Elements of Religion

Originally published in 1894, Elements of Religion was written by Dr. Henry E. Jacobs (1844-1932) as a one volume introduction to dogmatic theology. Jacobs was Norton Professor of Systematic Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and he is still well-known within the Evangelical Lutheran Church for his translation of "The Book of Concord" and his "History of the Lutheran Church in the United States."Jacobs' intention in writing "Elements of Religion" describes the ongoing value of the work today: "He does not offer his construction of the system as the best attainable, or as a great improvement on those that have already been given; but he hopes that some of the doctrines in the true-although not very usually assigned-relations in which they are placed, may gain fresh interest." (Preface) Surely, Jacobs' exposition of the faith is of benefit to the Church in the twenty-first century, because he sets forth an unchanging doctrine drawn from Holy Scripture.