Easter-Book & Passion-Book 2-Book BUNDLE

EASTER-BOOK
Hardcover, 256 pp., 9″ x 6″, 2026
ISBN: 978-1-934328-32-3

Easter-Book by Friedrich Lochner provides 40 devotional readings for the 40 joyful days from Easter Day to the Ascension. Available for the first time in English from translator Matthew Carver, this volume contemplates our resurrected Lord's appearances to His disciples before His ascension, compiled from the Gospels and Acts and combined with corresponding hymn stanzas and closing prayers. In Easter-Book, Lochner continues in the same vein as his Passion-Book (EP, 2025), in which he uses a Gospel harmony to meditate upon the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ in 66 devotions.

The hymnody in Easter-Book, appearing mostly in the form of centos or select stanzas suitably brief for devotional use, is mostly taken from the public domain, especially from Lutheran hymnals. Where this was not possible, translations were sought elsewhere. In several cases, a new translation was provided by Matthew Carver. Musical settings appended by Lochner for less common tunes (in his context) are also included here, engraved by Lutheran musician David Schotte.

"Since the victorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our only consolation, salvation, and life, let us observe and retain with great diligence and earnestness the manner in which the Lord Jesus truly arose from the dead the third day, appeared to the witnesses chosen aforetime, ate and drank with them, and for forty days enjoyed tender fellowship with them, in which they not only saw Him and spoke with Him, but also felt Him and handled Him." (p. 2)

PASSION-BOOK
Hardcover, 346 pp., 9″ x 6″, 2025

ISBN 978-1-934328-30-9

Passion-Book by Friedrich Lochner is a remarkable addition to translator Matthew Carver's impressive catalog of historic Lutheran titles available for the first time in English. Lochner's deep knowledge of the Church's liturgical treasures and hymnology manifests itself in this collection of Passion devotions, which he first developed for his own private use to meditate upon the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lochner uses a Gospel harmony for the Passion account, supplementing with hymn stanzas and prayers from his own collection of hymnals and prayer books. While he does not prescribe a particular daily schedule for these 66 devotions, making use of them himself morning and evening throughout Lent, Lochner does offer suggested readings for each day of Holy Week.

The hymnody in this volume, appearing mostly in the form of centos or select stanzas suitably brief for devotional use, is mostly taken from the public domain, especially from Lutheran hymnals. Where this was not possible, translations were sought elsewhere. In several cases, a new translation was provided by Matthew Carver. Musical settings appended by Lochner for less common tunes (in his context) are also included here, engraved by Lutheran musician David Schotte of The Lutheran Kantor Project. (Explanations about the new hymn translations are found here on Carver's website.)

Friedrich Lochner was sent by the German pastor Wilhelm Loehe to the United States in 1845, where he served at various churches (including Trinity Lutheran in Milwaukee, Wisconsin), founded the Teacher's Seminary in that city, and taught at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. His German devotional on which the present translation is based was first published in a stand-alone edition in 1877, with its counterpart Easter-Book following in 1879.

Matthew Carver is a freelance translator specializing in German and Latin. He holds a BA from California State University, Long Beach with a double major in German Studies and Classical Civilization as well as MFA in Painting and Drawing from San Francisco Art Institute. Matthew lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife Amanda, a graphic designer, and their two sons, Edward and Alfred.