Repristination Press

11/27/2025

*The Penny and the Republic* is now available in paperback.

This is a meditation on what happens when a nation abandons the smallest symbol of its shared covenant — and what that tells us about law, memory, and decline.

For anyone who cares about the Republic, this is for you.

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11/26/2025

It is encouraging to see the response to the J.A.A. Grabau materials published thus far. Most readers seem to be grasping the point: A one-sided ‘history’ isn't history. We've had 150 years of things being said *about* Grabau—some of it true, some of it false. But one cannot actually grasp the mature 19th century discussion of Church polity without actually have read Grabau, who brought an assessment which was almost uniquely shaped by an understanding of the polity expressed in the 16th and 17th century Church Orders which were definitive for Lutheran practice in the Reformation/Post-Reformation/Age of Orthodoxy period.

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11/12/2025

“On the Concept of Church Government” (1860) by Johann A.A. Grabau.

The second in our series of three works by Grabau, this booklet addresses the concept of Kirchenregiment in his understanding of Christian doctrine and practice.

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10/29/2025

“The Missourian and Iowan Spirit and the Doctrine of the Lutheran Church,” by J.A.A. Grabau

First published in 1868 and then published in an expanded edition in 1877, “Der Missourische und Iowanische Geist und die Lehre der Lutherischen Kirche” (“The Missourian and Iowan Spirit and the Doctrine of the Lutheran Church”) stands as one of the most penetrating theological critiques ever written of the rising democratic ecclesiology that transformed American Lutheranism in the nineteenth century. In this newly translated edition, J. A. A. Grabau’s defense of the evangelical and catholic doctrine of the Church—rooted in the ministry of Word and Sacrament—appears in clear, accessible English for the first time.

Grabau exposes the contrast between the historic Lutheran understanding of the divinely ordered Church and the populist innovations of the “Missourian spirit,” which made the congregation’s vote the final arbiter of doctrine and discipline. He shows how this new ecclesiology replaced divine call with popular mandate, apostolic order with congregational politics, and the authority of Christ’s Word with the authority of majority rule.

Against these errors, Grabau upholds the true evangelical confession: that Christ Himself governs His Church through the office of the ministry, not through human assemblies. His work is both polemic and pastoral—a warning to the Church against democratic reduction of the divine institution and a call to preserve the order that flows from the Word and Spirit of God.

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09/09/2025

“On the Controversies” (1561) by Martin Chemnitz

In the aftermath of the Diet of Naumburg in February 1561, Martin Chemnitz and other faithful Lutheran theologians sought to reconcile the divisions among adherents of the Augsburg Confession which had developed following the Smalcald War and Emperor Charles V’s imposition of his Augsburg Interim. In this slender volume, On the Controversies, Chemnitz addressed several of the central points of contention, rebuking error and encouraging the faithful to adhere to the biblical teachings of the Augsburg Confession, its Apology, and the Smalcald Articles. On the Controversies served as a first draft for portions of several of the articles of the Formula of Concord published in the Book of Concord (1580).

In the aftermath of the Diet of Naumberg in February 1561, Martin Chemnitz and other faithful Lutheran theologians sought to reconcile the divisions among adherents of the Augsburg Confession which had developed following the Smalcald War and Emperor Charles V’s imposition of his Augsburg Interim....

08/15/2025

“Two Sermons by the blessed Dr. Tilemann Heshusius (1584,” republished by J.A.A. Grabau (1843)

In an era when both church and culture confuse outward decency with true righteousness, Tilemann Heshusius’ “Two Sermons” cut to the marrow of Law and Gospel. First printed in 1584 and republished by Pastor Johann Andreas August Grabau in Buffalo (1843) “against the Albrecht‑folk or Methodists,” these sermons speak with bracing clarity to the Church’s perennial temptations.

Sermon I—That the Law of God demands inward and complete obedience; and that no man on earth can render such obedience—exposes the fatal reduction of God’s Law to mere outward discipline. Drawing on Matthew 5, Heshusius shows that the Law searches heart and will, demanding perfect love for God and neighbor. He dismantles Pelagian and scholastic claims that fallen man can fulfill the commandments or even exceed them, and insists that such teaching “abolishes God’s Law” and leaves sinners ignorant of their need for Christ. Here the lex semper accusat is recovered in full strength, so that the sinner is driven to the righteousness of faith.

Sermon II—On the Difference Between Mortal (Ruling) Sins and the Infirmities Found in the Saints—offers urgently needed pastoral discernment. Heshusius distinguishes (1) mortal/ruling sins that cannot coexist with saving faith; (2) the weaknesses and concealed sins that remain in believers and yet do not extinguish faith or prayer; and (3) the sin against the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven. He warns against the ignorance that sides with “prominent and influential people” rather than Scripture, and he comforts the penitent with Christ’s kingdom, which alone breaks sin’s reign.

This modern edition presents the sermons in clear English with historical notes and includes an index of Scripture passages “twisted and misused by the Methodists.” For pastors, catechists, and laity, Heshusius and Grabau together model confessional courage and evangelical care: a Law that truly kills, and a Gospel that truly makes alive.

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07/08/2025

Bishop Heiser's latest book, “A Time to Stand: The Shape of Faith in an Age of Collapse,” which is now available.

Building on his 2012 book, “A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven,” he addresses the deepening crisis of our age. Drawing from Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the wisdom of our Lutheran fathers, this book is a call for steadfastness amid chaos. It confronts secularism, cultural disintegration, loss of vocational identity, and doctrinal compromise — not with despair, but with hope grounded in Christ.

This is not just a book about ideas. It’s about fidelity, memory, and what it means to remain faithful when the world forgets what is sacred.

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06/16/2025

“A Summary of the Christian Faith” (1568) by David Chytraeus

Originally intended for the advanced instruction of young people, Chytraeus’ “A Summary of the Christian Faith” is a marvelous book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the faith. Chytraeus (1531–1600), one of the authors of the Formula of Concord, ranks as one of the central Lutheran theologians of 16th century. “A Summary of the Christian Faith” (Originally entitled “Catechesis”) offers two great blessings to its readers: (1) an opportunity to see how one of the Lutheran fathers confessed and taught the faith, and (2) an opportunity to grow in one’s own knowledge and appreciation of Christian doctrine. “Chytraeus had the irenic nature of Melanchthon with the doctrinal commitment of Luther.” (From the Introduction.)

Originally intended for the advanced instruction of young people, Chytraeus’ A Summary of the Christian Faith is a marvelous book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the faith. Chytraeus (1531–1600), one of the authors of the Formula of Concord, ranks as one of the central Lutheran theo...

06/06/2025

"Schola Pietatis, Volume 1,” by Johann Gerhard

In the first volume of this five volume work, Gerhard explores the meaning of godliness: “The first part consist of these words: Train yourself in godliness. In order that we properly understand this apostolic principle, we need to take note of two things: First, what is meant by godliness. Secondly, what it entails for one to train himself in godliness.”Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) wrote his "Schola Pietatis" as a corrective to Johann Arndt's "True Christianity”—it was intended to serve the faithful as a model of faith expressed in life, and to avoid the Pietistic pitfalls of Arndt's work. The “Schola Pietatis” also represents the pinnacle of Gerhard's devotional works: the author of the "Sacred Meditations" and "Daily Exercise of Piety" now examines the whole of the Christian life.

In the first volume of this five volume work, Gerhard explores the meaning of godliness: “The first part consist of these words: Train yourself in godliness. In order that we properly understand this apostolic principle, we need to take note of two things: First, what is meant by godliness. Secon....

06/03/2025

“Succinct and Select Theological Aphorisms: in Twenty-Three Chapters Containing the Core of all Theology,” by Johann Gerhard

Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) has long been recognized as the greatest theologian of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1580–1713). In 1611, Gerhard published a summary of Christian dogmatics under the title, “Aphorismi Succincti et Selecti...” A generation later, Ralph Winterton published an abridged English title of this work under the title, “A Golden Chaine of Divine Aphorismes” (1632). However, a complete translation has been unavailable until now.

Gerhard's “Succinct and Select Theological Aphorisms” was written during a particularly significant period in the theologian's work when he produced books such as “On the Legitimate Interpretation of Sacred Scripture” (1610) and “A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper” (1610). Gerhard's “Succinct and Select Theological Aphorisms” provides a thorough summary of classical Lutheran dogmatic theology divided into twenty-three chapters.

https://www.amazon.com/Succinct-Select-Theological-Aphorisms-Twenty-Three/dp/1891469762/

06/02/2025

“Lutheranism (1618): That is, Luther’s Catechism Briefly explained through question and answer And set against the most prominent Calvinistic objections,̦” by Jacob Martini.

Jacob Martini (1570–1649) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and philosopher during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Halberstadt, Germany, Martini played a significant role in the development of Lutheran Orthodoxy during a period marked by theological and philosophical challenges to the Reformation’s legacy. He studied at the University of Wittenberg, the epicenter of Lutheran thought, where he would later teach and become one of its key figures. This book, Lutheranismus [Lutheranism] (1619), was structured on the pattern of Martin Luther's Small Catechism. and was structured to counter the many Calvinist claims which run counter to the biblical doctrine. It remains a useful model of Lutheran catechesis and apologetics, explaining the biblical foundation of many faithful practices of the Church of the Augsburg Confession.

Jacob Martini (1570–1649) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and philosopher during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Born in Halberstadt, Germany, Martini played a significant role in the development of Lutheran Orthodoxy during a period marked by theological and philosophical challenges ....

05/29/2025

“Poverty: Three Essays for the Season,” by Charles Porterfield Krauth

Poverty is a persistent social problem which exists because of mankind’s Fall into sin. In this work, Krauth addresses not only the perpetuity of poverty, but also its causes and Christian approaches to the relief of poverty. Although originally published in 1858, Krauth’s observations are as applicable today as when they were first written.Charles Porterfield Krauth (1823–1883) is best remembered today for his magnum opus, "The Conservative Reformation and its Theology.”

Poverty is a persistent social problem which exists because of mankind’s Fall into sin. In this work, Krauth addresses not only the perpetuity of poverty, but also its causes and Christian approaches to the relief of poverty. Although originally published in 1858, Krauth’s observations are as ap...