«Here we stand. Who are the Lutherans?» by Herman Sasse: Why this is not a good book should be translated into Russian [Zasse G. Na tom stoim. Kto takie lyuterane? [Here we stand. Who are Lutherans?] (Transl. K. Komarov; Ed. A. Komarov), Saint-Petersburg: 1994

Abstract

Translation of the book “Here we stand. Who are the Lutherans?” by Hermann Sasse appeared twenty years ago and was thought, as follows from its title, to clarify the features of confessional identity for Russian Lutherans. However, the author argues that the title is absolutely misleading and can cause perplexity of a neophyte reader. The translation made by K. Komarov was highly inaccurate and fool of annoying errors and misspellings, while the interpreter itself as well as the editor demonstrated complete ignorance of historical and theological realities. H. Sasse’s book appeared immediately after Nazis coming to power and their attempts to create a unified Protestant church under their leadership. Among Nazis opponents were many Christian denominations — Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists. H. Sasse himself found a middle path lashing both Nazis and Christian-antifascists. This allowed him to speak out openly on issues of the Church conversions, keeping loyalty to the regime and pursuing a career of lecturer. Thus, reading this book without understanding the context of its creation, which is partially reflected in the review, can hardly contribute to the understanding of the features of the Lutheran beliefs. The author gives the brief amount of the historical background and analyses some errors, made by translators.

Keywords

• barmen declaration
• karl barth
• hermann sasse
• bekennende kirche
• calvinism
• lutheranism