This book is a digest of articles reprinted from Lutheran Quarterly. It is a companion volume to Timothy J. Wengert (ed.), Harvesting Martin Luther's reflections on theology, ethics, and the Church: essays from Lutheran Quarterly (Grand Rapids 2004). Loosely organised around the theme of Luther's theological approach to pastoral ministry, this work presents seventeen wide-ranging articles: Robert Kolb on the theology of the cross, Vitor Westhelle on communication, Eric W. Grisch on humour, H. S. Wilson on preaching, Robert Rosin on education, Timothy Wengert on the Ten Commandments (as well as prayer in the Large Catechism), Charles P. Arand on the Apostles' Creed, Reinhard Schwarz on the last supper as testament, Ronald K. Rittgers on confession, Beth Kreitzer on the Virgin Mary, Mickey L. Mattox on women, Robin A. Leaver on music, Christoph Weimer on visual art, Jane E. Strohl on The fourteen consolations, Dorothea Wendebourg on monasticism and James M. Estes on secular authority. Although Timothy Wengert provides some context and organisation in the introduction, this work is best seen as a resource for stand-alone articles. It ends rather precipitously with the closing words of the seventeenth article, leaving the reader with neither conclusion nor any sort of end matter. Occasional bibliographies do appear throughout the book, but an index might have been quite useful. The articles are lucid and proficient, though the complacent reader should be forewarned to anticipate an interesting detour into modern South American politics in Westhelle's piece. Elsewhere, Schwarz's essay on the last supper as testament opened up new avenues of illumination to this reviewer. Each chapter represents a sturdy piece of scholarship, but the volume as a whole sustains a somewhat tenuous sense of coherence. Reading the book straight through is slightly jarring, due to the lack of transitions between disparate pieces. That being said, this volume is a useful resource, and researchers exploring the pastoral side of Luther would do well to start here – especially if their local library does not have access to the Lutheran Quarterly.