Dr. Erik Ankerberg joins Sarah, Erin, and Rachel to discuss the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club pick: George Herbert’s The Temple.

An expert on Herbert’s poetry (as well as a longtime fan), Dr. Ankerberg shares a depth of insight as he helps the Ladies unpack this beautiful but obscure volume of devotional verse.

Who was George Herbert? To what extent was his Anglican faith influenced by Lutheran theology? What makes his poetry feel so fresh and relevant for Christians today?

Poems discussed in detail in this episode include the following:

• “The Pulley”
• “The Collar”
• “The Holdfast”
• “Love (3)”

At the conclusion of the episode, the Ladies announce their next book club pick: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.

Dr. Erik Ankerberg is president of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. Prior to his inauguration in 2023, he earned his Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Marquette University (dissertation: Toward a Re-Formed Confession: Johann Gerhard's Sacred Meditations and "Repining Restlessnesse" in the Poetry of George Herbert) and spent many years as an English professor.

Click to learn more about Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor or to read Dr. Ankerberg’s inaugural address (which includes George Herbert’s sonnet “The Holdfast”).

Learn more about George Herbert and sample his best-known poems at PoetryFoundation.org.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!

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