The forty-ninth annual Bjarne Wollan Teigen Reformation Lectures were held at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN on October 27–28, 2016. The theme of the lectures was “The Cost of Confessing: Luther and the Three Princes.”
The first lecture, given by Dr. Roland Ziegler of Concordia Theological Seminary Ft. Wayne, was entitled “Luther and Frederick the Wise.” The second lecture, presented by Dr. Charles Cortright, of LCMS Eurasia Missions, was entitled “Luther and John the Constant.” The third lecture, given by Dr. David Lumpp of Concordia University St. Paul, was entitled “Luther and John Frederick.” This is the first conference held in the United States on this topic, focusing on the life and work of the three princes who ruled during Luther’s lifetime.
Through these rulers, God provided the environment and political situation which made the restoration of the Gospel possible. As great Lutheran confessors, they defended and protected the Reformation movement in its infancy. Each had a unique role: Frederick the Wise as founder of Wittenberg University and working behind the scenes to protect Luther from the pope and emperor; John the Steadfast, boldly confessing the faith before the emperor at Augsburg; and John Frederick who served as an “emergency bishop” and lost his position of power and was imprisoned for his confession of faith.
The complete lectures will be published in the March issue of the Lutheran Synod Quarterly, published by Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (ELS). Videos of the lectures are now available for viewing online at: