author
F. (Friedrich) Bente
1858–1930
Known for clear, vigorous writing on Lutheran history and doctrine, this German-American pastor and professor helped shape how many English-speaking readers encountered the Book of Concord. His work combines church history, confessional debate, and a teacher’s instinct for explanation.
3 Audiobooks
Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
by F. (Friedrich) Bente
American Lutheranism, Volume 1 Early History of American Lutheranism and the Tennessee Synod
by F. (Friedrich) Bente
About the author
Born in Hanover, Germany, in 1858, he immigrated to the United States as a boy and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He studied at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and went on to serve as a Lutheran pastor in Ontario before joining Concordia Seminary as a professor.
He became especially known in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as a theologian, historian, and editor. Among his best-known works are Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and American Lutheranism, books that reflect his deep interest in confessional identity and church history.
He died in 1930. Today he is still read by students of Lutheran theology and by readers interested in the history of American Lutheranism.