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Over two decades have passed since the "Cold War" between the Soviet Union and the West ended. Many citizens of the former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact nations have embraced the opportunities which come with expanded civil liberties and economic growth, but extremists exploit nostalgia for the days of empire. In the words of Vladimir Putin, "the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century." A new ideology-Eurasianism-is being advanced by those who dream of a new empire and revenge on the Western powers which brought about the collapse of the Soviet empire. Aleksandr Dugin, the father of Eurasianism, was recently described by Foreign Affairs as "Putin's Brain." For Dugin, the battle between Russia and the West is an epic struggle to fulfill ancient myths: a battle between the mystical forces of the mythical land of 'Arctogaia' and a decadent, materialistic America. "The American Empire should be destroyed," Dugin declares, "And at one point, it will be." America needs to understand the nature of the Eurasianist ideology, and the fanaticism which wages war against the people of Ukraine today, and against the West tomorrow. "All too often, history is driven by the mad passions and ambitions of tyrants-and by warped visions of "progress" crafted in the shadows behind their thrones. James Heiser's brilliant new book drags one of today's most dangerous "gray eminences" into the light. His careful, intricate analysis reveals Aleksandr Dugin, whose twisted ideology shapes Vladimir Putin's brutal and aggressive effort to build a Eurasian empire centered on Russia. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the perilous and irrational motivations of those who now rule in Moscow." -Patrick Larkin, co-author of Red Phoenix, The Enemy Within, and other best-selling thrillers, and author of The Tribune "James Heiser has written a profoundly fascinating book on an important and troubling man. Anyone concerned about the future of Russia-indeed international affairs in general-should read this book."-Peter Schweizer, President, Government Accountability Institute, William J. Casey Fellow at the Hoover Institution, author, Extortion, Victory, and Reagan's War "A penetrating analysis of the dangerous totalitarian dogma of the man who has become Putin's Rasputin. If you want to understand the new threat to Western civilization, you need to read this book."-Dr. Robert Zubrin, President, Mars Society, President, Pioneer Astronautics and Pioneer Energy, author, Merchants of Despair-Radical Environmentalists, Criminal Pseudo-Scientists, and the Fatal Cult of Antihumanism "As his views reported by Heiser make clear, Dugin believes these are literally the forces of the anti-Christ, and to combat them he calls for the mobilisation of the peoples of Eurasia led by Russia, and including the former Soviet republics, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey and Iran, thus forging a 'natural' alliance with Islam while also ensuring Russian access to warm-water ports."--Mervyn F. Bendle, "Putin's Rasputin," for Quadrant Online "Alexander Dugin is little known in Western countries. In this book, James Heiser convincingly advances the case that this Russian philosopher and occultist should be better known and helps us to get to know him."... 'The American Empire Should be Destroyed' provides a well-written history of the rise of Dugin and his influence on Russian politics. Likewise, it convincingly makes the case that the West needs to wake up to the threat which Dugin's philosophy poses when it is advocated, in part, by the Russian elite."--Ed Dutton, Quarterly Review

First published in 1587, Aegidius Hunnius (1550-1603) offers a faithful exposition of St. Paul's second epistle to the Thessalonians in his Epistola divi Pauli Apostoli Posterior ad Thessalonicenses scripta, perspicuis Annotationibus illustrata. Hunnius is remembered as one of the earliest major theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1580-1713). The Second Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians is the seventh volume of Hunnius' writings published by Repristination Press.

First published in 1587 and revised and republished in 1592, Aegidius Hunnius (1550-1603) offers a faithful exposition of St. Paul's epistle to St. Titus in his Epistolae divi Pauli Apostoli ad Titum. Hunnius is remembered as one of the earliest major theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1580-1713). The Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to Titus is the sixth volume of Hunnius' writings published by Repristination Press.

Redeeming the Time-Essays for the Church in an Age of Confession is a collection of ten essays written by the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA). In these essays, Bishop Heiser addresses some of the most contentious issues confronting the Church in the modern age, including the ecumenical movement, contemporary worship, and contentions over the office of the holy ministry."Redeeming the Time by James Heiser is a collection of orthodox, confessional Lutheran essays that should be in the library of every serious Lutheran, whether clergyman or layman--and they would do non-Lutherans a world of good. The scholarship is impeccable; the style is attractive; and the topics are directly relevant to the church of the 21st century in a secular age. Here is a sample of the treasures to be found within the covers of this single book: confessionalism and pluralism in our post-modern world; Melanchthon rehabilitated against common criticisms; how Chemnitz was influenced by Irenaeus; church and state in the thinking of Walther and S. S. Schmucker; how better to balance word and sacrament--including the case for the Lord's Supper in every Divine Service and the restoration of absolution to its proper place in church life; rhetoric and hymnody, with a plea for the elimination of "useless and foolish spectacle" (how badly that is needed!); the 16th-century Reformation in Sweden (the contrast with the Swedish church today is staggering). Readers may not agree with everything; for example, I doubt very much that the death penalty is rejected in contemporary human rights thinking and practice simply because its opponents are uncomfortable with the very "notion of punishment." But even when the author's views are questionable, they never cease to be stimulating. Buy this book!" The Revd. Prof. John Warwick Montgomery, Ph.D., Théol., LL.D.Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy, Concordia University WisconsinDirector, International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights, Strasbourg, France

Johann Gerhard (1582-1637) is widely acknowledged as the most scholarly and insightful theologian of the Lutheran Church in the seventeenth century. Not only Gerhard's writings in the realm of dogmatic theology, but also his devotional works, have had a powerful influence on the Church for four centuries. Gerhard wrote his Tractatus de legitima Scripturæ Sacræ Interpretatione (1610) to serve as a corrective for flawed Roman Catholic and Reformed methodologies which he was concerned were imperiling the faith of Christians by detracting from the authority of Sacred Scripture. Gerhard's book is a carefully reasoned response to such methodologies and as a valuable resource for all students of theology.

Romans 1:16-For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (KJV)"The 'power of God' is the divine and efficacious means which God uses to save men, (1) because in it the benefits obtained by the suffering and death of Christ are offered, among which are also life and eternal salvation; (2) because through the preaching of the Gospel, God works the faith in hearts through which they embrace the good things offered in the Gospel and apply them to themselves; (3) because through the Gospel faith is preserved and increased, so that we are thus 'guarded for salvation by the power of God, through faith' (1 Pet. 1:5); (4) because, in all adversities and temptations, it furnishes a life-giving consolation, so that we may be preserved to eternal life under the weight of the cross."Gerhard's Annotations were incomplete at the time of his death; his son, Johann Ernst Gerhard, published them several years after his death. However, the Annotations are of enduring value and significance to the Church because in these first six chapters, Gerhard gives a clear treatment of the doctrine of Justification, and a model of Lutheran exegesis. Modern students of Holy Scripture will benefit from Gerhard's scholarship.

Begun the same year he started work on his renowned dogmatics, the Loci Theologici, Gerhard's A Comprehensive Explanation... is a masterpiece in its own right. In 67 chapters (31 for Baptism, 36 for the Lord's Supper), Gerhard examines issues which are of vital importance today: Who may officiate at a Baptism, or celebrate the Lord's Supper? May substances other than bread and wine be used in the Lord's Supper? What is the proper preparation for receiving holy communion? May Baptism be repeated? Is immersion necessary for a valid Baptism? All these questions (and many more) are answered by Gerhard on the basis of Holy Scripture. Gerhard's profound knowledge of the Scriptures makes this volume a wonderful resource.

In the third volume of this five volume work, Gerhard applies the understanding of 'godliness' which he has explicated in the first two volumes to an examination of the First Table of the Law; that is, the first three of the Ten Commandments.

In the second volume of this great devotional work, Gerhard builds on the foundation established int he first volume: "In the first volume of this treatise I have related in an orderly way the main, important, and motivational reasons which should generally encourage and awaken every person toward godliness. Now, additionally, follows that we provide a sure form and good directions from the Word of God as to how and in what manner a person should and can practice godliness. It is necessary for us to know both, for God has prescribed both for us in His Word."Rev. Dr. Elmer Hohle's translation of the Schola Pietatis (1623) is his latest contribution to the Repristination Press collection of Gerhard's works.

The Myth of Mars-Imagining the Course of Human Destiny is a collection of essays by the Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser. It is his third collection essays on the theological and philosophical implications of the exploration and colonization of Mars. Heiser is a founding member of the Mars Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee of that organization. "To speak of destiny is fraught with danger, for we want to impose our desires, and cause it destiny. ... Mars-and space exploration in general-is not the true goal. Perhaps it is a place for us to learn-and we have already begun that process." In The Myth of Mars-Imagining the Course of Human Destiny, Bishop James Heiser explores the role which myth plays in determining the way in which people envision the exploration and colonization of Mars in the course of human destiny. "Mars-in the sense which really matters the most in terms of myth-exists only in terms of a potentiality. The actions which human beings are presently taking toward Mars becoming a living world offer a mythical participation in one of several possible futures."

Aegidius Hunnius (1550-1603) was among the most significant of the Lutheran theologians of the early years of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy (1580-1713). From 1576 to 1592, Hunnius served on the theological faculty of the University of Marburg and then joined the faculty of the University of Wittenberg in 1592, helping to restore Lutheran teaching and practice in Saxony during the reign of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm I. It was during his years in Marburg that Hunnius completed his sermons on the Small Catechism, to which his twelve sermons on "The Christian Table of Duties" were appended. Rydecki's translation is based on the revised edition of Hunnius' sermons. Hunnius' sermons on the Table of Duties fill a significant gap in much of the confirmation instruction which takes place today. Hunnius' sermons are a valuable corrective to this common shortcoming, and will be of enduring aid to Lutheran pastors and laity.

The matter under controversy is whether, just as that will of God, the satisfaction of the Son and the promises of the Gospel are universal, so also election is to be called universal, such as when it is stated that God elected all men equally to eternal life. Huber affirms this; the rest of us, his colleagues, deny it. We will disprove the reasons that he sets forth for his position briefly and in an orderly manner.Meanwhile, this must be dealt with first: Since both sides agree about the universal will of God for the salvation of men and about that general love of God which Christ mentions in John 3, can this general love and beneficent will of God be called "election," and thus, can it be asserted that God elected the whole world to eternal life?Response: For our part, we have no desire to quarrel with anyone over words or phrases (as long as the matter itself remains secure and there is no danger near at hand). And for that reason, we do not bring up on charges those who improperly and mistakenly call that "election" which we have called "the merciful will of God." But since Dr. Huber has concluded that the Scripture everywhere teaches a universal election, properly speaking-so much so that he writes that all men, truly, properly and unmistakably have been predestined and elected to salvation; and since he does not wish to acknowledge in any way that he has improperly said that unbelievers, too (Turks, etc.), are elect; and since he most absurdly interprets those very passages that deal expressly with predestination, such as John 7, Romans 8, Ephesians 1, and, similarly, 2 The. 2, 1 Pet. 1 and 2, to be concerning the election of the whole world to eternal life; since he has not blushed publicly to accuse his dissenters, and especially us, his colleagues, of Calvinism, in spite of all our merit; we could not fail to perform this cleansing in the Church of God, and at the same time come to the aid of the truth in distress and warn about the danger that exists in this new manner of speaking in which he not only states that the whole world was elected to eternal life, but also imagines a general justification in which the whole world has been justified before God, with sin having been remitted and equally forgiven to all men. In fact, he also imagines a general adoption, and also a general sanctification of all men, a regeneration of hypocrites through a Baptism undergone with wicked intent, and other similar things that we will examine in an orderly fashion. (From the Introduction)

"Any future culture must witness a restoration of the role of the sacred within the lives of its people, or it will share the spiritual ills of our present culture. A renewed culture, rooted in the love of neighbor and a zeal for the truth-especially zeal for the One who is Truth-will be truly ready for the new frontier." The Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser is a founding member of the Mars Society, and a member of the society's Board of Directors and Steering Committee. He is the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA).

"Civilization and the New Frontier" contains four essays by one of the leading scholars engaged in discussions of the relationship between science and religion in the field of space exploration. Bishop Heiser is a founding member of the Mars Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee of that organization. He has also served in parish ministry for fourteen years and has been bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America since 2006.The essays in this volume focus on the relationship between Virtue and the establishment of a civilization and draw on the wisdom of philosophers, scientists and theologians of over twenty centuries to address the issues of expanding human civilization beyond the confines of Earth.

"Therefore the bishop has the power of the order, i.e., the ministry of Word and sacraments; he also has the power of jurisdiction, i.e., the authority to excommunicate those guilty of open crimes, and again to absolve them if they are converted and seek absolution." (Apology XXVIII)In June 2006, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) was organized by a group of confessional Lutheran pastors serving independent congregations who were alarmed by the lack of faithful doctrine and practice manifest in the existing synods in North America. The founding pastors of the diocese recognized that a lack of pastoral oversight was one of the most significant factors contributing to the decline of Lutheran doctrine and practice. Therefore, the diocese was organized with an episcopal polity, with a bishop who would be responsible for exercising pastoral oversight among the pastors of the diocese, just as the pastors themselves were responsible for the oversight of their respective parishes. Pastor Rutowicz was among the founding pastors of the diocese. This volume contains three of his essays which helped shape the diocese's understanding of the episcopal office, as that office is set forth in the Book of Concord and historic Lutheran practice. This volume also contains the ELDoNA Charter, the Niles and Malone Theses, and the diocesan Rite of Consecration. Pastor Rutowicz serves at St. Boniface Lutheran Church in Niles, Michigan.

Writing to the Church in Corinth, St. Paul referred to himself and other called servants of Christ as "stewards of the mysteries of God." The work of the office of the holy ministry is still defined in this way, as pastors are sent by Christ to bring God's gifts of Word and Sacrament to His Church. The essays in this volume were written by the Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser, who serves as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) and as pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Malone, Texas. In these essays, Bishop Heiser addresses many aspects of the work of the ministry, but throughout there is an emphasis on the pastor's responsibility for preaching the Word, administering the Sacraments, and exercising the office of the keys. The ongoing significance of the Lutheran Confessions of the Book of Concord (1580), as well as other writings of the theologians of the Lutheran Reformation and the Age of Orthodoxy (1580-1713) is evident throughout Heiser's writings. In the midst of the current "ministry" debates, these essays direct pastors and laity alike to the clear teaching of God's Word concerning the blessings which the Lord grants to His Church through His called and ordained servants.

What is history? For many post-modern men-maltreated and miseducated by substandard pseudo-educators in the holding pens which society calls "public schools"-history is just a string of disassociated events which reduces to a catalog of 'one blasted thing after another.' Taught to avoid any awareness of a transcendent significance associated with any event and to simply become immersed in fleeting concerns, the cultivated ignorance of history has partially blinded its victims to the reality which surrounds them from before the moment of birth. In an age when the value of life is measured only by the perception of personal material affluence, the most fundamental needs of human beings have been woefully neglected. Ours is a dark age, in the proper sense of the concept. It is an age in which those who claim to know are often the most ignorant-ignorant of the sacred history which undergirds the history of the race-and thus men are ignorant of who they are, when they are, and where they are. An awareness of the darkness of the present age offers the possibility of repentance, and a return to a civilization worthy of the term.

Johann Konrad Wilhelm Loehe (1808-1872) was one of the pivotal nineteenth century theologians in the struggle to restore a confessional identity to the Lutheran churches of Europe and North America. In an age when the doctrine of the ministry was contended on both sides of the Atlantic, Loehe found himself in a protracted struggle with theologians of the State Churches of Europe and various synods in North America over the nature and work of the pastoral office. As the translator for the 1849 Aphorisms notes in his preface: "Both sets of Aphorisms are not to be seen in isolation, but rather in intimate connection with the "churchly program" that Löhe developed with great energy (yet without detriment to his parish duties) in the years when he was most crippled with devastating grief over his wife's early death. The political crisis of 1848 awoke unfounded hopes in Löhe's breast that his "churchly program" might in fact be realised sooner rather than later. In the end of the day, perhaps only half of Löhe's aspirations turned into hard fact, namely, the establishment of the order of deaconesses and the erection of the "caritative" institutions bound up with the "procession of diakonia from the altar." To this day much of Lutheranism in the old world remains under the shackles of the State control that Löhe lamented in the shape of the "supreme episcopate of the princes." Moreover, his hopes of a renewed Lutheranism, centred in the sacrament of the altar, gladly and unforcedly practicing "unmixed eucharistic fellowship" (his term for our "closed communion"), and moving toward a greater fullness of liturgy, polity, and life than was achieved in the 16th century, have been sadly disappointed. Both sets of Aphorisms emerge from this context of conflict and expectation. With one foot in both Lutheran Orthodoxy and Lutheran Pietism (he would not see these successive ecclesial phenomena as alternatives), Löhe reached back behind these powerful factors in his formation to the New Testament text, his prime motivation being loyalty to revealed truth. From the communion of saints he surely bids us test his assertions against the yardstick of the inspired text."

David Henkel, one of the founders of the Tennessee Synod was one of the most important theologians of nineteenth century confessional Lutheranism in North America. The Tennessee Synod had the distinction of being the first Lutheran church body to publish the entire Book of Concord in English, and its pastors were zealous missionaries, contending against false doctrine and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. This book is Henkel's contribution to contending against the errors of Unitarianism, and is still a valuable resource for responding to those who deny the scriptural teaching of the doctrine of the Trinity.

The eucharistic sacrifice, the "sacrifice of thanksgiving," is a concept which is central to the Lutheran reformers' understanding of worship. In this essay, Pastor Stuckwisch examines the manner in which this teaching is set forth in the writings of Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), particularly in the Book of Concord.

Nicolaus Hunnius (1585-1643) was one of the most significant theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy. Hunnius was a professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Wittenberg by the age of 24. He eventually became the superintendent (bishop) of Lübeck, where he led the clergy in an effort to defend and restore the Church in that city. Hunnius was the author of numerous theological works, including the Diaskepsis Theologica (1626). His Principia Theologiae Fanaticae was a careful analysis of the theological principles of those whom he deemed 'fanatics'-the followers of Paracelsus, Valentin Weigel, and the adherents of the Rosicrucian movement. Indeed, Hunnius' Principia is one of the first contemporary responses to the Fama Fraternitas of the Rosicrucians, and it places the occult movement within the context of a more widespread interest of Hermeticism, Cabalistic studies, and occultism which had developed during the early years of the Italian Renaissance. Hunnius challenged the theological presuppositions of the "fanatics" and upheld the authority of Holy Scripture and the office of the holy ministry.

Who may celebrate the Lord's Supper? In recent years, 'offices' such as 'lay minister' have begun to arise whose holders, among other duties, officiate at celebrations of the Lord's Supper. Are such celebrations actually the sacrament which Christ instituted? Are they God-pleasing? Do they offer the forgiveness of sins?In this important book, Pastor Heimbigner examines Holy Scripture and the writings of the early church fathers, church orders and liturgies in order to find an answer to these questions. Heimbigner's research reveals that the Church has always understood that Christ entrusted the celebration of the Lord's Supper to the Office of the Holy Ministry. The Church acknowledges that the Office was instituted by Christ to convey the forgiveness of sins to God's people. The Office of the Holy Ministry, therefore, is occupied by men who have been called by Christ through the Church and ordained into the Office by men who already occupy the Office.

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." Krauth was a crucial figure in the promotion of Confessional Lutheranism against the "American Lutheranism" of S.S. Schmucker (who compromised several central biblical teachings in an attempt to appeal to various sectarian forms of American Protestantism). After Krauth and other Conservative Lutherans withdrew of the Schmucker-dominated General Synod, Krauth became the chief theologian of the new General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America.

Although almost forgotten today, Robert Barnes (1495-1540) played a significant role in bringing the Reformation to England. Influenced by Luther and his continental followers, Barnes was an unabashed advocate of the Lutheran 'heresy' in the England of Henry VIII. Barnes and his martyrdom are powerful expressions of the theology of the cross and the great comfort which God bestows on those whom He has brought to faith in their great Redeemer.