Issue 95 : The Gospel According to J.S. Bach
Originally published in 2007

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Table of Contents
A Musical Vocabulary for Budding Bach Fans
Calvin Stopert and Jennifer Trofton
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Fueled by his Lutheran faith, the composer devoted his life to creating music for refreshment, proclamation, and praise.
Calvin R. Stapert
The coffee craze unleashed Bach's whimsy.
Elesha Coffman
Protestant reformer Martin Luther planted the seed that grew into a rich musical tradition culminating in Bach.
Mark A. Noll
Luther believed that music has the power to teach Christian doctrine. He put this belief into practice with his catechism hymns.
Mark A. Noll
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Luther's example inspired Christian composers to fill the church with the finest music they could create.
Carlos Messerli
When Bach wanted to express the depths of Christ's suffering, he used the words and melodies of well-known hymns.
Jennifer Woodruff Tait
The Christian History & Biography Timeline
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As part of his century's lengthy worship services, Bach's music reinforced and deepened the proclamation of the Word.
Robin A. Leaver
His underlining and marginal comments give us a window into his personal faith.
Robin A. Leaver
Bach still speaks to the church today.
Paul Westermeyer
With the help of conductor Masaaki Suzuki, Bach's music is bringing the message of Christian hope to a secular nation.
Uwe Simon-Netto

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February 16, 1497: German scholar and reformer Philipp Melanchthon is born in Bretten, Baden. He and Luther were at times allies (he defended Luther against Johann van Eck and Emperor Charles V) and at other times enemies (Luther thrashed him for his views on the Sacrament, but apologized on his deathbed). Melanchthon's argument for justification by faith alone, known as theAugsburg Confession, is now the basic statement of Lutheran doctrine (see issue 34: Luther's Early Years).
February 16, 1801: ...
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