Evangelical Lutheran Church In America Research Articles

Seminex In Print: A Comprehensive Bibliography by David O. Berger

Reviewed by: Seminex In Print: A Comprehensive Bibliography by David O. Berger Mark Granquist Seminex In Print: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Compiled by David O. Berger with Daniel Harmelink. Concordia Historical Society Monograph Series. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2021. xiv + 221 pp. The 1974 walkout of students and faculty from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis was a major event, specifically in the history of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), but also for American Lutheranism in general. This walkout led to an exodus of congregations and pastors from the LCMS and the formation of a new [End Page 221] Lutheran denomination, and eventually was a major impetus to the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1988. Unfortunately, the comprehensive study of the walkout and its aftermath has yet to be written, although important works like James C. Burkee's Power, Politics, and the Missouri Synod (2011) have moved in that direction. This volume, a comprehensive bibliography of the events, is another vital step in that direction. David Berger is professor of Practical Theology and director of Library Services at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; with the help of Daniel Harmelink, Director of the Concordia Historical Institute, he has gathered a remarkably complete bibliography of printed sources on the history of the Seminex (Seminary-in-Exile) controversy as it unfolded in the 1970s. The sources include a nearly complete listing of the primary print sources from the 1970s, mainly periodical and official church documents, as well as selected journal articles and editorials from that time. Also included are a list of major books on the topic (with lists of book reviews of them), a list of the manuscript collections at the Concordia Historical Institute and other major Lutheran archives, and a helpful digest of actions in the LCMS conventions from 1962 to 1975 that show the course of events leading up to the walkout. The index is extremely helpful, as it lists chronologically all the publications of major figures in the controversy. The trouble with trying to work with major events such as the Seminex walkout is the vast number of primary and secondary sources that must be consulted. This volume is a remarkably useful roadmap for future researchers, so that historians will be able effectively to tell the story of this event. Mark Granquist Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Insights into Leadership among Female Clergy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Christian congregations strive to be caring and inspirational communities, but women who lead them often face challenges to their well-being not experienced by their male counterparts. We conducted a study of leadership challenges among female pastors, administering a survey to a sample of 102 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) pastors. The results suggest that pastors are not isolated from the types of gender discrimination females experience outside of the church. The insights gained can be useful to church leaders, clergy, seminarians, congregants, and those generally interested in gender dynamics and effective leadership strategies.

The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies ed. by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan

Reviewed by: The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies ed. by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan H. George Anderson The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies. Edited by Geoffrey Wainwright and Paul McPartlan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. xvii + 686 pp. The ecumenical movement is one of the two Christian renewal movements of the twentieth century. It already has its own Dictionary (1993) and a three-volume History (1986, 2004), so what can a "Handbook" provide? The Oxford University Press Handbook series aims to give "authoritative and up-to-date surveys of original research" by "leading figures in the discipline" who offer "critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates, as well as a foundation for future research." I can only say "mission accomplished." The forty-two authors are a galaxy of ecumenical stars who lived and led the ecumenical movement through its golden age. Regrettably, several have died since completing their essays, but they have left a legacy of memories, critiques, and suggestions that will stimulate further research. Each brief essay is an introduction to a topic followed by a list of references that support its conclusions and then suggested resources for general information. The five sections provide a multi-dimensional survey of ecumenism—its history, significant doctrinal issues, key organizations, continental variations, and methodology. Writers from Orthodox to Baptist and Pentecostal recount their confession's experience in the movement. William G. Rusch, the former ecumenical officer of the [End Page 120] Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, writes for the Lutherans (137–152). These various confessional perspectives converge on several points: the significant entry of Roman Catholics after the Second Vatican Council, the "golden age" that followed, the sense of an "ecumenical winter" at the turn of the century, and the unsettled questions that remain: Is the goal of ecumenism "visible unity," "reconciled diversity," or "conciliar fellowship?" Is the Eucharist a means of unity or its culmination? How can decisions made by experts effect change at the grass roots? The persistence of these questions, and others, has led to a sense of stagnation among ecumenists. Perhaps it is time for this renewal movement to be renewed. The impetus might be coming from the other twentieth-century renewal movement that has often been seen as a rival to ecumenism: Pentecostalism. The book's major sections provide a series of perspectives that will contribute to a multi-dimensional way of testing this hypothesis. Its section on "History" traces tensions and mutual criticism between ecumenists and Pentecostals. The following section on confessional "Traditions" contains Telford Work's essay, "Pentecostal and Charismatic" (187–204), a clear-eyed look at the changing face of the movement and the gifts it offers to ecumenism. Essays in the section on "Achievements and Issues" note a significant Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue on baptism (254) but also point out Pentecostalism's lack of a "coherent theology of the church" (236). The section on "Instruments" offers glimpses of the Pentecostal movement gradually overcoming its initial suspicion of councils of churches, then its tentative participation in some elements of the World Council of Churches, and finally its full membership in the Global Christian Forum. The survey of "The Global Scene" documents Pentecostalism's dramatic growth in the "Global South." The final Handbook section, "Debate and Prospects," highlights conflicting goals for the ecumenical movement: "reconciled diversity," "visible unity," or some form of "spiritual" affinity. Cardinal Kurt Koch, in his presidential address to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (594–609), deplores this lack of consensus and notes that the debate is being complicated by a "pentecostalization of Christianity," and suggests that it may be seen as a "fourth [End Page 121] mode of being Christian" alongside the traditional confessional families. This "case study" on Pentecostalism illustrates how the Handbook provides a wealth of intriguing leads for further research. It will be just as useful for general readers who want to learn more about specific aspects of the ecumenical movement. H. George Anderson Green Valley, Arizona Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Toward the articulation of mission: Heeding the ELCA's call for affordable mental health care and authentic diversity while guiding students' journeys toward counseling and clinical vocations

AbstractI describe community counseling clinics embedded with a Lutheran University and aligned with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) values. Our clinics, like many others, serve the underserved and are often dependent upon external support. To ensure operational stability, they must articulate their mission alignment with host institutions and funders. In so doing, funders readily see how their values are enacted and embodied within the supported program. Examples of mission alignment, data supporting alignment, and the benefits of alignment for the program, funder, and those served are provided.

By any sacramental means necessary: Baptism as engaged defiance of ecocide and empire

AbstractBy the end of his life, Malcolm X had become synonymous with the phrase, "by any means necessary." With this philosophy he expanded the black freedom struggle of his day, adding new urgency, militancy, and sobriety to the movement. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has named God's gifts of Word and Sacrament the "means of grace." Held up to the revolutionary philosophy of Malcolm X, the degree to which our baptismal means have become domesticated and depoliticized becomes troublingly clear. This paper addresses these problems and offers a way forward. The special relationship that God, Jesus, and even Martin Luther had with water—to say nothing of our ongoing climate catastrophe—compels us to begin by rewatering and repoliticizing the entire baptismal process, introducing new urgency, militancy, and sobriety to our once revolutionary sacrament.

The RLDS Church, Global Denominations, and Globalization: Why the Study of Denominations Still Matters

The RLDS Church, Global Denominations, and Globalization: Why the Study of Denominations Still Matters

More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships ed. by David D. Grafton

Reviewed by: More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships ed. by David D. Grafton Robert F. Shedinger More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships. Edited by David D. Grafton. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2021. 212 pp. This book provides an overview of Lutheran-Muslim relationships spanning the last thirty years. Following forewords by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Sayyid Syeed, head of the Islamic Society of North America, the book begins with four essays focused on official documents produced by Lutheran bodies on the topic of Lutheran-Muslim relationships as well as the influence of Islamophobia on those relationships. This section includes an essay on the 1986 document God and Jesus: Theological Reflections for Christian-Muslim Dialogue and one on the development of the Lutheran-Muslim consultative panel. These chapters lay the foundation for how the ELCA has thought theologically about its engagement with Islam and Muslims. The next three chapters take us inside specific examples of Lutheran-Muslim engagement in the United States. We learn how Lutherans are engaging with the Somali community in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. We learn also about Lutheran-Muslim community connections in Southern California fostered by the Claremont School of Theology and the development of the Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. The final four chapters expand the focus beyond the United States to Lutheran-Muslim encounters in Palestine, Indonesia, Senegal, and India. No doubt, Lutherans have been at the forefront of good faith efforts to build bridges of mutual understanding and cooperation with Muslims around the world. This book does an excellent job of documenting this. But despite all the good work —like the work of the Lutheran World Federation's Augusta Victoria Hospital serving Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza—I think Lutherans, like other Christians, continue to view Christian-Muslim dialogue from [End Page 232] within a specifically Christian worldview. Are Lutherans authentically hearing Muslim voices? We see a hint of this in the Rev. Jane Buckley-Farlee's essay on engagement with the Somali community in Minneapolis. She relates how Trinity Lutheran Church launched a Safe Place Homework Help program in 2001. An average of fifteen Muslim students come to the church each day after school for help with homework provided by tutors from Augsburg University and the University of Minnesota. One day, Rev. Buckley-Farlee relates how a student asked to use her office to engage in one of the five daily prayers. Rev. Buckley-Farlee, who was working on prayers for her Sunday service, invited the student in to pray. "I could see her standing, bowing, and kneeling, praying, out of the corner of my eye as I tried to type my own prayers for Sunday. It suddenly dawned on me that we were doing the same thing" (83). Well, not exactly. Christian prayer is much more akin to the Muslim practice of dua (intercessory prayer). The obligatory five daily prayers (or salat) involving ritual physical prostration are one of the five pillars of Islam and as such are part of a larger Islamic system designed to inculcate submission to God in all affairs of life in a way that transcends the carefully maintained boundaries between the sacred and secular so fundamental to the Western Christian worldview. This same mistake occurs when Christians liken the Islamic pillar of zakat to charity, missing the fact that zakat is really an obligatory wealth tax and the heart of what many Muslims believe is a uniquely Islamic economic system. I hope that as Lutheran-Muslim relationships move forward, there will be a greater interest among Lutherans and all Christians to understand Islam from a Muslim perspective. They might find real common ground, not necessarily theologically, but in a shared vision of the devastating and dehumanizing effects of modern global capitalism. Christians and Muslims can do much together to save the planet from human-caused catastrophe. [End Page 233] Robert F. Shedinger Luther College Decorah, Iowa Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

The Challenge of Christian Deliberation in a Libertarian Context

Abstract In 2005, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly authorized the formation of a task force to prepare a social statement on genetics and faith. Although the Churchwide Assembly voted to adopt the social statement in August of 2011 by a wide margin, there had been an earlier controversy. In June 2010, an article in the Dakota Farmer questioned whether the ELCA was accusing farmers of “sin” for planting genetically engineered crop seeds. At least two churches in rural North Dakota cited this factor as a reason for leaving the ELCA. Seven synods with strong farmer constituencies proposed resolutions challenging the social statement. This paper explores how the opposition used agrarianism and libertarianism to attack the ELCA’s use of the Christian concept of the common good in the social statement. This case reveals the challenges that the Church faces when contributing to ethical deliberations on controversial issues.

The Challenge of Christian Deliberation in a Libertarian Context

Abstract In 2005, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly authorized the formation of a task force to prepare a social statement on genetics and faith. Although the Churchwide Assembly voted to adopt the social statement in August of 2011 by a wide margin, there had been an earlier controversy. In June 2010, an article in the Dakota Farmer questioned whether the ELCA was accusing farmers of “sin” for planting genetically engineered crop seeds. At least two churches in rural North Dakota cited this factor as a reason for leaving the ELCA. Seven synods with strong farmer constituencies proposed resolutions challenging the social statement. This paper explores how the opposition used agrarianism and libertarianism to attack the ELCA’s use of the Christian concept of the common good in the social statement. This case reveals the challenges that the Church faces when contributing to ethical deliberations on controversial issues.

God is Doing a New Thing in the ELCA: Trends from the FACT Data

For decades, mainline Protestant denominations in the United States have experienced steady membership declines. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is no different, and our research team has been exploring this topic for years. Faith Communities Today (FACT) is an interfaith project consisting of a series of surveys conducted by the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, of which the ELCA is a long-standing member. In this article, we examine data collected from the three decennial FACT surveys to discern where, despite declining membership, God is, to quote the prophet Isaiah, “doing a new thing.” We find that over the past twenty years, the typical ELCA congregation has had a gradually increasing: sense of vitality, belief that it is financially healthy, desire to become more diverse, willingness to call women to serve as pastors, openness to change, and clarity of mission and purpose. Because there are multiple possible explanations for these positive trends, we recommend approaching such trend lines cautiously, viewing them through a critical-thinking lens. Even though there is an increased perception of congregational well-being, overall finances and the number of people involved in the church continue to decline. There is still much work to be done.

Luther's Small Catechism: An Exposition of the Christian Faith in Asian Contexts and Cultures ed. by J. Paul Rajashekar

Reviewed by: Luther's Small Catechism: An Exposition of the Christian Faith in Asian Contexts and Cultures ed. by J. Paul Rajashekar Mark Nygard Luther's Small Catechism: An Exposition of the Christian Faith in Asian Contexts and Cultures. Edited by J. Paul Rajashekar. Chicago & New Delhi: The Association of Asians and Pacific Islanders, ELCA & Christian World Imprints. 150 pp. The history of the church is the dramatic story of the gospel crossing boundaries so that it might sing its song in many languages and cultures. From the very title on the cover to the riveting appeal of the final paragraph, this book aims to do just that—"offer a contextually relevant exposition of Luther's Small Catechism … broaden the scope of the catechism by taking account of Asian realities … serve [End Page 195] as an important instructional material for congregations, especially those who are new to the Christian faith" (xiii). It is an exciting evangelical effort. Inspired by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the project was initiated by the Asian Lutheran International Conference (ALIC), an organization that connects Asians in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with Asians from Asia for theological reflection relevant to their common backgrounds. The book's contributors include six internationally known Lutheran pastors and teachers originating in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Japan. Four have degrees from ELCA theological institutions; three are currently serving in the ELCA. After a six-page introduction that highlights the history of the catechism's importance in Asia, the book follows the catechism's outline. The treatments are not extensive. Some, like the second and third articles of the Apostles' Creed get as many as twelve pages each; others, like the seventh commandment, receive only three. What makes the book distinctive is its two-prong approach. Each section offers first a presentation of Martin Luther's own understanding, and then a discussion of the implications within the context of Asian concerns, "religious pluralism … contemporary issues of poverty, social inequality, ecological crisis, patriarchy," along with other topics (xiii). Each section concludes with three or four questions for group discussion. A recurring theme is the need for a sensitive and respectful approach to such religions as esteemed relatives or ancestors of Asian Christians may have followed. Rather than judging them, "we are invited to reflect how Christian understanding of God is related to those other perceptions of God" (84). Might it be that "[t]he community of saints cannot be restricted to those professing the Christian faith, for we do not know how God wills to save and rescue those who are outside the boundaries of the church" (74)? Surely, "all humans are beneficiaries of God's grace and mercy, whether they know it or not" (53). In Asian contexts as elsewhere, "Christian witness to God is a positive witness to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ and not a negative witness against other religious [End Page 196] beliefs" (7). The Asian context invites authentic conversation by non-Asians, too, about these and other missiological insights. The book ventures some discussable assertions. Was the Apostles' Creed, in fact, widely dispersed as early as 150 CE (47). Was Martin Luther aware of Asian religious pluralism (xiii)? Is it true that baptism "doesn't bestow a special measure of grace beyond what one has already received by being born, having parents, food to eat, etc." (124, emphasis mine)? Brevity does not always leave enough room for depth, and some of the material may seem shallow. Language use is uneven and sometimes rather distracting; it is unfortunate that a book of such high purpose was not more carefully edited for contemporary English. Nevertheless, I expect it will receive a warm welcome among the Asian catechumens for whom it was designed. And I imagine it also being appreciated in congregational study groups, Asian and otherwise, as unique Asian perspectives bring insights to us all. Mark Nygard Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2021 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Crafting a policy statement: Some observations

AbstractIn 2016, a task force appointed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America began drafting a policy statement which in 2018 appeared with the title “A Declaration of Inter‐Religious Commitment.” This article explains the production of that document and explores its main themes. The document appeals to vocation—that is, the calling to serve one's neighbor and community—as its framework. It encourages engagement, resisting stereotypes, cooperation for the common good, and standing up for those who are harassed or mistreated. It goes on to explore the relationship between evangelism and inter‐religious understanding, affirming both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

A Muslim response to the ELCA document

AbstractThis piece offers a Muslim perspective on the new interreligious engagement statement from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Book Review: The Mainline in Late Modernity: Tradition and Innovation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Book Review: The Mainline in Late Modernity: Tradition and Innovation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Is there a world Lutheranism? Accountability and representation in ecumenical dialogue

AbstractThe following thoughts were occasioned by my experiences representing the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in a variety of international ecumenical dialogues over the past thirteen years. I reflect on some of the fundamental challenges faced by many Lutherans as we seek to represent, as conscientiously as possible, the global communion of which we are members. The question we face is a very simple one: Whom do we represent?

‘Holy and Important Duty’ – The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as a Preserver of the Finnish Language and Culture from the 1890s to 1920s

From its establishment in 1892 until the 1920s the largest Finnish ethnic church in the United States, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, better known as the Suomi Synod, was among the staunchest defenders of Finnish language and culture. The synod built a network of Sunday and summer schools, coordinated by the Michigan-based Suomi College, that not only offered religious instruction but also spread the Finnish language and national romantic ideals to immigrant children. Tightening immigration laws and increasing demands for national unity in the 1920s led many immigrant institutions, including the ethnic Lutheran churches, to Americanisation. A debate concerning a language reform also started in the Suomi Synod, but was rejected by the nationalistic-minded wing. Adherence to the Finnish language alienated the younger generation and led to a drastic but temporary decline in the church’s membership.

The Mainline in Late Modernity: Tradition and Innovation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by Maren Freudenberg

Reviewed by: The Mainline in Late Modernity: Tradition and Innovation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America by Maren Freudenberg Aaron Klink The Mainline in Late Modernity: Tradition and Innovation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. By Maren Freudenberg. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2018. 233 pp. This book attempts to situate the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the changing landscape of North American Protestantism. Theoretically framed by sociological studies of the changing nature of American religion, it also draws from the author’s extensive field work among pastors, laypeople, bishops, synod staff, and seminary leaders in Wisconsin and Minnesota to [End Page 113] assess ways that different levels of church leadership understood and addressed change. By combining quantitative and qualitative dimensions of research on denominations, a rare thing to attempt in current literature, this book makes an especially important contribution to research on denominations. Freudenberg argues that Lutheranism’s doctrinal tradition makes it a “cognitive” tradition defined by confessions, rigorous theology, and focus on liturgical worship. She contrasts this theologically based tradition with denominations such as the Vineyard, or communities that claim to be part of the “emerging church” movement that are defined by emotions and subjectivity. But framing that debate neglects the fact that Lutheran doctrine is often designed to promote emotional responses such as trust, fear, or gratitude in the lives of the believers. The book also chooses to frame major divisions among Lutherans not as between “conservative” and “liberal” but rather between “confessionalists” and “pietists.” The book explores several tensions within the ELCA from both sociological and theological perspectives. She notes an increasing flattening of the leadership structure. Indeed, there are fewer and fewer employees at the ELCA churchwide headquarters and fewer deployed staff. Those of us who have watched the decisions know that they have often been about funding matters more than changes in theological understandings of leadership. So one questions if this is a transformation or a theology born of necessity. The author notes that change in the ELCA often seems to be driven not by people in the pews (one recent meme I received noted that Lutherans don’t like change), but by pastors and denominational officials. She argues that Lutheranism is becoming less clerical which is to say pastor-driven and instead leans toward lay leadership. She argues that this shift is in response to culture, but seemingly neglects that such a move is deeply embedded in Luther’s doctrine of the priesthood of the believer. Certainly, some congregations are more “pastor-driven” than others, depending on both the pastor and the congregational laity. So overall trends are difficult to define from a sample this small and geographically compact. The book also explores worship. She mentions innovative ELCA pastors who change liturgical forms, but do so in ways that are both novel but still within confessional frameworks. Pastors allow [End Page 114] tradition to take form in new ways. In the same way, she argues that Lutherans are trying to get parishioners to think more carefully about faith practices in daily life, such as reading the scriptures, prayer, and even being aware of miracles. None of these practices are distinct to Lutheranism but they have not been practiced by many Lutheran laity on a regular basis. Freudenberg also explores how pastors and communities are trying to find Lutheran ways to practice spirituality in daily life. It is this need to bring what they learn on Sundays into the rest of the week that many Americans seek. She notes that a focus on prayer, asking congregants to look for God’s action in daily life, even amid the miraculous, are crucial parts of this new spirituality. Freudenberg’s work has methodological limitations. Despite asserting that her sample is representative, those of us who live and work in Lutheran contexts in the United States know that Lutheranism in the upper Midwest is socially and culturally different then Lutheranism in New England or on the West Coast. Innovations in various contexts would probably look different in form and content. She also asserts that urban churches are not representative of overall dynamics in the ELCA but that rural and semi-urban churches do reflect those...

Luther in Arabic

Luther in Arabic Mark N. Swanson Recent years have seen considerable interest in the study of Western Protestant missions in the Arabic-speaking world, resulting in books about eighteenth-century Moravian encounters with the Copts;1 the endeavors of the nineteenth-century American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions;2 American Presbyterian work that led to the formation of the Evangelical Synod of the Nile;3 and specifically Lutheran projects, whether the German Lutheran work in Palestine that eventually led to the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), or American Lutheran endeavors, including the Middle East Lutheran Mission (MELM) in Lebanon backed by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS).4 The Synod of the Nile and the ELCJHL will appear more than once in this essay, as will the seminaries with which they are related, namely and respectively, the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC), an Egyptian Presbyterian school that has sometimes been pulled into wider regional and ecumenical roles, and the Near East School of Theology (NEST) in Beirut, which has been a regional, ecumenical school from its inception. The specifically Lutheran presence in the Arabic-speaking world is tiny, although the ELCJHL plays a role in education, theological reflection, inter-religious relations, and global Lutheran affairs far greater than its size might indicate. I think it is fair to say that the specifically Arabic-language Lutheran library in particular, as well as the Reformation-tradition library in general, is still rather thin (in contrast, say, to the library of Catholic works in Arabic, whether in [End Page 87] manuscript collections5 or as published since the nineteenth century by Catholic presses in centers including Beirut, Jerusalem, and Mosul). The works may be few, but their stories are worth telling. The Small Catechism The first publication of Luther’s Small Catechism in Arabic translation was undertaken at Halle in 1729 by Johann Heinrich Callenberg (1694–1760), a follower of August Herman Francke who was interested in evangelistic ministries to Jews and Muslims. An itinerant Syrian teacher of Arabic known as Salomon Negri Damasceni (= Sulaymān ibn Ya‘qūb al-Shāmī al-Ṣāliḥānī, 1665–1727) made a pair of sojourns in Halle, during which he taught Arabic at Francke’s school for orphans and attracted students like Callenberg.6 At some point Negri made—probably as a teaching tool—a translation of the Small Catechism, of which autograph copies from Halle dating to 1716 have been preserved.7 In 1729 (and in fact after Negri’s death), Callenberg published Negri’s translation: Catechismus Luthers minor arabice quem olim sub ductu B. Sal. Negri Damasceni in hanc linguam transtulit et vulgavit H. Henr. Callenberg. I did not know of this translation during the years that I taught at ETSC (in the 1980s and 90s). Then, the one Arabic-language translation of the Small Catechism of which I was aware was a product of the LCMS work in Lebanon. For the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Luther’s birth in 1983, the MELM Center in Beirut published A Brief Exposition of the Fundamentals of Christian Doctrine, consisting of a (28-page) translation of the Small Catechism as well as a (141-page) commentary—which turned out to be a translation of A Short Exposition of Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism by Heinrich Christian Schwan (1819–1905), the third president of the LCMS. The volume is physically well-produced and was circulated quite widely. At least two other translations are available today. The Common Prayer Book (Kitāb al-ṣalāt al-‘āmm) of the ELCJHL (2nd ed. 2004) contains a translation of the catechism made by the Rev. Dr. Hermann Schneller and Mr. Elias Naṣrallah Ḥaddād (known for their ministry to orphans and underprivileged children, including the [End Page 88] founding of the Schneller School Bekaa at Khirbet Kanafar, Lebanon, in 1952). In 2002, the Division of Congregational Ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America published The Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther and The Book of Fundamental Lutheran Doctrines, translated by the Rev. Numan Smir (Nu‘mān Samīr), the founding pastor of the...

Prospects for Ecumenical Ethical Witness

AbstractEcumenical ethics is in need of a methodology for identifying when a common moral witness exists across communions, despite apparent dissimilarities. This essay illustrates, via the case of ecological witness, the promise of internally differentiated convergence as a conceptual catalyst for that identification. Differentiated convergence is linked here with a multidimensional account of ethics to enable close examination of the ecclesial documents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), and the United Methodist Church (UMC) – three traditions whose diverse ethical approaches and positions historically have been sources of ecumenical disagreement and contention. This investigation results in (1) the demonstration of a convergent ecumenical witness on the issue of climate change and (2) a methodological contribution to ecumenical ethics.

Half-Ass Faith? Popular Culture in Denver's House for All Sinners and Saints

House for All Sinners and Saints (HFASS), a congregation affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Denver, Colorado, has recently attracted attention for its blend of confessional church tradition and its embrace of popular culture. It attracts the types of people not usually associated with mainstream Christianity, including queers, recovering addicts, and abuse victims. Given these biographies, a range of different subcultures has come together to shape beliefs and practices in unconventional ways. As a reaction to the opposition many members have experienced in the Christian mainstream, the congregation is rumoured to call itself ironically “Half-Ass” (after the acronym of its name—HFASS). This article frames religion and popular culture as entering into dialogue at House for All Sinners and Saints and discusses the meanings that emerge at this intersection. It argues that popular culture is not employed as a mere catch-all tool to fill the pews but, rather, serves to express deviance and dissent from the religious mainstream, encourage new forms of consciousness regarding being “unconventionally” Christian, and affirm alternative Christian-and-minority-member identities while simultaneously emphasizing the centrality of the confessional tradition for contemporary American culture.