Luther Seminary Research Articles

The Kravik-Lokensgard Diaries

Abstract: Ole Lokensgaard immigrated from Norway as a small child. Ellen Kravik Lokensgaard grew up in the Koshkonong Norwegian-American community. They met while Ellen attended Monona Academy and Ole was a student at Luther Seminary. After they married, they lived in Granite Falls, Minnesota, where Ole served both a large rural parish and the church in town. This article introduces Ellen and Ole, gives an overview of the scholarship of diaries, and explores the contents of ten of Ellen‘s and five of Ole‘s diaries written between 1878 and 1888. The article then presents samples of the diaries from three periods of their lives.

The Story of Jesus: A Mosaic by Roy A. Harrisville

Reviewed by: The Story of Jesus: A Mosaic by Roy A. Harrisville Troy M. Troftgruben The Story of Jesus: A Mosaic. By Roy A. Harrisville. Foreword by Mark C. Mattes. Eugene, Oregon: Resource, 2020. xx + 229 pp. To Lutheran scholars, Roy A. Harrisville needs no introduction. Professor Emeritus at Luther Seminary and author of many books, Harrisville's scholarly career has been devoted not only to New Testament interpretation in general, but also to the significance of Jesus more specifically. He has particularly reflected on the advantages and limitations of scientific methods such as the historical-critical method for arriving at clearer understandings of Jesus of Nazareth. He culminates a lifetime of work in a concise portrait of Jesus—a "mosaic"—in a book that is at once biographical, theological, confessional, and poetic. Harrisville writes this book because "despite the decline … of mainline Christian denominations, the fascination with Jesus of Nazareth is still existent, particularly among the youth" (xvii). The book takes its cues from the four New Testament Gospels, since Harrisville finds their witness credible, despite the challenges of skeptics. After the Introduction, the book has five parts, four of which progress chronologically through Jesus' life: Beginnings, Beginnings of Jesus' Ministry, Schooling the Disciples, The Passion, and Summary. In each section, Harrisville discusses the significance of Jesus' ministry as it is collectively portrayed in the New Testament Gospels. In these discussions, Harrisville routinely begins with traditions deemed [End Page 193] the earliest, making Mark's Gospel the most consistent starting point. But the book considers traditions from other Evangelists no less, and without diminishing their contributions. Throughout, Harrisville demonstrates broad awareness of parallels from Jewish and Greco-Roman literature, enriching the discussion. Although he surveys the gamut of Jesus material in the Gospels, the areas most substantively discussed are miracles (35–52), parables (53–73), conflict with religious leaders and others (79–110), discipleship matters (117–39), and the Passion narrative (149–89). The book reads like a hybrid that is part New Testament commentary, part historical-critical reconstruction, and part theological assessment or confession of faith. A regular dialogue partner, it seems, are historical-critical assessments that are more confident in scientific reconstruction and skeptical of the miraculous. An example is the section on miracles (35–52), which concludes: "We are left with the alternative that the exorcisms are to be set down to the legendary or mythical, or are to be believed as having actually occurred" (34). The book is more positivist regarding what may be known about the "inner life" or "psychic states" of Jesus, for which Harrisville finds Mark's Gospel the richest in material (143–48). The book ends with "A Final Reflection on the Resurrection of Jesus" (200–03), in which Harrisville incorporates insights from authors as varied as Martin Luther, William Blake, and C.S. Lewis. Regarding the resurrection, Harrisville confesses: "Human thought is a mendicant, a beggar. Its object does not need me to be, to be there; it is a given, a gift, an act of grace" (202). This book envisions an audience of college or seminary readers (xiii). Certainly, the more familiar readers are with New Testament scholarship from the last century, the richer the book will be. Even so, invested novices will find this book enlightening and thought-provoking, as well as enjoyable due to the turns of phrases playfully inserted throughout (for example, "The narrative of Jesus' stilling the storm… may appear to some as absurd as a purple cow" 45). Although minor misspellings occur, they do not diminish the clarity and profundity of the book's substance. The Story of Jesus is a concise compendium of Harrisville's teaching, historical-critical reflection, and theological discernment about the significance of Jesus [End Page 194] for today. It is at once enjoyable and profoundly instructive, from someone who has greatly influenced the conversations of New Testament theology to this day. Troy M. Troftgruben Wartburg Theological Seminary Dubuque, Iowa Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

A Brief Guide to New Testament Interpretation: History, Methods, and Practical Examples by Roy A. Harrisville

Reviewed by: A Brief Guide to New Testament Interpretation: History, Methods, and Practical Examples by Roy A. Harrisville Charles B. Puskas A Brief Guide to New Testament Interpretation: History, Methods, and Practical Examples. By Roy A. Harrisville. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2022. 120 pp. The academic study of the New Testament encounters issues like the synoptic problem, the function of parables, the fulfillment of Israel's scriptures, apocalyptic language, and the ending of Mark's Gospel. Since early last century, various methods have been employed from the lower critical methods of textual criticism to the higher critical methods of source, form, and redaction criticisms. Recalling the heuristic figurations of Paul Ricoeur, New Testament study has also focused on the world of the text (such as synchronic narrative, structural, and rhetorical criticisms) and the lifeworld of the reader (reader-response and ideological criticisms), in addition to its attention on the world behind the text (diachronic textual and historical criticisms). This author, a preeminent Lutheran scholar of New Testament studies, has added to the array of books on exegetical methods. This volume is particularly important given his many decades as a professor at Luther Seminary. What sets this thirteen-chapter book apart is his concern for the seminary student and pastor, specifically, regarding kerygma, event, and witness in the initial chapters. Another unique feature is his thumbnail sketch of the history of New Testament interpretation from the ancient church to the present, which is basically a summary of his Pandora's Box Opened (Eerdmans, 2014). Also distinctive are his helpful New Testament illustrations of the method and limits of the interpretative approach found throughout the book. His concise discussions of lower and higher criticisms recall early developments such as the Gutenberg press (22) and some of the earliest pioneers in this field (28). Next, the chapters on source, form, [End Page 195] and redaction criticisms demonstrate the work of an experienced practitioner of the methodology. His illustrations are insightful (see on the textual variants of Rom 5:1, 24–25) as are his caveats of the shortcomings (see on redaction analysis, 45). Still, I had hoped that he would have mentioned how redaction criticism often ignores the storyline of Jesus in its efforts to recover the contextual clues of the post-resurrection community and its author. The final chapters include sections on lexicography, sociological criticism, rhetorical criticism, structural analysis, post-structuralist analysis, reader-response criticism, feminist analysis. More could have been included (for example, genre analysis, canonical criticism). In chapters ten through thirteen on synchronic and post-modern methods the author states, "Over the years, malaise increased over the viability of historical method … The result has been a flurry of methods" (62). Many of his caveats are noteworthy. For example, while acknowledging the marginalization of women in our society and in the patriarchal culture of the Bible, Harrisville points out that "to distinguish Israel's faith … from Canaanite worship in which the goddess Astarte vied for equal status with Baal, or from Greek and Roman religion with their plethora of gods and goddesses … the male pronoun Jahve or El … or 'I am' … was sorely needed." (79). His concluding chapter hearkens back to the first chapters on the historical context of the kerygma, the witness of faith, the living message of God embodied in the text. Unfortunately, I have found some typographical errors: "the gragment-hypothesis of F. D. E. Schleiermacher" (28), "Isaiah 9" should read Isaiah 6:9 (41), and "Rom 12:24" should read Rom 12:21. I also wish that more was written about Bultmann and Käsemann, but they are more fully discussed in his The Bible and Modern Culture with co-author Walter Sundberg. The book includes a short glossary of key terms, a bibliography of works cited, and author and scripture indexes. This brief guide by a seasoned scholar will make an excellent supplemental text to courses on the New Testament, the Four Gospels, New Testament Exegesis, and Homiletics. [End Page 196] Charles B. Puskas Lino Lakes, Minnesota Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Predigen über Herrschaft: Ordnungsmuster des Politischen in lutherischen Predigten Thüringens/Sachsens im 16. Und 17. Jahrhundert by Luise Schorn-Schütte

Reviewed by: Predigen über Herrschaft: Ordnungsmuster des Politischen in lutherischen Predigten Thüringens/Sachsens im 16. Und 17. Jahrhundert by Luise Schorn-Schütte Mary Jane Haemig Predigen über Herrschaft: Ordnungsmuster des Politischen in lutherischen Predigten Thüringens/Sachsens im 16. Und 17. Jahrhundert. By Luise Schorn-Schütte. Gothaer Forschungen zur Frühen Neuzeit 17. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2021. 95 pp. This brief work examines over 200 sermons (both printed and handwritten) preached between roughly 1550 and 1650 in Saxony and Thuringia. It investigates their statements about ruling authorities and political matters. The first chapter looks briefly at sermons as a means of political-theological communication in the early modern era. The second chapter examines the context, including the geographic region, the social and geographic origin of the preachers as well as their educational and vocational history, the audiences for sermons, and the publication and spread of sermons. The third chapter focuses on the content of the sermons. It examines how the teaching on three estates (church, government, and household) provided a [End Page 96] basis for thinking about society, questions of loyalty and obedience, admonition and criticism, and the meaning of the "Fatherland." The last chapter offers a two-page summation of results. This work is part of a larger scholarly discussion concerning the rise of the early modern state. It examines the concepts and language preachers used to describe the role and tasks of ruling authorities. Both explicit and implicit comparisons are drawn to the concepts and language of jurists. The study finds that, for the preachers, the concept of the three estates was constitutive. Division of power placed limits on ruling authorities. The claim, arising in the middle of the seventeenth century, that ruling authority should be concentrated in the secular territorial rulers, was largely without theological legitimation. The study further finds that the sermons maintained the right to criticize the authorities, even extending to the right of resistance. It also touches upon the concepts of natural law and conscience that influenced both theologians and jurists. Mary Jane Haemig Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Sincerely Luther: Narrative Letters of the Great Reformer by Neal E. Snider

Reviewed by: Sincerely Luther: Narrative Letters of the Great Reformer by Neal E. Snider Mark D. Tranvik Sincerely Luther: Narrative Letters of the Great Reformer. By Neal E. Snider. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing, 2019. 304 pp. As readers of this journal know, Martin Luther is among the most written-about figures in human history. Novel approaches to his life [End Page 224] and thought are rare, but Neal Snider's book opens a fresh path. The author, tongue in cheek, has claimed to receive 110 "letters" from Luther from beyond the grave. By means of this correspondence, Snider, a retired Lutheran pastor who is extremely well read in the works of the reformer, provides his readers an overview of Luther's life and theology. The result is an imaginative blend of biography, theology, and history with a bit of whimsy mixed in. The first thing I checked in this book was the author's grasp of Luther's profound and tension-filled theology. I am happy to report that Snider has done a fine job of exploring some of Luther's most complicated topics. He handles the gradual "conversion" of the reformer with nuance and subtlety. His summary of the Heidelberg Disputation and the theology of the cross is illuminating. He also does nice work explaining Luther's sacramental theology and the changing contexts that led the reformer to accent the promise in his early career and then underline the value of the element in later life. In Letter 91 he tackles the famous 1525 debate on free will with the humanist Erasmus. I particularly enjoyed Snider's account of Luther's views on the bondage of the will: "Consider the implication of affirming free will in relation to God. If you have a free will, then God is in your hands; He awaits a decision from you. Don't you see the blasphemy? God is at your disposal; you can accept Him and His promises or reject the same. In either case, you are in control of God" (243). That is a fine summation of Luther's argument. Snider also does not duck the troubling writings in Luther's works. There are letters covering his responses to the Peasants' Rebellion as well as one that deals with his hate-filled remarks concerning the Jews. While the author clearly loves his subject, this is not hagiography. Moreover, Snider's eye is clearly on the world of the parish pastor. He devotes moving letters to the topics of marriage, suffering, the struggle of prayer, and the trials of preaching. Throughout the text the reader can detect the experiences of one who has struggled on Saturday nights with sermons, prayed next to many bedsides, and officiated at countless funerals. A few items are missing that might have made this book stronger. It could use an index and a chronology, since those unfamiliar with Luther's life and teaching need such aids to fully comprehend the [End Page 225] reformer. Also, the accent here is clearly on the early Luther. The later Luther is also a fascinating figure but the references to the 1530s and 1540s are brief. Finally, one could get the impression from Snider's book that Luther was a solitary figure leading the charge of reform. References to the wider "Wittenberg movement," as it is known today, would have shown the reformer's dependence on a remarkable community of scholars and preachers. None of these criticisms should obscure Snider's accomplishment. This is an imaginative book that sparkles with insight. It clearly comes from one who has been captivated by the life and theology of Martin Luther and who has sought to pass along his reforming spirit to twenty-first century readers. Mark D. Tranvik Luther Seminary St. Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Bodil Stenseth, Fru Muus' Klage: Ekteskapsskandalen som rystet det norske Amerika [Mrs. Muus' Complaint: The Marriage Scandal that Shook Norwegian America] (review)

114 reviews Bodil Stenseth, Fru Muus’ Klage: Ekteskapsskandalen som rystet det norske Amerika [Mrs. Muus’ Complaint: The Marriage Scandal that Shook Norwegian America] Oslo: Forlaget Press, 2019. 342 pages. Gracia Grindal A mystery. That is how Bodil Stenseth begins her book on Oline Pind Muus’s proceedings against her husband, Bernt Julius Muus, founder of St. Olaf College and longtime pastor of Holden congregation in Goodhue County, Minnesota. And it is how she ends it. It is good, finally, to have such a book, but it does not answer the main question: What really happened? Stenseth divides the book into three sections: (1) the beginning of the marriage and move to Minnesota; (2) the legalproceedingsbetween them; (3) their endings. She begins with the families of the pair, their falling in love, their common experience of conversion during the Johnsonian revivals of the 1850s, and their arrival in Minnesota: two young people from the educated class of Norway emigrating to the wilds of Minnesota in 1858, having to live in extremely primitive conditions. Any problems in their relationship would be magnified in such an environment . Some couples in the same situation, like Elisabeth and Ulrich Vilhelm Koren, flourished; the Muus couple did not. As Stenseth advances the narrative, short chapter by short chapter, the reader comes to think that while the two were fine people, they were bad for each other. Stenseth carefully advances the story so that we are as surprised as anyone when Mrs. Muus writes the young lawyer, Andrew Ueland, asking him to build a case against her husband in the matter of her inheritance. Norwegian law said that the wife’s inheritance went to the husband; American law said it went to the blood relative, even if she were married. This is the nub of the story. Mrs. Muus wants the inheritance her father left her, arguing she needs more support for the household than Mr. Muus gives her. This shows us immigrants trying to find their way in the new land; American and Norwegian feminism; and Norwegian Lutheran 115 reviews understandings of a woman’s place in the home. The tragedy is played out against many of these backdrops, which Stenseth handles well. The initial proceeding would have been a simple thing when one looks back at all the furor. However, in order to make her case for receiving her legacy, Mrs. Muus shows, in searing detail, how her husband has abused her. (Stenseth suspects the lawyer played a part in these disclosures.) The worst was when she broke her leg; she says Muus did not immediately send for a doctor, instead telling her to “anoint herself with patience.” Unfortunately, under examination, Mrs. Muus admitted she did not remember if that were true. When the press, church officials, and cultural leaders get involved, each with their axes to grind, things go from bad to worse for the couple and some of their defenders. Stenseth sorts that out in her chapters dealing with one or another context as they come up in the narrative. The case has been called a divorce case, but that proceeding comes later, resulting in a separation, not a divorce. As Stenseth concludes the story, following both to their deaths, one is struck by the strength of the two, after having watched the disintegration of their marriage and lives during the process (especially of Mrs. Muus, whom Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsen called, upon meeting her, a troll). He concluded the two were equally matched. I concur. This is a page turner, extensively researched, carefully told and well worth reading. I might question why the author confined her references to the press to Luther Jæger’s Budstikken, except in certain cases. There was almost no paper in the Norwegian-­ American press or in Norway that didn’t sensationalize the matter. Even so Stenseth gives us both sides, but in the end leaves the mystery there. I am glad she did. Gracia Grindal is Professor Emerita of Rhetoric at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is a poet, hymn text writer, and writer of Norwegian-­ American women’s biographies. ...

Luther's Treatise on Christian Freedom and Its Legacy by Robert Kolb

Reviewed by: Luther's Treatise on Christian Freedom and Its Legacy by Robert Kolb Mark D. Tranvik Luther's Treatise on Christian Freedom and Its Legacy. By Robert Kolb. Lanham: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2020. 161 pp. As readers of this journal know, in the world of Luther scholarship we are celebrating a series of 500th anniversaries. The Ninety-five Theses made a big splash in 2017. In 2020 several significant Luther texts were highlighted. None is more important than On Christian Freedom (1520) where Luther laid out for common people an elegant outline of his theology. We are indebted to the prolific Robert Kolb for a book that does an admirable job of placing this key work in context, summarizing its contents, and tracing its influence in the past five centuries. The book is divided into three separate sections. In the first part Kolb provides a nuanced and balanced summary of Luther's life. He is careful to describe the theological and political context and stresses the importance of the community surrounding Luther, thus avoiding the temptation of treating him simply as a heroic individual. The second section is the heart of the book and consists of a careful commentary on the texts (both Latin and German) of On Christian Freedom. Kolb carefully explores the thesis that frames the argument of the treatise—a Christian is at the same time free in faith and bound in love to the neighbor. Particularly helpful is Kolb's insistence that Luther's understanding of freedom still connects with people today and is not merely an artifact of the Reformation (36–38). Preachers and teachers will want to pay special attention to the way "the great exchange" between Christ and the sinner is unpacked. Luther's use of striking images and language to convey the depth of God's love for the unlovable can stimulate the [End Page 242] imaginations of those charged with proclaiming the gospel today (52–54). Finally, Kolb makes clear that Luther's understanding of freedom is anything but "empty" or merely something that resides within the believer. Christian liberty is for the sake of the neighbor. And the word "neighbor" is not some sort of abstraction for Luther. God's Word resonates in our daily lives through our vocations. We are always in some sort of earthly relationship. The good news is actually incarnated in our lives as family members, citizens, workers, and church members (74–79). The last section considers the impact of Luther's writing. Kolb notes that the reception of the treatise has varied. Some have seen it as a dangerous step toward antinomianism. Perhaps most surprising is the way the text has been noted but mostly ignored, particularly from the immediate post-Reformation era until the time of the modern Luther renaissance, when it has received much more attention. It might be noted that Kolb did miss the extensive comments on Christian freedom in John Calvin's Institutes. More attention to the Reformed perspective and its concern for discipline might have added a helpful dimension. Overall, this book is vintage Robert Kolb. It contains careful historical scholarship combined with a pastoral desire to make the insights of On Christian Freedom relevant to the lives of Christians today. We can be thankful that he continues to inform the faith with grace and erudition. Mark D. Tranvik Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2021 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Languages in the Lutheran Reformation: Textual Networks and the Spread of Ideas ed. by Mikko Kauko et al.

Reviewed by: Languages in the Lutheran Reformation: Textual Networks and the Spread of Ideas ed. by Mikko Kauko et al. Mary Jane Haemig Languages in the Lutheran Reformation: Textual Networks and the Spread of Ideas. Edited by Mikko Kauko, Miika Norro, Kirsi-Maria Nummila, Tanja Toropainen, and Tuomo Fonsén. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019. 307 pp. The Lutheran Reformation was a multi-lingual event. This volume, originating in a 2015 seminar, examines not just the impact that the Lutheran Reformation had on individual languages but also the influences that flowed from one vernacular language to another in the course of transporting Reformation ideas. It focuses on the Baltic Sea region with its Germanic, Slavic, Baltic, and Finnic languages. A helpful introduction sets the parameters of the work. Part one focuses on the reception of Luther's ideas and their influence on [End Page 229] the development of written languages. John Flood's essay offers careful analysis of how Luther's German New Testament decisively influenced William Tyndale's translation of the New Testament into English. Flood comments, "it is not so much the echoes of particular words and phrases that are important as Luther's example, which served Tyndale as a model. Luther's German was based on living speech, not on written literary style … Natural idiom, homely proverbial expressions, alliterative phrases, and above all the outstanding rhythmic quality and the fluency of narration make his Bible language what it is. What Luther did for German, Tyndale later did for the English Bible too" (51). Tyndale's translation fed subsequent translations into English, including the King James Version (1611). Kristiina Ross examines how Lutheran ideals influenced literary Estonian, a language that did not exist in written form before the Reformation. Izabela Winiarska-Górska contributes an essay on the influence of the Lutheran Reformation on written Polish. Part two looks at the effects of Bible translations on the evolution of written language. Robert Dittmann concludes that Luther's direct influence on Bible translation and the development of written Czech was limited; instead the Brethren Bible from the end of the sixteenth century was important. Jonatan Pettersson does not see the Swedish New Testament (1526) as a special milestone in the development of written Swedish from Old Swedish to Early Modern Swedish. Despite its linguistic innovations, "it relies on late medieval linguistic usage" (129). The third part ponders the reuse of traditional Roman Catholic texts after the Reformation. Elise Kleivane and Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir look at the reception of apocryphal narratives concerning the Holy Family in Scandinavia from late medieval times to the eighteenth century. Tanja Toropainen views early Finnish translations of the hymn "Te Deum Laudamus," concluding that Swedish, not German, translations influenced the Finnish translations. An interesting essay by Sebastian Seyferth looks at New Testament "Summaries," that is, brief texts designed to introduce and explain a [End Page 230] biblical text, by Johann Bugenhagen, Veit Dietrich, and some Roman Catholic authors. The author concludes that these were not simply informational but rather a tool in the rhetorical battles between the confessions. Part four looks at language contacts and loan words. Mikko Bentlin considers why Mikael Agricola used High German texts as sources but was uninfluenced by Low German texts. Merlijn de Smit, by examining the translation of the names of exotic animals in the Old Testament, shows that Protestant translations of the Bible into Dutch generally used more target language vocabulary while Catholic translations relied on loan words. Dainora Pociūtè looks at how early Lutheran vernacular texts influenced the development of Lithuanian medical terminology. Pēteris Vanags considers the significant German influence on early written Latvian, a language distinctly different from spoken Latvian. This work provides a glimpse into an area sometimes mentioned but seldom explored by Reformation historians. While of interest to historians, it might spur theologians and translators to consider similar issues of translation and transmission of ideas today. Mary Jane Haemig Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2021 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

A History of Luther Seminary, 1869–2019 by Mark Granquist

A History of Luther Seminary, 1869–2019 by Mark Granquist

Bonhoeffer's Theology of the Cross: The Influence of Luther in "Act and Being" by Josh de Keijzer

Reviewed by: Bonhoeffer's Theology of the Cross: The Influence of Luther in "Act and Being" by Josh de Keijzer Chester O'Gorman Bonhoeffer's Theology of the Cross: The Influence of Luther in "Act and Being." By Josh de Keijzer. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018. 185 pp. Dutch theologian Josh de Keijzer (PhD Luther Seminary, 2017) argues that Luther's posthumously dubbed theologia crucis (theology of the cross), or key features of it, enables Bonhoeffer to resolve an important theological problem: that pertaining to act and being. That resolution, in turn, leads Bonhoeffer to a refashioned interpretation of Luther's theologia crucis for the twentieth century. De Keijzer focuses on Bonhoeffer's Habilitationsschrift "Act and Being" (1931). In Bonhoeffer's terminology, "act" is a reference to theological approaches that accent God's transcendence. These approaches preserve transcendence, but render problematic God's presence in a concrete, meaningful sense. Bonhoeffer uses the term, "being," in reference to theological interpretations that stress God's presence or immanence. In so doing, they risk domesticating God; that is to say, they eliminate God's transcendence and make God part of the world. In either case, if in opposite ways, they eliminate the possibility of God's grace. That elimination reinforces the present form of existence of the self and community. Bonhoeffer, of course, wants to have his cake and eat it too. A key feature of the theologia crucis is God's presence as Jesus Christ. Christians become part of Christ in Word and sacrament and together as a community. God is thereby made present in and as this community of faith. However, that presence risks domestication. Bonhoeffer, de Keijzer argues, avoids this problem through an interpretation of faith that borrows ideas from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. Dasein, the key idea from Heidegger, refers to the unique kind of being of humans. With this concept, according to de Keijzer, [End Page 480] Heidegger maintains an insurmountable gap between being and what humans can know of that being. This gap is not transcendent, however; it is existential. Dasein is an ongoing project that comes to knowledge of itself only through engagement with its world, that is, in relation to a particular time and place with other human beings. Since this process is never-ending, this gap can never be closed. Bonhoeffer transposes this idea of Dasein to Christians in their community. In analogy to Dasein, Christians come to understand themselves in relation to the world they live in, foremost through Christ and the community of Christ. Since this community is an ongoing project that comes to understand its existence or being through its activity, it can never become closed or domesticated. In Bonhoeffers Kritik der verkrümmten Vernunft: Eine erkenntnistheoretische Untersuchung in Beiträge zur historischen Theologie (Tübingen, 1999), Christiane Tietz-Steiding argues that Bonhoeffer's appropriation of Heidegger amounts to a misunderstanding and misapplication. De Keijzer suggests otherwise. I leave it to the Heidegger and Bonhoeffer scholars to settle the matter. Assuming that Bonhoeffer has formally succeeded in bringing together the transcendence and immanence of God, a number of questions remain that the theologian who follows Bonhoeffer must address if that success is to be considered a substantive one. I will offer one. If Dasein is open in an existential or immanent way, does not that render God superfluous? If "act" approaches are important because God's transcendence prevents both self and community from closing themselves off from the other or otherness, then Dasein no longer requires God or the transcendent. Bonhoeffer demonstrates some awareness of this challenge, but does not seem to address it. Perhaps this apparent superfluity of God is a seed that blossoms into the religionless Christianity of the later Bonhoeffer? I offer one criticism that intends to be both constructive and sympathetic. De Keijzer's book, at times, presents terms and ideas whose precise meanings are not always clear. Thus, their contribution to his argument can be a little obscure. That gripe aside, I find de Keijzer's elaboration of Bonhoeffer's objective both compelling and inspiring for future research that seeks to understand the complex relationship among Bonhoeffer, Luther, and Heidegger. I [End Page 481] should...

A Treasury of Faith: Lectionary Hymn Texts Old Testament Series A, B, and C by Gracia Grindal

Reviewed by: A Treasury of Faith: Lectionary Hymn Texts Old Testament Series A, B, and C by Gracia Grindal David L. Mennicke A Treasury of Faith: Lectionary Hymn Texts Old Testament Series A, B, and C. By Gracia Grindal. Colfax, NC: Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc., 2012. 293 pp. This volume is part of a series of hymn texts that Grindal, Professor Emerita of Rhetoric at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, has written for all pericopes of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). This 2012 edition provides hymn commentaries on the Old Testament Lessons for the three-year RCL. It lives up to its title: a treasure for both worship planning and personal devotions. The hymns are winsome and well-crafted. Grindal is adept at mining theological insights out of the appointed biblical text and then sharing those insights in language that is fresh and applicable to the current world. At times she nearly quotes the Old Testament lesson. For example, “The Evening’s Dying Embers” (10–11), references Ecclesiastes 3: “For everything a season,/for everything an end,/for everything a reason,/I do not understand.” Other hymns [End Page 474] make direct connections to modern life, such as “All Who Are Homeless on a Wintry Night” (16). Grindal is superb at connecting the Old Testament reading to its Gospel pairing, particularly in communicating the centrality of Christ’s redemptive salvation. One example is “The Fruit of Knowledge Waited Eve,” (26) which describes the Fall of Adam and Eve in the first two stanzas, then concludes with a Christological narrative: Out in the barren wildernessour Savior faced the tempter’s test.He wept within Gethsemaneand died upon a cruel tree.This knowledge is too much for us:to see him hanging on the cross,to heal the rift we caused by sin,and bring us back to life again. Grindal excels at hymns that outline the story of specific biblical characters. She brings the narratives to life, for example: the Tower of Babel in “We Dreamed of Reaching Heaven (215); Jacob in “I Wakened in the Darkness” (248); Ruth in “The Yellow Fields of Food” (161); Namaan in “Brave Namaan Was an Army Man” (101); Elijah/Elisha in “A Bright Golden Chariot and Voices of Fire” (105); Job in “When Darkness Falls and Covers Everything” (253); Jonah in “As Jonah in the Whale” (65) and “When Jonah Heard the Lord Was Calling” (98); Mary and Elizabeth in “Somewhere I Hear the Church Bells Ringing” (219); Saul/Paul in “The Light, the Water, and the Word” (123); and Paul and Silas in “We Plant the Seeds in Springtime” (213). Nearly all the hymns include a suggestion for a hymn tune. Some, however, were written with no tune in mind and need a newly composed melody. Grindal purposely pursued that method in some hymns, saying in her preface, “I have found over the years with this project that traditional meters produce traditional texts. Breaking the mold on occasion freshens up my rhetoric and poetry” (viii). Occasionally in the non-festival parts of the church year, the hymn text connection to the assigned Old Testament reading is weak or [End Page 475] non-existent, but this is a minor issue. An overwhelming number of texts have a direct or close relation to the associated lectionary for the day. The book ends with an excellent set of indices, including Topical, Biblical Source, Metrical, and First Line which make it a valuable tool for worship planning. On their own, the delight and depth of the poetry provide the individual reader with a rich source for devotional study. Combined with her other hymn text series on the Gospels and Epistles, Grindal has given the church a wonderful gift to use and enjoy for years to come. David L. Mennicke Concordia University Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc

Living Well-Springs: The Hymns, Songs, and Poems of N. F. S. Grundtvig by Edward Broadbridge

Reviewed by: Living Well-Springs: The Hymns, Songs, and Poems of N. F. S. Grundtvig by Edward Broadbridge Paul Westermeyer Living Well-Springs: The Hymns, Songs, and Poems of N. F. S. Grundtvig. By Edward Broadbridge. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2015. 420 pp. Edward Broadbridge, a teacher of English and Religious Studies at Aarhus University and the University of Michigan, served as the translator and editor of this book. He received help from John Nicholson who collaborated with him on the translation of every hymn, song, and poem in it. Nicholson, with an MA from Oxford and postgraduate studies at Sheffield and Southampton, worked in adult [End Page 236] education and "probation and prison after-care" (15). Both men are from England, married Danish wives, and moved to Denmark. In the Preface (19–29) Broadbridge describes the importance of Grundtvig's hymns and songs in Danish churches and schools. For example, Danish emigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—287,000 people, one tenth of the Danish population (21)—carried his hymns with them as "spiritual luggage" (19). He sees Grundtvig as a major poet beyond Denmark whose reputation remains "confined to a relatively small circle," calls the hymns chosen for this book classic ones of Grundtvig, and gives a history of translations. In the section called "Translation as an Art," he begins with Anne Schjoldager's "six competencies required of the translator: linguistic, cultural, textual, subject-specific, research, and transfer" (22). He describes "the present translation" (25–26); "Grundtvig, England, and the English Language" (26–27); and makes final comments about Grundtvig as "surprisingly" by "his own admission, unmusical," though he said, "I often wish among my confirmands that I too could sing a hymn" (28). Uffe Jonas is a Danish singer, writer, and lecturer whose MA and PhD, from the University of Copenhagen, are on Kierkegaard and Nordic languages and literature. He provides a biographical study of Grundtvig (31–65). The remainder of the book (67–331) gives translations of 162 of Grundtvig's hymns (# 1–76), songs (# 77–103), and poems (# 104–162), followed by notes, a bibliography, and indexes (pp. 333–420). Broadbridge's aim was "to produce precise, poetical translations that reflect Grundtvig's intentions with the original Danish" (25). Although he followed the Danish "rhythms and rhymes" (25), he did not set out to provide a collection of hymns for singing assemblies as hymnal editors seek to do. The hymns are organized as they appear in The Danish Hymnbook (2002), the songs are divided as in The People's High School Song Book (2006), and the poems are ordered according to the editor's choice. Mythology, nature, history, poetry, Denmark, and England are all important to understanding Grundtvig. In his biographical sketch—titled "Earth and Heaven Be United, Grundtvig as poet [End Page 237] and hymn-writer"—Jonas discusses all of these topics along with Grundtvig's "Christian breakthrough," his understanding of history as poetry, the constructive jurists and the creative poets in the nation-state, his positive view of women, and his place as one of the three great Danes of hymn writing in Denmark along with Thomas Kingo (1634–1703) and Hans Adolf Brorson (1694–1764). Word and sacraments are included in these discussions. Whether they are sufficiently emphasized will have to be judged by Grundtvig scholars. This book will be of interest to hymn writers, editors, historians, and anybody who cares about hymnody, especially Danish hymnody and Grundtvig. Those less concerned about hymnody, but who study Denmark, Grundtvig, and the church in Denmark may also find this book to be of interest. Paul Westermeyer Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2018 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Onesimos Nesib, Ethiopian Evangelical Pioneer

With Sarah Hinlicky Wilson, Samuel Yonas Deressa edited the latest LQ Book on Tsehay Tolessa and Gudina Tumsa, recent leaders of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, now with nine million members. Here Deressa goes back to the indigenous pioneer of this church, Onesimos Nesib (1856–1931), from his childhood slavery in Oromo through his baptism (Easter, 1872) and further education in Stockholm to his extensive and influential translations: the Bible, Luther's Small Catechism, many hymns and short stories. Deressa, adjunct faculty at Concordia University St. Paul, is a 2017 PhD graduate of Luther Seminary, 1570 Eustis Street, Apt. 306, Lauderdale, MN 55108; sderessa001@luthersem.edu.

Existing Before God: Soren Kierkegaard and the Human Venture by Paul R. Sponheim

Reviewed by: Existing Before God: Soren Kierkegaard and the Human Venture by Paul R. Sponheim Ronald F. Marshall Existing Before God: Soren Kierkegaard and the Human Venture. By Paul R. Sponheim. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2017. xxxi + 167 pp. Paul R. Sponheim, emeritus professor of systematic theology, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota—as he turns eighty-seven—has published his third book on Søren Kierkegaard, to go with Kierkegaard on Christ and Christian Coherence (1968), and Love's Availing Power (2011). His first book was about how Christ is the cohering center of his vast writings; and the second one on how the cosmology of Alfred North Whietehead (1886–1951) rounds out Kierkegaard's views on Christian love. This third volume, on Kierkegaard's Sickness Unto Death (1849), has both a one-of-a-kind commentary on it (3–74) and a history of its reception and an assessment of its legacy (77–145). SUD is one of Kierkegaard's most difficult books, being "an epitomization … of his view of human nature" (Hongs, The Essential Kierkegaard, 2000). Its difficulty lies in its lines that could "easily" be turned into chapters (26). But in Sponheim's hands, this "impenetrable dialectical labyrinth" (SUD, ed. Hongs, 77) takes on clarity without any dumbing down. He carefully follows the structure of the book, moving from the secular analysis of the self in Part I to [End Page 247] the sacred account in Part II. Throughout Sponheim works to show how Part II doesn't leave Part I behind—somewhat unexpectedly revealing a natural theology in this Christ saturated author. Sponheim works to show how SUD is about "the restless heart [finding] peace, joy, and calling in the will and work of God known in a strange iternerant preacher named Jesus" (130). He employs "twists and turns" (143) in his analysis to show how our despair both impedes and aids in this venture—being both on the "wrong track [and] on the 'proper' wrong track" alternatingly (31). Along the way he shows striking parallels to Luther's writings (9, 35, 39 44, 48, 53, 54, 61, 62, 64, 71, 92, 96, 97, 108, 111, 135, 136)—even once saying that Kierkegaard's sin/grace dialectic "reeks" with Luther's potent influence (60)! Both parts of this book are full of demanding insights—like there being a defense for the Christian faith even though Kierkegaard thought such defenders were but versions of Judas (41–74), and the need for "a Christian dialogical openness to persons of other faiths" (140), when Kierkegaard thought Christ was the "only name in which there is blessedness" (Christian Discourses, ed. Hongs, 222–23). If this book were longer (xxvii, 93, 137), I would have liked Sponheim's concern for the pastoral adaptation of Kierkegaard (79, 130–32) to have addressed the many attacks on faithless pastors in SUD (52, 57, 64, 78, 79, 91, 102–104, 112, 116, 117, 128, 129, 130). Also I would have liked him to link his concern for global warming (131, 144) to Kierkegaard's critique of the earthly (SUD 59–73). Finally I would have liked his celebration of honesty before God (144–45) to be more closely linked to a robust and "rapturous love" for God (SUD 103) as an ideal tugging our honesty onto greater heights. Sponheim rightly notes God's gracious acceptance of our honest shortcomings, but Kierkegaard also worried about self-deceit infecting such honesty (For Self-Examination ed. Hongs, 44), rendering it "garrulous" (CD, 168). This work is part of the Mapping the Tradition series edited by Paul Rorem. Every reader of Kierkegaard who cares about what he says but also has had trouble understanding him, must read Sponheim's new, challenging study, because in this small (xiii) book is more than you will find in most books twice its size. [End Page 248] Ronald F. Marshall First Lutheran Church of West Seattle, Seattle, Washington Copyright © 2017 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament V. 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles ed. by Derek Cooper and Martin J. Lohrmann

Reviewed by: Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament V. 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles ed. by Derek Cooper and Martin J. Lohrmann Mark A. Throntveit Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament V. 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles. Edited by Derek Cooper and Martin J. Lohrmann. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2016. 799 pp. Readers of Lutheran Quarterly will be familiar with the tedious process of retrieving commentary on Bible passages by that intrepid band of reformers in the sixteenth century. Even more irksome is the tracking down of the context in which the passage appeared. Nevertheless, what the various reformers thought about the Bible is extremely important for a proper evaluation of their contribution and impact. But how is this achieved? According to the publishers, these Reformation Commentaries on Scripture were produced with four goals in mind: (1) to renew contemporary biblical interpretation through exposure to Reformation-era biblical interpretation; (2) to renew contemporary preaching through exposure to the biblical insights of the Reformation writers; (3) to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Reformation and the breadth of perspectives represented within it; and (4) to advance Christian scholarship in the fields of historical, biblical, theological, and pastoral studies. Ambitious as these goals might seem, this volume succeeds admirably on all four fronts. In a day when reader response trumps the history of interpretation in biblical studies, the present volume provides a fascinating take on these historical books of the Old Testament. Unsullied by the frequent excesses of the post-Enlightenment hermeneutics, Reformation exegetes frequently interpret the histories as harbingers of subsequent New Testament passages. As for proclamation, the reformers tend to see models and negative examples for contemporary Christian behavior in the wide-ranging cast of characters that we encounter in these pages. The breadth of Reformation perspectives is amply attested as well. We do hear from Luther, Melanchthon, and Calvin, but the bulk of citations hark back to Luther’s pastor, Bugenhagen, Lucas Osiander and Viktorin Strigel. Reformed representatives include Konrad Pellikan and Johannes Piscator. The English reformation is well represented by Andrew Willet and John Mayer. Although the Radicals and [End Page 100] Anabaptists eschewed publishing commentaries on these particular books, we are treated to an occasional remark from Menno Simons, Hans Denck, Balthasar Hubmaier, and Dirk Philips with regard to God’s promise to David of an eternal dynasty. One might expect only Protestants to appear yet commentary from Catholic scholars Alonso Tostado and Cardinal Cajetan pepper the presentation with their rather different point of view. All of this serves to advance scholarship in the fields of history, Bible, theology, and pastoral care, not least by the unearthing and translation of little-known works. When these goals are coupled with an absolutely first-rate introduction to the historical context of the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers and how they read Scripture, and the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, the result is a delightful view of these books through the eyes of the reformers. The explicit format is a welcome guide on our journey: Following Reformation-era practice, the text is divided into pericopes or passages drawn from the English Standard Version of the Bible. These passages are then followed by very useful overviews of the subsequent comments pointing out exegetical, theological, or pastoral concerns by the editors. Finally, headings identify the nature of the comments gathered together under each pericope. The reviewer’s copy was curiously flawed in that pages 475–522 were inserted upside down and backwards right after 2 Kings 17, the description of the destruction of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria, rendering the so-called “ten lost tribes of Israel” a textual as well as a historical occurrence! Mark A. Throntveit Luther Seminary Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2017 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Bach and God by Michael Marissen

Reviewed by: Bach and God by Michael Marissen Paul Westermeyer Bach and God. By Michael Marissen. New York: Oxford University Press, 2016. 257pp. Michael Marissen is Professor Emeritus of Music at Swarthmore College. One of his teachers was Eric Chafe who discussed J. S. Bach’s Cantata 21 (Tears into Wine, 2015) in a lengthy tome of six [End Page 465] hundred pages. The detail in that book concerns the theological theme that produced the title, but the underlying theme is that Bach’s music requires both a theological/liturgical and a musical understanding. In far fewer words, Marissen argues the same underlying theme, that Bach’s music cannot be understood as aesthetic musical pleasure in which words can be ignored, nor can the importance of words be emphasized to make the notes trivial ornaments. Rather, the music interprets the text. Marissen’s book, however, unlike Chafe’s, is devoted to more than one work. Its detail centers in part on The Musical Offering as homage to God and not “abstract” chamber music or homage to Frederick the Great (7, chapter 7), but this book is primarily about anti-Judaism which here means not mean disagreement, but contempt. Bach, like all of us, had his blind spots. His period, like all periods, had its systems of injustice. The church, though sojourner, participates in and sometimes supports these principalities and powers, denying its own message which is partly why it confesses its unknown sins. Bach was not exempt from these sins. That is the detail Marissen examines. He points out that Bach sinned in against Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Calvinists; and he reflected the anti-Judaism of his time and place. He comes off better than Luther (113), and his St. John Passion comes off better than Handel’s Messiah. (Marissen devoted whole books to those two works [Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John Passion, 1998; Tainted Glory in Handel’s Messiah, 2014]). But Bach is not exempt, at least not in Marissen’s view. In a long footnote (68) he acknowledges those who disagree with him. Marissen divided his book into four parts with seven chapters, each an edited version of an earlier article. Part I discusses basic Lutheranism with two chapters on the musically theological and historically informed readings of Bach’s librettos. Part II takes up anti-Judaism with a chapter on Bach’s Cantata 46 about the destruction of Jerusalem (amazing musical exegesis, but Bach at his “grimmest,” [115]) and one on Bach’s cantatas, the Jews, and the Gospel of John. Part III continues anti-Judaism with two chapters on Bach’s Passion settings. Part IV discusses religious expression in chamber music. Its chapter on the Musical Offering has affinities to Marissen’s [End Page 466] compelling insights in The Social and Religious Designs of J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, 1995. Although Marissen may press some ambiguities to their breaking point, he notes that Bach’s St. John Passion indicates a greater concern for Christians and their sin than for anti-Judaism (155–157) and that other texts in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion work against Matthew 25:27, “His blood be on us and on our children” (158–59 and 179ff.). What Bach thought, however, whether he even agreed with his librettos (75, n. 26, and 123), or what Marissen believes are not the chief concerns here. (Marissen comes from a strict Dutch Calvinist background and views himself as an agnostic.) This is a careful study, in part a detailed biblical word study, laying out the anti-Judaic perspective of which Bach was a part. For providing us that data we need to be grateful. Paul Westermeyer Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2016 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc

Editor's Note

Editor's Note

Witchcraft Accusations and Christianity in Africa

January 2015 J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, a contributing editor, is the Baeta-Grau Professor of Contemporary African Christianity and Pentecostal/Charismatic Studies, Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Accra, Ghana. He has served as visiting scholar at Harvard University (2004), Luther Seminary in St. Paul (2007), and the Overseas Ministries Study Center (2012). —kwabena.asamoahgyadu@gmail.com I the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Such rescue from evil and its consequences is critical for anyone wishing to live by God’s promises in the Bible. For the churches in Africa, evil preeminently includes witchcraft. In Africa, successful Christian ministry (i.e., ministry with significant personal relevance and impact) is impossible unless one takes into account the supernatural evil implied by the word “witchcraft.” Grasping the power and influence of evil, including witchcraft, is critical, not only for realistic pastoral care, but also for understanding African responses to the Gospel throughout Christian mission history. For example, the spectacular growth of African Independent/Initiated Churches (AICs) in the early twentieth century is linked, in particular, to the inability of Western missions to come to terms with the reality of supernatural evil, especially witchcraft, and to articulate a Christian pastoral response to it. Historic Western mission Christianity has generally been perceived to be powerless when it comes to dealing with supernatural evil. Those who are spiritually afflicted and troubled have therefore turned to alternate resources outside the sphere of mission churches— traditional witchdoctors, medicine cults, charismatic prophets, or a combination of these—in search of diagnosis, explanations, and solutions to problems ranging from ill health to infertility to failing economic fortunes. A century after the emergence of AICs, witchcraft and belief in its destructive power remain resilient in African life and thought. Evil of supernatural provenance requires—and in AICs has called forth—powerful prayers of intervention. These churches deal with witchcraft in the context of activities of prophecy and spiritual warfare. Indeed, the single most important contribution made by indigenous churches toward the renewal of Christianity in Africa has been the integration of charismatic experiences, particularly prophecy, healing, and deliverance, into church life. The pneumatic churches, including here Africa’s independent Pentecostal and charismatic churches, as well as the classical AICs, for whom dealing with supernatural evil is a major pastoral focus, combine biblical notions with traditional ones in devising the hermeneutical interpretations, rituals, and sacred spaces to deal with supernatural evil’s perceived effects on people and society.

The Lutheran Church and Lutheran Theology in Korea1

Abstract: Lutheranism came to Korea with the American military chaplaincy of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in conjunction with the Korean War. The initial aim of these chaplains was to help the Koreans to improve their living conditions and to further their acquaintance with the Christian message. The main proponent of Lutheranism was Won Yong Ji, who for many years held a dual appointment at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and at the Luther Seminary in Korea. His brother, Won‐Sang Ji, was the first president of the Lutheran Church in Korea. Though the church has fewer than fifty congregations—most Protestant Christians are Presbyterians—its theological influence is significant.

The Center on Aging, Religion, and Spirituality: Lessons Learned

The Center on Aging, Religion, and Spirituality (CARS) was associated with Luther Seminary (St. Paul, Minnesota) from 1994 until 2007. Emphasizing the need for immanent and transcendent meaning in late life, it provided an ecumenical, interdisciplinary continuing education program for clergy, chaplains, lay leaders, and others interested in pastoral care and ministry with older persons. It also supported research and scholarship on aging, religion, and spirituality, and shared this knowledge with others through conferences, journal articles, and two edited handbooks. This article tells the story of CARS, describes its activities, and identifies the lessons learned when its directors concluded that it could no longer be sustained. The article concludes with observations about whether programs like CARS are still needed.