U.V. Koren’s Works

Written by U.V. Koren / Translated and edited by Mark DeGarmeaux / Published by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Historical Society / 4 Volumes (2014–2017).

About U.V. Koren’s Works

Four volumes of U. V. Koren’s works are now available in English from the ELS Historical Society.

• Volume 1 includes sermons for the church year. Koren’s sermons are a wonderful Sunday devotional with clear application Law and Gospel in a timeless way. This volume would make a wonderful study guide for pastors or even a devotional booklet for clergy and laity alike.
• Volume 2 includes Koren’s addresses or speeches at Synod conventions, school dedications, and other events.
• Volume 3 includes articles about doctrinal topics and controversies.
• Volume 4 has miscellaneous items, including memoirs of his first years in America, a speech about Abraham Lincoln, poems to his wife, etc. It also includes short biographies and tributes to Koren, written by others.

About U.V. Koren

U. V. Koren (1826-1910) was a beloved pastor and church leader for the Norwegian Synod, the first Norwegian pastor to live west of the Mississippi. He guided the Synod through difficult controversies, and helped establish relationships with the Wisconsin Synod and Missouri Synod, as well as helping to found colleges and academies throughout the Midwest.

U.V. Koren is known as one of the fathers of the “Old” Norwegian Synod founded in 1853. He was a very influential leader, founding dozens of congregations, serving as a catalyst for the founding of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and holding the positions of president of the Iowa District and later President of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

After Koren's death in 1910, his son Paul compiled his works into a four volume set. Over the years, some of these works were translated for publication in a book of sermons, in the “Clergy Bulletin,” and in the book Truth Unchanged, Unchanging.

About the Translator

Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux teaches at Bethany Lutheran College, where he has served over the years in the areas of religious studies, foreign languages, and music. He is the translator of Book of Family Prayer by N. J. Laache, and Mother of the Reformation: The Amazing Life and Story of Katharine Luther by Ernst Kroker. He also contributed translations to the recent volumes of Luther's Works: American Edition. He was co-editor of the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary and associate editor of Spangenberg's The Christian Year of Grace, recently translated.

Ordering Information

Copies of U.V. Koren’s Works are available by mail from the ELS Ottesen Museum for $25 per volume for members of the ELS Historical Society, and $27.50 for non-members (prices include postage). Checks can be made out to:

ELS Historical Society
6 Browns Court
Mankato, MN 56001