Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) was "one of the most versatile, wide-ranging, and prolific German composers of the seventeenth century," "also important as a theorist," and "the most often quoted and excerpted writer on performance practice." 2021 marks the four hundredth anniversary of this Lutheran musician's death and the four hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his birth. Yet until now, no biography of this multitalented and fascinating man has been made available in English. This translation of Siegfried Vogelsanger's 2008 German biography of Praetorius will introduce you to Praetorius's family and employers, his work as organist and court music director, his sacred and secular musical compositions, his historical and theoretical musical work, his grandiose goals and plans, and--most importantly--the man himself. Appendices provide new insights into Praetorius's ancestry and life, as well as new translations of primary sources written by Praetorius and others. Richly furnished with pictures and illustrations and supplemented with a glossary, Heaven Is My Fatherland will transport you into Praetorius's world and open up for you the convictions of his heart.

This anthology of key essays and speeches presents Kuyper’s thoughts on the church. Included are selections from Kuyper’s doctoral dissertation on the theology of John Calvin and John a Lasco; various treatises and sermons such as the Twofold Fatherland and Address on Missions; and selections from Kuyper’s larger works on the church, such as Kuyper’s commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism. The centerpiece will be Kuyper’s programmatic statement Tract on the Reformation of the Churches, which takes a unique approach to ecclesiology.