Each year, I get a pile of catalogs from various publishers with dozens—even hundreds—of newly released theological books. The number of books can be overwhelming, but this represents perhaps a miniscule amount of theological literature produced each year; you can begin to fathom then the sheer volume of books published over the centuries. Further, only recently did the US become a hub for theological material. Germany has, for many years, been a very formidable player in the theological publishing world. We’ve also see a fair share of material from France, the Netherlands, and more. Like the US, English language is also a late-comer to the game; Latin was for hundreds of years the theological lingua franca.
You can imagine just how many of these books are still waiting to be translated into English. One of my favorite parts of my job is being a part of some terrific translation projects. Through Logos Bible Software’s Pre-Publication program, you can also be a part of these exciting endeavors.
Right now, Logos is working on four particularly important translations:
The Epistle to the Hebrews by Ceslas Spicq
Ceslas Spicq’s masterpiece on the Epistle to the Hebrews may have flown under the radar in the US, but not for some of today’s top commentators. Spicq’s L’ Épître aux Hébreux is referenced hundreds of times in commentaries such as NICNT, AYBC, NIGTC, NIVAC, Hermeneia, and PNTC. It was difficult to find all the pieces necessary for this translation project, but the importance of Spicq for the study of Hebrews can hardly be overstated. Learn more from Cliff Kvidahl’s blog post on the same topic, and pre-order yours today.
The Sermons and Lectures of John Calvin
John Calvin was a tireless preacher, drawing massive crowds multiple times per week, for years on end. He delivered thousands of sermons and lectures over his career, and unfortunately the majority of those have remained untranslated into English, including his important lectures on the book of Daniel. Logos is now working to make translate much of that material with this massive collection of sermons and lectures. Pre-order all 29 volumes to support this project.
Reformed Dogmatics by Geerhardus Vos
Geerhardus Vos’ famous Gereformeerde Dogmatiek is finally being translated into English. The translation team is ably led by Vos expert and scholar Dr. Richard Gaffin, and the project is well under way. This fascinating systematic theology is presented in a question-and-answer format—the clarity of which is unsurpassed. This is a project you won’t want to miss—pre-order all five volumes for only $69.95. You can read more about this translation project over at Logos Talk.
The Latin Works of John Owen
Many of John Owen’s writings have been translated into English and treasured for centuries. Sadly, what he considered his magnum opus, Theologoumena Pantodapa, has never made the cut. This project consists of three volumes: Theological Discourses—containing his treatise on the origin, history, and progress of theology—In Defense of Sacred Scripture, and Lectures to the University of Oxford. Read more about this project at the Logos Talk blog, and help get these important works translated—place your order and help get this under way.
fgh says
February 20, 2014 at 2:04 pmAquinas doesn’t qualify as “particularly important”?
Jonathan Watson says
February 20, 2014 at 2:42 pmHe certainly does! We’ll be posting about our other translation projects further in the future.