Bible Translators Theologians Herman Amberg Preus (June 16, 1825 – July 2, 1894) was an American Lutheran clergyman and church leader.

The same year he was ordained an Evangelical Lutheran pastor by the bishops of the state Church of Norway.

[2] Preus was installed as the pastor of Spring Prairie Lutheran Church in Columbia County, Wisconsin in August 1851.

Preus was associate editor of the synod newspaper, Maanedstidende (1861–1868) and was the author of two books on Norwegian-American Lutheranism published in 1867 and 1875.

In particular, he wrote: "According to his new gospel the professor must preach that through his suffering and death Christ has only accomplished so much that God has now become willing to let his wrath cease and to be reconciled and to loose, confer grace, forgive, justify and open access to salvation, but that in actuality he can only do and does all this if man on his part fulfills the condition placed on him by God, namely that he is supposed to believe.

Preus agreed with this statement; however, when added to the premise that Christ's death brought justification only for those who believe in Him, the pastor would not be able to absolve the sins of anyone.

The opposing side was teaching that God predestined His saints for salvation in view of their faith in Christ (intuitu fidei).

[4] Preus and others, including C. F. W. Walther, one of the leading founders and first president of the theologically conservative Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in 1847, took the position that the only cause that moved God to elect saints unto salvation is grace, and that election or predestination of saints to salvation is not the same as God's foreknowledge.

The controversy became so fierce in the circles of the Norwegian Synod that on Good Friday, 1883, Herman and Christian were physically removed from their congregations.