Description:
Outbreaks of disease and famine are nothing new. Ludwig Lavater, a leading pastor in sixteenth century Zurich, explains the ultimate source of plagues and God's purposes and promises during them.
Brief description:
Ludwig Lavater (1527-1586) was a Swiss Reformed theologian and colleague of his father-in-law, Heinrich Bullinger. He served as archdeacon at the Grossmünster in Zurich and was briefly antistes of the Zurich church as the successor of Rudolf Gwalther. Lavater was a prolific author, composing homilies, commentaries, a survey of the liturgical practices of the Zurich church, and a biography of Bullinger. His work on ghosts (De Spectris ...) was one of the most frequently printed demonological works of the early modern period.
Review Quotes:
"Writing from a time well versed in the unpredictability of infectious diseases and the pervasiveness of poverty, Lavater's sermons on pestilence, scarcity, and famine offer today's reader valuable insights into God's purpose for communal suffering and of the spiritual responsibilities and mutual duties incumbent on society. While mindful of practical concerns, Lavater conveys, from his sixteenth-century vantage, a particular emphasis on the 'why' of widespread physical and economic hardship, providing a needed complement to the twenty-first century's common preoccupation with the 'how.' Through Michael Hunter's very readable translation, Lavater reminds us theologically and historically that in calamity the godly are neither abandoned nor alone." -- John Bower, associate professor, pediatric infectious diseases, Northeast Ohio Medical University; and adjunct professor, church history, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary