old age, but why?
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
03/17/16

Justification and Faith

By Philip Melanchthon (from the 1535 Loci Communes), translated by Scott L. Keith, Ph.D., edited by Kurt Winrich
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
02/22/16

Concerning the Gospel

The term Gospel came to mean a new kind of proclamation so that the Law and the new doctrine [Gospel] are distinguished in such a way that the new doctrine gains primary influence.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
02/05/16

The Uses of the Divine Law

By Philip Melanchthon (from the 1535 Loci Communes), translated by Scott L. Keith, Ph.D.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
12/02/15

Violence and the Church Go Way Back

We are like the spoiled children of kings who spit in the face of paupers on the street. We have been given so much, yet we treasure so little.
Chad Bird
Chad Bird
11/05/15

An Unmighty Fortress

Left to ourselves, we are like Adam and Eve; we sew together fig leaves of self-righteousness and hunker down behind trees of flimsy excuses to hide in vain from a judgment we deserve.
Brian W. Thomas
Brian W. Thomas
11/03/15

Crowded House: The Unexpected Home of Martin Luther

As Luther’s efforts at reform began to build, so did the vacancies in monasteries and convents across Europe as monks and nuns motivated by evangelical teaching left their orders for other vocations and opportunities, including marriage.
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