TLHP 00 Introduction

According to one opinion article in the New York Times, Johann Sebastian Bach is the greatest composer of all time. Bach topped a competitive list for his “combination of masterly musical engineering and profound expressivity.” But did you that Bach was a hardcore Lutheran? Not surprisingly, the article also noted that Bach found success by “digging deeper into his way of doing things.” The amount of work he did for his Lutheran Church dwarfs the relatively smaller pieces for orchestra or chamber music. So, what do you know about Lutheran history? Did you know that some historians estimate that around a century ago, roughly 10% of the population in the United States was Lutheran? Odds are, if you have Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, or Danish ancestry, you without a doubt had ancestors in the Lutheran Church, odds are pretty good for most people with German ancestry too. Did you know that Martin Luther not only altered the course of Christianity, but was he likely the first to understand and use mass media? Think about that as you contemplate how you are able to listen to this right now!

Hi, I’m Ben Phelps. I’m a Lutheran pastor, a husband, a father, a sinner-saint, and more, but I’m here to share my passion for history. I find Lutheran history to be more varied, more impactful, and more important than most people (whether they are Lutheran or not) realize. Hopefully my introduction helped to clearly illustrate that. I’ve personally presented on Lutheran history at a few conferences and gatherings, written a handful of articles for various Lutheran history publications, and am in the final stages of my work on a major figure in 19th-century Lutheranism.

But I’m starting this podcast to interview professional and independent historians on their work, covering over 500 years of Lutheranism. On the Lutheran History Podcast, or TLHP, We’ll hear new stories, examine old heroes of faith, and also dig into the who, how, what, and why of history-making.
Lutheran History Shop

• Lutheran History Shop
• Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)
• Facebook
• Website
• Interview Request Form
• About the Host
• email:[email protected]