Concordia University displays rare books to celebrate 500th anniversary of Reformation

MEQUON - The names of the original owners have long since been lost, but the books survive, and many of their ideas and information are just as relevant today.

They line an entire wall in the rare books room at Concordia University Wisconsin's library, many of them first printings of influential works by notable theologians from the Protestant Reformation including Martin Luther.

To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Luther's publication of "The Ninety-five Theses," which led to the split with the Catholic Church, transformed Europe and spurred a media revolution, Concordia is displaying some of its rare books.

The tomes were mostly donated over the decades to the university located on Lake Michigan in Mequon.

"My sense is we have a lot of pastors' libraries. Many were immigrants who came here," said David Krenz, a Concordia English professor since 1989.

Many of the books in Concordia's rare books collection are Lutheran doctrinal publications, collections of sermons and biblical interpretations. 

"What's interesting about this collection is what they treasured," said Jason Lane, an assistant professor of theology at Concordia who spent several years studying Lutheran books while earning his doctorate in Germany.

"When they immigrated to America, they had to give up a lot of their possessions when they got on the ships. But they brought these. They were the primary books of their libraries," said Lane, holding Salomon Glassius' 17th-century "Philogia Sacra," a popular book used by pastors working on their sermons until the early 20th century.

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Concordia University's library has around 400 copies in its rare books collection — works in Latin, German, Greek and Hebrew dating to the 1400s.

The exhibit will include 27 rare books from Concordia's collection, chosen for their importance in the Lutheran Reformation.

Among those on display for several weeks are:

• A famous Jena edition of Luther's works compiled by Matthew Flacius and published in 1560.
• A rare collection bound in one volume of pages from Luther's work as well as four other authors from the 1530s at a time when printers often sold unbound books in sheets. The first owner of this book asked a bookbinder to combine the sheets from the authors into one copy.
• A 1555 Latin catechism written by Johannes Brenz, an important reformer in southern Germany.
• A 1629 copy of Matthew Flacius' "Key to the Interpretation of Scripture," a defining work of Reformation biblical interpretation.

The Protestant Reformation spawned a media revolution and Luther's translation of the Bible into German was a seminal moment in the growth of literacy in Europe. Luther and other reformers quickly grasped the significance of movable type and printing presses in the rapid spread of ideas.

"It was the internet of its day and the reformers got on board right away," said Krenz. "Had Luther been alive today, he would have tweeted, he would have been on Instagram."

If you go

The rare books will be on display to the public at Concordia University's library, 12800 N. Lake Shore Drive, Mequon, during regular library hours.

Concordia is also commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with an art gallery exhibit of Reformation-themed art and memorabilia, a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 in Concordia's chapel and a Reformation service at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29.

For more information, got to cuw.edu.