Christian Rap Artist Develops Book of Concord App
By FLAME
In all of my years of theological training I had never come across The Book of Concord. I was immersed in the world of Calvinism and the Protestant Reformation—movements which claim Luther as their own—and yet I heard nothing about the confessional documents he wrote or guided into being. There is high regard for Martin Luther in Calvinistic circles, yet the important differences between Lutheran theology and Calvinism are kept at bay—intentionally so, it seems. Through a series of events, I ended up at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and discovered the hidden treasure of the Lutheran confessions. My life has not been the same since. The Book of Concord has expanded my joy in the faith, further grounded my assurance in salvation, and stimulated my passion for vocation.
This passion for vocation is what led me to develop a Book of Concord app. As I began to navigate my way through Lutheran circles, I eventually discovered The Wittenberg Project Youtube channel. The Wittenberg Project was founded by Tyree Toney—known popularly online as “Lex Lutheran”—and includes a collection of gentlemen from the African diaspora, including Alfredo Bullen of Panama (also known as “Athanasius”), who have found their theological home in Lutheranism. Our camaraderie around the confessions nurtured us in the faith and inspired us to bring what we had come to cherish to a digital format. We wanted to see an app for the Book of Concord that was accessible to the public so that others may be blessed as we have been blessed. I now contend that if you value theology, the simplicity of God’s word structured in an organized way, and own any type of systematic theology book, you also must own a Book of Concord—despite, or in spite, of your denominational heritage. It’s that important.
“The Book of Concord is literally modern Christianity’s best kept secret,” says my partner Tyree Toney (“Lex Lutheran”). Lex contends that many Protestants have no idea that the tradition they follow piggy backed off this movement in the sixteenth century. Lex told me he “discovered the Lutheran tradition by trolling a Lutheran minister about baby baptism.” He laughs a lot about that now but the point is that the more he talked to people throughout life the more he learned the historicity of the Christian faith and belief had been lost in the sea of Protestantism. Many will use cliché phrases—or Protestant bumper sticker sticker theology—like “Sola Fide” or “Sola Scriptura,” but at the same time they have no idea that the coiners of those phrases meant for them to be read in historical context.
Part of the challenge here is the Book of Concord’s lack of accessibility. Again Lex, “It’s difficult to convince a person to spend forty dollars on a book they have never heard of by some dead guys they do not care about.” This is a stinging indictment but it’s true! When we got together it was for the purpose of getting this treasure into as many hands as possible. What better way to do that than by literally putting it inside the phones already in their hands? The Book of Concord’s timeless wisdom and doctrinal clarity makes it great for daily edification, growth in the faith, and to enable people to not simply view their theology as simply a “Sunday morning thing” (Luther’s catechisms alone are clearly meant for daily life). My friend Lex accentuates this point when he says, “In contemporary times information is consumed by means other than paper books, therefore a mobile app allows people to study and research anytime and anywhere.” Why would we encourage obstacles to our confessions? We wouldn’t and we shouldn’t.
The Book of Concord app, “Evangelical Catholic,” is available to download on Apple and Android mobile devices.
Marcus “FLAME” Gray is an award winning recording artist and graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis (M.A. Theology).
