author
F. (Friedrich) Bente
1858–1930
A German-American Lutheran pastor, teacher, and church historian, he wrote with unusual energy about confessional Lutheranism and its history in America. His books remain useful for readers interested in the Book of Concord, church history, and the theological debates that shaped American Lutheran life.
3 Audiobooks
American Lutheranism, Volume 1 Early History of American Lutheranism and the Tennessee Synod
by F. (Friedrich) Bente
Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
by F. (Friedrich) Bente
About the author
Born on January 22, 1858, in Wimmer, Hanover, Friedrich Bente immigrated to the United States as a boy and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He prepared for ministry at Concordia College in Fort Wayne and graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1881.
He served pastorates in Humberstone and Jordan, Ontario, and later became president of the Canadian District of the Missouri Synod. Bente then joined Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, where he taught for many years, and he also worked as an editor of Lehre und Wehre, an important theological journal in his church body.
As an author, Bente is best known for historical and theological works such as American Lutheranism and his introductions to the Lutheran confessional writings. His writing is valued for its strong convictions, careful attention to sources, and deep interest in how doctrine and history shaped the Lutheran church in North America.