# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S1210
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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Board has no control over the publications sponsored by other

706 PUBLICATION MATTERS

though it is expected that a manuscript by Dr. W. O. Fo.
professor of history at Purdue University, La Fayette, Ind,
a scholarly presentation of the early phases of the Saxon immigra.
tion of the last century, should be put into production at Concordia
Publishing House within the year. In this connection we would
mention another historical item, though not a part of the series
referred to above, Dr. E. G. Schwiebert’s Luther and His Times
A New Appraisal, a study not only of the religious, but also of
the social, political, and educational factors of Luther’s period which
contributed to the Reformation movement. This book should be
on the market in a few months.

Other major undertakings are completely new editions of the
Concordia Cyclopedia, Book of Concord, and Popular Symbolics
in order that our reading clientele may have the results of the
latest research in these important fields of knowledge.

There appears to be a demand in our country for a version
of the Bible in simple, present-day English. A number of such
new translations have been marketed by others in recent years.
We have under consideration at this time a manuscript prepared
by a clergyman of our Church which offers the New Testament
in the language of today. This is a matter which demands most
careful study, and we invite opinions of interested parties.

Portals of Prayer, our popular booklet of devotions, continues
to sell in large quantities, approaching the half-million mark
Its wide acceptance and the many reader acknowledgments of its
blessings are a source of gratification and ample reward for time
and effort expended on its production. The demand for the German
counterpart continues steady at about 35,000 copies per issue.

The use of tracts has increased considerably also in our
circles, and about a score of new tracts were produced by us in
the past triennium. Your Board and Concordia Publishing House
are bending every effort to produce these “quickies” on religious
subjects in a manner to attract reader interest.

Your Board solicits manuscripts on any subject within the
area served by Concordia Publishing House; they will be care-
fully and objectively examined. It might be stated as an encourage-
ment to unknown authors that a fair number of our publications
are unsolicited manuscripts.

It should be noted as a matter of record that the Literature

Boards and Committees of Synod, even though they are published
by Concordia. ;

The personnel of the Board continued unchanged through the

PUBLICATION MATTERS 107

sriennium: Rev. Alfred Doerfller, chairman; Rev. William H. Eifert,
secretary; Rev. W. E. Hohenstein; Rev. Otto Nieting; and Mr. Wil-

lian A. Kramer. Tue GENERAL LITERATURE BOARD

Wsiiiam H. Exrrert, Secretary

ACTION

“With reference to this report, Synod adopted the following
recommendations of Committee 8:

Resolution 9

The report of the General Literature Board gives evidence of
much diligent work. The Board is engaged in an extensive program,
which includes such major projects as the publication of com-
mentaries and the projected work on Luther, as well as a new
edition of the Concordia Cyclopedia, Book of Concord, and Popular
Symbolics.

In its endeavor to publish works of a scholarly nature the
Board has occasionally experienced difficulty in securing from the
Boards of Control, of various institutions the release of the men
needed for its projects.

Therefore your Committee recommends that Synod commend
the General Literature Board for its faithful and successful efforts
in conducting an elaborate program of publications;

That the Boards of Control be encouraged to release competent
men for work on scholarly projects;

That the General Literature Board be encouraged to avail
itself also of the talents of retired men who are qualified for
research and literary work in specialized fields;

That pastors and teachers be encouraged to avail themselves
of the opportunity of purchasing and reading these sound and
scholarly works as they are issued by Concordia Publishing House
under the auspices of the General Literature Board; and

That congregations be urged to place these volumes in church
or school libraries as well as public ‘libraries.

Report of Young People’s Literature Board
(Memorial 703)

Your Board for Young People’s Literature has under the grace
of God functioned continuously and successfully for the past
three years. With the exception of July and August the Board
met each month at Concordia Publishing House to review and
approve or reject all books and manuscripts placed into the hands
of the members.