The Lutheran History Podcast

Epizode

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  TLHP 80 "The Lutheran Hymnal" (TLH) and Americanization in the Synodical Conference with Elisabeth Urtel 01.05.2026 1h 6min

  In this episode, we explore the story behind The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) and the remarkable collaboration that brought it into existence. Drawing on Elisabeth J. Urtel’s recent dissertation, the conversation traces how the Missouri, Wisconsin, Norwegian, and Slovak synods of the Synodical Conference worked together to produce a shared English-language hymnal during a time of profound cultural change. The discussion examines how the shift from German and other immigrant languages to English sha...
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  TLHP 79 The Reformation of Suffering with Ronald Rittgers 03.04.2026 37min

  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ronald Rittgers about his book The Reformation of Suffering: Pastoral Theology and Lay Piety in Late Medieval and Early Modern Germany. Join us for a fascinating discussion of what was retained from the Late-Medieval focus on human suffering in the Reformation, and what was incompatible with the renewed focus on the biblical doctrine of salvation. Finally, we discussed how our current age seeks to distance itself from questions and acknowledgment of su...
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  TLHP 78 Lutherans and the American Revolution: God on Three Sides with Jonathan Wilson PART II 06.03.2026 30min

  Image: Mythic depiction of PETER MUHLENBERG AT WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA Note: the guest wishes to clarify that he meant a $10 bill, not $100, in reference to Hamilton. In God on Three Sides, Jonathan M. Wilson explores how German Pietist communities experienced and interpreted the American Revolution, a war that forced believers to wrestle with loyalty, violence, and obedience to God in a time of political upheaval. Drawing on sermons, letters, and personal writings, Wilson shows how Pietists on a...
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  TLHP 77 Lutherans and the American Revolution: God on Three Sides with Jonathan Wilson PART I 06.02.2026 47min

  Image: German and British officers with a chaplain in 1777. In God on Three Sides, Jonathan M. Wilson explores how German Pietist communities experienced and interpreted the American Revolution, a war that forced believers to wrestle with loyalty, violence, and obedience to God in a time of political upheaval. Drawing on sermons, letters, and personal writings, Wilson shows how Pietists on all sides of the conflict—Patriot, Loyalist, and neutral—understood the war through a shared theol...
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  TLHP 76 Lutheranism and American Culture in the Civil War Era with Tim Grundmeier 16.01.2026 1h 1min

  In today's episode, we welcome back Dr. Tim Grundmeier from MLC to talk about his newly published book. Lutheranism and American Culture examines the transformation of the nation’s third-largest Protestant denomination over the course of the nineteenth century. In the antebellum era, leading voices within the church believed that the best way to become American was by modifying certain historic doctrines deemed too Catholic and cooperating with Anglo-evangelicals in revivalism and social refo...
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  TLHP 75 Full Citation:Utilizing an Archival Storehouse with Nathan Ericson 12.12.2025 42min

  The most important WELS history resource might not sit on a shelf — it’s already in your browser. In this episode, we sit down with Professor Nathan Ericson, Library Director at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and Editor of the Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, to explore the quiet engine behind much of modern WELS scholarship: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Digital Library. We discuss how thousands of digitized papers—from convention essays to rare historical documents—form an indispensable record of t...
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  TLHP 74 Martin and Katherina's Marriage: Details Less Often Told with Nathaniel Biebert 31.10.2025 52min

  What was it like to witness Martin Luther’s wedding—and even his bridal chamber? In this episode, we explore Justus Jonas’s vivid letter announcing Luther’s marriage to Katharina von Bora, complete with tears, friends, and ancient wedding customs that may shock modern ears. Along the way, we’ll uncover the surprising role of the best man, the significance of Luther’s marriage for Reformation theology, and why vocation and family life became so central to his legacy. Many thanks to my wonderfu...
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  TLHP 73 Who was Siegbert Becker? with John Brenner 03.10.2025 38min

  In this episode of The Lutheran History Podcast, Dr. John M. Brenner joins to share insights from his recent article on Professor Siegbert W. Becker, a major voice in confessional Lutheran theology during the 20th century. Listeners will be introduced to Becker’s life, teaching, and legacy, and gain a better understanding of the challenges he faced—and the convictions he held—in a time of great theological unrest. Becker’s story spans some of the most critical decades in American Lutheranism...
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  TLHP 72 Pennsylvania’s “Youthful Daughter” the Early History of the Wisconsin Synod with Tim Grundmeier 05.09.2025 55min

  In this episode of The Lutheran History Podcast, we talk with Dr. Timothy D. Grundmeier about his recent article, “Pennsylvania’s ‘Youthful Daughter’: Reexamining the Early History of the Wisconsin Synod,” featured in the Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly (Spring 2025). While many are familiar with the Wisconsin Synod’s early ties to German mission societies and eventual fellowship with the Missouri Synod, Dr. Grundmeier highlights an often underappreciated chapter in WELS history: its formative p...
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  TLHP 71 Who was Henry A. Koch? 08.08.2025 51min

  In this special episode, guest host Tim Grundmeier interviews historian and author Benjamin T. Phelps about his recent Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly article on Dr. Henry A. Koch—a pastor, professor, and editor who left a profound mark on confessional Lutheranism in both Germany and America. Phelps shares personal insights drawn from years of research, including access to Koch’s letters, diary, and unpublished materials preserved by his family. Together, they trace Koch’s theological formation ...
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  TLHP 70 The Wisconsin Synod Prints in German 06.06.2025 36min

  This is a special episode of a presentation I prepared for the Society of German American Studies symposium in April in Milwaukee. -- The year 2025 marks the 175th anniversary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Originally established in the Milwaukee area as the Die erste deutsch. evang.-luth. Synode von Wisconsin, this German immigrant ecclesiastical organization, immediately needed printed materials in its native language that would serve the needs of its people in a new geographi...
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  TLHP 69 Christ Through Us- WELS 175th Pictorial History with Joel Otto 02.05.2025 23min

  In this WELS 175th episode, we talk with Joel Otto, the anniversary committee chairman, about the pictorial history book Christ Through Us, which he co-authored with John Braun. Many thanks to my wonderful supporters! Support the show Confessional Languages ScholarshipThe Wauwatosa Diary (book)Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)FacebookWebsiteInterview Request Form email: thelutheranhistorypodcast@gmail.comAbout the HostBenjamin Phelps is a 20...
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  TLHP 68 - 175 Years of Change in WELS Worship with Joel Otto 05.04.2025 39min

  In this WELS 175th episode, we talk with Joel Otto, the anniversary committee chairman, about what WELS worship has looked like in the past and how it has changed. Many thanks to my wonderful supporters! Support the show Confessional Languages ScholarshipThe Wauwatosa Diary (book)Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)FacebookWebsiteInterview Request Form email: thelutheranhistorypodcast@gmail.comAbout the HostBenjamin Phelps is a 2014 graduate fr...
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  TLHP 67 Who was Adolf Hoenecke? with James Danell 07.03.2025 1h 15min

  image: Adolph Hoenecke from the host's family photo collection. In this WELS 175th episode, we talk with Prof. James Danell who teaches German at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN, about Adolph Hoenecke, who taught for many decades at the Wisconsin Synod's Seminary. Prof. Danell speaks in this episode about his significant influence on the spirit and theology of the Wisconsin Synod. Not only does Danell teach the German language, but his advanced classes read through German Luthera...
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  TLHP 66 The Importance of Learning German for Lutheran History with James Danell 07.02.2025 23min

  This is part of a longer conversation I had with Prof. James Danell about the imperative need for scholars who know German to do Lutheran history. You can support the Confessional Language Scholarship at MLC to encourage this endeavor here. Many thanks to my wonderful supporters! Support the show Confessional Languages ScholarshipThe Wauwatosa Diary (book)Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)FacebookWebsiteInterview Request Form email: theluthe...
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  TLHP 65 Brand Luther with Jared Natsis and Phil Moldenhauer 28.01.2025 43min

  This is a cross-over episode with The Shepherd's Study Podcast, where I was a guest of Jared Natsis and Phil Moldenhauer. We talked about the content and merits of the book Brand Luther which came out shortly before the Reformation 500th anniversary. The Shepherd’s Study podcast is produced by Grow in Grace to help pastors grow in the art and practice of pastoral ministry. Each episode features Lutheran pastors discussing a book that is salient to their work. The views, thoughts,...
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  TLHP 64 The Election Controversy Revisited with Peter Prange 10.01.2025 1h 7min

  In this episode, we talk with Peter Prange about the third volume in his series, Wielding the Sword of the Spirit, in which he gets into the details and nuances of the Election Controversy that rocked the Synodical Conference. Many thanks to my wonderful supporters! Support the show Confessional Languages ScholarshipThe Wauwatosa Diary (book)Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)FacebookWebsiteInterview Request Form email: thelutheranhistorypodca...
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  TLHP 63 Who was Johannes Muehlhaeuser? with Tim Grundmeier 20.12.2024 48min

  In this WELS 175th episode, Tim Grundmeier and I talk about who Johannes Muehlhaeuser was, Christmas trees, and the founding of the Wisconsin Synod. Many thanks to my wonderful supporters! Support the show Confessional Languages ScholarshipThe Wauwatosa Diary (book)Youtube ( even more behind-the-scenes videos available for certain patron tiers)FacebookWebsiteInterview Request Form email: thelutheranhistorypodcast@gmail.comAbout the HostBenjamin Phelps is a 2014 graduate from Martin Luthe...
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  Historic Diary Found in Grandpa's Basement! 11.12.2024 1min

  Image: JP Koehler at Wauwatosa Seminary, candid photo taken by a student. While going through some old boxes in my grandfather's basement, I stumbled upon something truly remarkable: my great-grandfather’s diary. He was a student at the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary from 1910 to 1912 and had the unique opportunity to learn from the famous Wauwatosa theologians of that era. As you can imagine, this diary could be a treasure trove of insights into the life of a seminary student over a century a...
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  TLHP 62 Achtliederbuch-The First Lutheran Hymnal: Details Less Often Told with Nathaniel Biebert 06.12.2024 59min

  Link to the service and hymns: https://trinitylutheransd.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Reformation-Hymn-Festival-2024.pdf The first evangelical hymnal—which in retrospect we can also call the first Lutheran hymnal—rolled off the presses around the middle of January 1524. But interestingly, it did not roll off the presses in Wittenberg, even though the title page gave that impression, or even at Luther’s instigation. It was printed by Jobst Gutknecht in Nuremberg, well over 200 miles to the...