The following bibliography is found in The Promise of Lutheran Ethics (Fortress Press, 1998), edited by Karen L. Bloomquist and John R. Stumme, 208-240. This bibliography will be updated from time to time.

This listing provides guidance for people interested in further study in English of the Lutheran ethical tradition. Its focus is on writings that define or examine the basic character, stance, approach, and concepts of Lutheran ethics. Beginning with a limited selection of writings from the Lutheran Reformation, the bibliography notes some significant works from subsequent centuries and concentrates on writings from the second half of the twentieth century. The largest number of books and articles appear in the subsection from 1975 to the present.

Most selections are written by individuals who consider themselves Lutherans, while some offer the perspectives of non-Lutherans. In addition, the bibliography highlights "ethical material" in the Lutheran Confessions and includes a section on official social-ethical documents of Lutheran churches and studies about them. A final section is devoted to historical studies of Lutheran ethics. The few selections included on specific ethical issues develop or illustrate fundamental Lutheran themes. The bibliography contains scholarly studies as well as some writings aimed at a general audience. It offers a broad-ranging view of writings in the Lutheran ethical tradition without being exhaustive.


Lutheran Reformation
- Martin Luther
- Philip Melanchthon
- Lutheran Confessions
- Sourcebooks with Selections from Luther and the Lutheran Tradition

Early Lutheranism Through the Nineteenth Century

Twentieth Century
- 1900-1949
- 1950-1974
- 1975-1997

Church Documents and Studies about Them

Studies of the Lutheran Ethical Tradition
- On the Reformation and the Tradition as a Whole
- On Later Persons and Developments

Lawyers and Christian Ethics