Meeting Melanchthon

A Brief Biographical Sketch of Philip Melanchthon and a Few Samples of His Writing

Scott Leonard Keith, Scott Leonard Keith

• Publisher: New Reformation Publications
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781945978708
• eBook ISBN: 9781945978715
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Early Modern History

Most scholars consider Melanchthon to be a Reformation enigma. He, the developer of the Reformation doctrine of forensic justification, is contrarily condemned as a synergist. Known well as the Protestant preceptor of Germany, he was Martin Luther's lifelong friend, colleague, teacher of Greek, and fellow reformer. Upon arriving at Wittenberg, Melanchthon was a theologian neither by trade nor by training. He was a classically trained expert in classical languages, neo-Latin poet, textbook author, Greek scholar, humanist, and above all, an educator

Though he was offered a doctorate on several occasions, he was not a doctor of theology. Yet his influence on the protestant reformation of the 16th century is profound, both through the Loci Communes (the first Lutheran systematic theology) and the Augsburg Confession both of which came from his pen.

Dr. Scott Keith, who has spent much time studying and translating this great reformer, has written this short biography by way of introduction. Also, Melanchthon speaks for himself in fresh translations of his work.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Meeting Melanchthon: An Introduction
• The Early Years
• Melanchthon’s Magnum Opus
• Work, Work, Work
• The Birthday of the Lutheran Church
• Freewheeling Libertine or Law Dog?
• A Man of Trouble
• The Conclusion
• The Method of the “Loci Communes”—1526
• The Uses of the Divine Law
• Concerning the Gospel
• Justification and Faith
• Notes