One would think that a book on Law and Gospel and Means of Grace would be a serious snoozer. Nothing could be farther from the truth! David Scaer is always engaging, and this book is no exception. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that this is my favorite writing of his. It’s a tossup.

What Scaer does in the book (a part of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series) is analyze these two topics from the perspective of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. He handles everything from the Law/Gospel controversy in the 1960s/70s to Agricola in the 16th century, to how Calvin and Luther understood Law & Gospel differently.

This last topic is perhaps the strongest portion of the book. Scaer makes the link from Christology to Law & Gospel to the means of grace, and weaves it beautifully. He helps us to understand that the Lutheran differences with Rome and Geneva are not just window dressing, but really come down to a different understanding of the nature of God Himself, and how He interacts with us in the world.

This really is a must read for Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike.

[This is a mini-review. I hope to post a more thorough one in the near future.]

-Rev. Todd Peperkorn, STM