Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 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.

My Savior's Guest: A Festschrift in Honor of Erling Trygve Teigen ed. by Thomas Rank

Reviewed by: My Savior's Guest: A Festschrift in Honor of Erling Trygve Teigen ed. by Thomas Rank Thomas E. Jacobson My Savior's Guest: A Festschrift in Honor of Erling Trygve Teigen. Edited by Thomas Rank. Lake Mills, Iowa: Thomas Rank, 2021. 268 pp. The name Erling Teigen, though familiar among a particular segment of American and world Lutheranism, is mostly unknown to those who represent a more ecumenical and "liberal" Lutheran tradition. [End Page 219] Even so, this Festschrift in honor of Teigen, a beloved and significant figure in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), is a worthwhile read for Lutherans of various perspectives. To understand the significance of this book, one must first understand something of the tradition in which Teigen carried out his ministry as a pastor and professor. The ELS, now headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota, is a small Lutheran church body currently in fellowship with the larger Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Leading up to the larger Norwegian-American Lutheran merger of 1917, which produced the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America, a small group of pastors from one of the merging groups known as the Norwegian Synod refused to participate in the merger and formed their own synod. Largely, though not exclusively, this was the result of refusal to compromise on the theological issue of election or predestination. This group of "Little Norwegians" eventually became known as the ELS. Today it considers itself the authentic continuation of the tradition of the Norwegian Synod, which was a member of the Synodical Conference, originally formed in 1872 as a federation of synods, having fellowship on the basis of fundamental doctrinal unity. For this reason, the ELS has an identity rooted in the perspectives of the Synodical Conference, of which it remained a member until 1963. It also seeks to carry forward its Norwegian background. The title of this Festschrift reflects this concern for the historic Norwegian Lutheran tradition. The words "My Savior's Guest" appear in English translations of two Dano-Norwegian hymns for Holy Communion by Thomas Kingo and Johan Nordahl Brun. Naturally, the essays included here reflect the assumptions and concerns of church bodies with a heritage in the now defunct Synodical Conference, such as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the WELS, and the ELS. Readers from these traditions will find not only much on which to agree, but also valuable insights into topics such as how one derives a sola scriptura principle from the Lutheran confessional writings, how to understand the relationship between freedom and uniformity in liturgical practice, and the importance of sacramental theology in the face of non-liturgical, "contemporary" worship trends. Not surprisingly, there are also essays devoted to issues such [End Page 220] as unionism and syncretism, the ordination of women, and the dangers of Pietism. It also touches on an area of recent concern, with an essay on the error of online or digital communion. Although the articles are erudite and professional, the volume also brings a personal touch in its effort to honor Teigen. It includes one sermon by Teigen, preached in 1989 on the slaughter of the innocents of Bethlehem. An essay also recounts Teigen's contribution to world Lutheranism through his work in building confessional Lutheranism in Latvia after the end of the Cold War. Although the volume includes a bibliography of Teigen's published works and a lighthearted "Erling Alphabet," which highlights aspects of his personality and contributions, a concise biography of Teigen would have been helpful for readers unfamiliar with his work. This collection, while affirming perspectives of the ELS and related bodies, can be helpful for Lutherans beyond the former Synodical Conference traditions. The realignment of American Lutheranism over the last decades, which has seen the emergence of a more conservative variety of the more ecumenically oriented Lutheranism, has brought such centrist bodies into greater contact with the Lutheranism of the former Synodical Conference. This volume can help those of us from such centrist traditions better understand and engage with such groups, and also sharpen and hone our own perspectives. Thomas E. Jacobson Institute of Lutheran Theology Brookings, South Dakota Copyright © 2023 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier by Kirk D. Farney

Reviewed by: Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier by Kirk D. Farney Kathryn M. Galchutt Ministers of a New Medium: Broadcasting Theology in the Radio Ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. By Kirk D. Farney. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2022. 345 pp. In our multi-media saturated times, it is difficult to imagine the singular importance of radio during its golden age, from the 1920s to the 1950s. During that era before television, the essayist E. B. White described radio as having a "godlike presence" in homes across America. In his book Kirk Farney notes that radio had a range of qualities, from intimate to communal, from democratic to authoritative. Yet Farney's study is less concerned with the medium of radio and more concerned with the impact of two men and the messages they spoke to millions during the 1930s and 1940s. The Lutheran pastor Walter A. Maier (1893–1950) and the Roman Catholic priest Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) were two of the most popular and prominent broadcasters during radio's golden age. Both men came from religious backgrounds that were considered on the periphery of mainstream American Protestant religion. Maier came from a German-American Lutheran background and was a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, a synod which some saw as an ethnic and theological enclave. Sheen came from a primarily Irish-American Catholic background and sought to counter the historic anti-Catholicism in American society. Farney explains how Maier and Sheen preached messages rooted in their own religious traditions, yet succeeded in appealing to wider audiences. Both men "combined a traditional theological conservatism with an equally traditional American idealism" (133). Maier and Sheen took to the airwaves after the Modernist and Fundamentalist debates of the 1920s. Both men were vocal critics of modernist [End Page 191] theology. They preached messages of traditional Christian theology, putting a strong emphasis on the doctrines of the atonement, sin, and grace. Given the well-known antagonism between Protestants and Catholics, it is remarkable that the Protestant Maier and the Catholic Sheen asserted such similar teachings about the foundations for faith and life (160). Maier and Sheen also made connections with the difficult times in which they were living, commenting on the economic challenges of the Great Depression, the conflicts and controversies of World War II, and the threat of communism. Both were careful to avoid partisan politics. But they reflected a spirit of American patriotism while also calling on Americans to repent and to avoid a stance of national self-righteousness. Farney notes that Maier and Sheen were critical of racial and ethnic discrimination in America and urged the church to recognize the equality of all people before God (257). Farney could have done more to explain the significance of their stances in the context of American race relations in the 1930s and 1940s. Both men reached out to many beyond their respective religious communities. Farney describes how Sheen received considerable attention for the prominent converts to Catholicism whom he reached, including Henry Ford II and the American Communist Party leader Louis Budenz. Besides the famous, Sheen also reached "the obscure … of all races and incomes" (297). Farney describes Maier's contacts with political, military, and cultural leaders, but did not mention specific converts. More could be done to examine those who made a commitment to Lutheranism because of Maier's "The Lutheran Hour." Among these are Mary Banta, who contributed to the development of True Light Lutheran Church, a Chinese-American congregation in Manhattan and Chris McNair, who lost his daughter Denise in the Klan bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1963. Exploring the international impact of the "Catholic Hour" and "The Lutheran Hour" is another potential area of future research. Farney has written a very significant study of two of the most important radio preachers in American history, examining the similar ministries of a Lutheran pastor and Catholic priest. The parallels ended when Maier died relatively early of a massive heart attack [End Page 192] in 1950 and Sheen transitioned to even greater fame with a...

Evil Deeds in High Places: Christian America's Moral Struggle with Watergate by David E. Settje

Reviewed by: Evil Deeds in High Places: Christian America's Moral Struggle with Watergate by David E. Settje Robert Benne Evil Deeds in High Places: Christian America's Moral Struggle with Watergate. By David E. Settje. New York: New York University Press, 2020. 275 pp. As a rule, Lutherans' political presence in American life has been neglected by scholars of religion and politics. Lutheran political involvements are not as well-known as those of the mainline denominations nor as effective as the Southern Baptists or United Methodists. Lutherans have not played as prominent a political role in American life as Roman Catholics and they have not spawned politically powerful voluntary associations—Moral Majority, Christian Coalition—as have fundamentalists and evangelicals. Yet, they have been involved far beyond the attention they have been given by scholars. This book by David Settje, Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Concordia University Chicago, corrects that lack of attention. Here he adds to his considerable prior efforts to plumb the political involvements of American Lutherans in the great issues of the day. Two books precede this current effort: Lutherans and the Longest War: Adrift on a Sea of Doubt about the Cold and Vietnam Wars, 1961–75 (Lexington, 2006) and Faith and War: How Christians Debated the Cold and Vietnam Wars (New York University Press, 2011). This book focuses on the Watergate scandals that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in August of 1974. As the "evil deeds in high places" and the dishonesty that surrounded them shook the confidence of the country, Settje argues that the churches played an increasingly important role in political life in America. The crisis especially provided an occasion for conservative religion to provide a stronger voice in public life. That is where at least some Lutherans (Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) come into play in the book. Other Lutherans (Lutheran Church in America) trained their influence on the liberal side. But all Christian traditions exercised new and important roles in both moral judgment and renewal in America. So, while Settje gives due attention to Lutheran voices, he also covers other major traditions, as well as the journals that represented those traditions. [End Page 241] The main part of the book provides an exhaustive account of those religious bodies' grappling with the many facets of the Watergate crisis. It is highly detailed and thorough. The notes and bibliography together are forty pages long. Recounting that upheaval brings back many memories of that era and its primary actors to those who lived through it. To those who did not it provides excellent historical instruction. While for the most part, Settje's work is fair-minded, it is clear that he favors liberal Protestant political incursions. He tends to argue that evangelicals have violated their emphasis on piety in their affection for Nixon and later Trump. He ends the book by arguing that Christians "must advocate for the moral and ethical leadership that will protect democracy. But this requires, within the Christian comfort of mixing religion and politics, they put morality first and politics a distant second." (216) This obviously is a criticism of those who thought that Nixon's—as well as Trump's—political agendas were important enough to support in spite of their personal foibles. The choice between a politician's character and his or her agenda is not as neat as Settje suggests. Liberal support for Clinton demonstrates that ambiguity on the other side of the political spectrum. Settje also makes the claim that the Watergate imbroglio was the doorway to much more religious involvement in politics, whereas it seems to me that the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war provided an earlier occasion for heavy religious involvement. Also, the Supreme Court's decision in Roe vs. Wade was a huge stimulation for religious involvement in politics that was just as strong as Watergate and far more long-lasting. Nevertheless, this book is a welcome examination of a watershed moment in American politics as well as American religions' political role in it. [End Page 242] Robert Benne Institute of Lutheran Theology Brookings, South Dakota Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran...

Arthur Carl Piepkorn: Chaplain to the Greatest Generation by John Hannah

Reviewed by: Arthur Carl Piepkorn: Chaplain to the Greatest Generation by John Hannah Matthew L. Becker Arthur Carl Piepkorn: Chaplain to the Greatest Generation. By John Hannah. Delhi, New York: ALPB Books, 2020. 88 pp. Other than Jaroslav Pelikan, Arthur Carl Piepkorn (1907–1973) was the most erudite and influential historical theologian to have taught at Concordia Seminary St. Louis in the twentieth century. [End Page 212] He served on that faculty between 1951 and his forced retirement in 1973, an event that likely contributed to his death that same year. Not only did he teach and write brilliantly on a broad range of theological topics, he also served with great distinction as a chaplain in the United States Army. Indeed, Piepkorn's influence on the Army chaplaincy after 1945 is hard to overestimate. His "after-action report" about chaplains in the European theater led to significant and enduring reforms. John Hannah, who studied under Piepkorn and was encouraged by him to become an Army chaplain (retiring at the rank of colonel), divides his book into three parts. The first and largest section covers Piepkorn's appointment as an Army chaplain in 1936, his rapid advancement in Europe during and after the Second World War, his after-action report, and his service in the Army Reserve (Office of Chief of Chaplains) between 1951 and 1967. Hannah demonstrates how Piepkorn's military service fit well with his interest in ecumenism and led directly to the writing of his posthumously published multi-volume magnum opus, Profiles in Belief (1977–79). While Hannah's second section offers a very positive assessment of Piepkorn's chaplaincy and his role in paving the way for other Lutheran chaplains to rise to high levels of leadership across all military branches, the final part contains the address that Piepkorn delivered at the first annual training conference of Army chaplains in 1969. Given at the height of the Vietnam War, when many Americans were questioning the legitimacy and legality of the military chaplaincy, Piepkorn's address provides an abiding rationale for such a ministry "pro deo et patria." Despite the book's interesting anecdotes (for example, about Piepkorn's work as a translator for General Eisenhower) and its helpful insights into a humble, diaconal approach to military chaplaincy, the book is hagiographic and occasionally repetitive. As much as we should appreciate Piepkorn's life and service, one wonders if the man was totally bereft of faults or weaknesses. This important theologian deserves a larger biography, one that would allow for deeper, more critical analysis of his life and work. (A model for that would be Tim Townsend's book on Henry Gerecke, another Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod chaplain: Mission at Nuremberg, [End Page 213] 2014.) Still, for anyone who wants to learn about a model military chaplain from the past century, this book is a good place to start. Matthew L. Becker Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana Copyright © 2022 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

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...

Still standing after all these years: the presence and internet presentation of religious buildings in the Chicago area, 1936–2016

Scholars have examined the changes in religious architecture over time but few have focused on the ongoing presence of religious buildings in communities nor how long-standing congregations interact with their older building. This study utilises two Internet data sources – Google Street View and the websites of religious congregations – to examine the fate and online presentation of the buildings of four Protestant denominations in the Chicago region from 1936 to today: Disciples of Christ, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Presbyterian, and Seventh-day Adventist. The patterns found show the stability of many church buildings over eight decades and how they help anchor some religious groups – even though newer congregations use a number of these structures – yet congregations make unique choices about presenting their buildings through their website. These findings suggest religious buildings continue to influence their original religious congregations, newer groups using the building and neighbourhoods decades after they are constructed.

Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions

Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions H. George Anderson Dictionary of Luther and the Lutheran Traditions. Edited by Timothy J. Wengert, Mark A. Granquist, Mary Jane Haemig, Robert Kolb, Mark C. Mattes, and Jonathan Strom. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017. 850 pp. If you are looking for the pronunciation of Oecolampadius, this is not the dictionary for you. But if you want to explore the many dimensions of the Lutheran heritage—the length, breadth, and depth of it—this book will bring ample rewards. In his introduction, General Editor Timothy Wengert emphasizes that Lutherans form a "worldwide movement within the church catholic" (xxi). This focus on the global spread of the Lutheran tradition is apparent in the international network of contributors who provide entries on Lutheran churches in many countries of the world, from Angola to Zimbabwe. Biographical articles portray Lutheran leaders from every continent. This global perspective alone makes the dictionary an outstanding contribution to Lutheran scholarship. Of course, covering so vast a landscape in 850 pages means that hard choices had to be made. North American readers may look for familiar topics in vain, or find them subsumed under larger categories, while distant events get the headlines. Neither of the two major Lutheran churches in Canada has an entry, while two Brazilian church bodies each get separate treatment. Although the charismatic movement in the United States of the 1970s is well–covered within a general article on Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity, the Fifohazana Movement in Madagascar gets an article [End Page 356] of its own. In addition to the dimension of geographical breadth, Wengert's introduction also introduces the dimension of chronological length by placing Lutheranism "within the church catholic." Although many of the theological articles begin with Luther, they frequently launch the discussion by noting medieval currents that influenced his thought. Articles on Patristics, Aquinas, Biel, Augustine, and Late–Medieval Scholasticism further explore his connection to the long theological heritage of Western Christianity. Many entries offer perspectives on Luther, his life, thought, sources, and opponents. All the personalities around him receive attention and almost every territory in sixteenth-century Europe gets separate treatment. His theological influence is traced through articles on original sin, eschatology, free will, the church and other standard topics—but also on less familiar subjects like exorcism and witchcraft. Post-Reformation developments that affected all Christian traditions are noted. The centuries between Luther and the Luther Renaissance of the 1890s are often "fly-over country" in other books. Here they are given better attention with entries on the eighteenth century, on general intellectual movements, including Rationalism, Pietism, and Existentialism, and also on individuals like Kant and Hegel. Articles on recent concerns—ecology, gender and sexuality, the women's movement, race, and ecumenical dialogues—provide helpful summaries aided by up-to-date bibliographies that offer leads for further study. The title names "The Lutheran Traditions." That is an acknowledgement of Lutherans' classic struggle with evaluating the period of Lutheran Orthodoxy and its relevance to today. Editors Wengert and Kolb represent two strands of that inheritance, embodied in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Kolb and Wengert have collaborated on several projects, notably the Book of Concord (2000), and their involvement in this new project signals the effort to be balanced. Wengert's introduction to the volume says that contributors have been asked to show "a fairmindedness that tries accurately to present" the material (xxxv). In general the dictionary is irenic. However, some authors let their bias show. The article on [End Page 357] Inner-Lutheran Ecumenism (366f.), for instance, follows the development of the Synodical Conference but ignores the productive series of mergers among other Lutheran bodies after 1918, omitting the formation of the ALC in 1930, the TALC and LCA mergers in the early 1960s and the ELCA in 1988. Likewise, the article on Lutheran education focuses mainly on schools from an LCMS perspective. Its text and bibliography would have been more balanced if they had included Richard Solberg's History of Lutheran Higher Education in North America (1985). Accounts of the tapestry of mergers among Lutherans in the United States also drop a few stitches...

Getting Women Ordained

This brief history of the decision to ordain women to pastoral service was first published in the volume, Called and Ordained (1990). It is here republished by Lutheran Quarterly with a new Afterword by the original author, Gracia Grindal. As she points out, the historical review of the matter is "worth considering since it raised the fundamental question of how Lutherans theologically understood the office of the pastor, a vexing issue as the question of the historic episcopate came up in the ecumenical conversations of the last century." Although the late 1960s were years of unprecedented social upheaval, Lutherans studied and debated women's ordination on the grounds of the Confessions and scripture. While the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod still does not ordain women, the Lutheran Church in America and the American Lutheran Church were on the basis of their study of their Confessions and scripture were compelled toward the decision to ordain women even at the risk of church unity and the ecumenical moment.

Called To Be Holy In The World: An Introduction to Christian History by Timothy H. Maschke

Reviewed by: Called To Be Holy In The World: An Introduction to Christian History by Timothy H. Maschke Phillip L. Brandt Called To Be Holy In The World: An Introduction to Christian History. By Timothy H. Maschke. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2016. 350pp. This book is the fourth volume in a series of textbooks written by theology faculty within the Concordia University System of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) for their students. Each chapter covers one century of material. Major figures, movements, and events are succinctly described. The only deviation from this pattern comes in the treatment of the sixteenth century, which is divided into three chapters, allowing a more complete treatment of the Reformation. Maschke writes for undergraduates, not a body of readers noted for its passionate interest in ecclesial history. This fact forces him to make a number of concessions and adopt strategies which make his work useful in that context, but may also result in a text which is unsatisfying for those outside his intended readership. Cognizant of undergraduate reading habits, his chapters are brief, averaging just over fourteen pages. Despite this brevity, Maschke manages to treat a substantial amount of material. This necessitates a superficiality which might be considered a weakness. The book at some points reads more like an encyclopedic work which is arranged chronologically than a historical narrative. For an instructor whose lectures are providing that narrative, this work will provide a handy resource of facts and summaries for the student. For someone in another context, however, the book can become a blur of information which leaves the reader hungry for deeper treatment and contextualization of the events described. There are moments when the book surprises the reader with great detail and interesting context. The treatment of progress in agricultural techniques in the early centuries of the second millennium stands out. This is also true when he turns his attention to the nineteenth century and concentrates on the events surrounding C. F. W. Walther and the founding of the LCMS. The best defense of the book’s approach may be found in the very brief material which one finds at the beginnings and endings of chapters. Here Maschke makes an attempt to frame the material and connect the reader to what he or she has just read or is about to read. He emphasizes the mission of the church and [End Page 340] the persistent need for reform, especially in the centuries prior to Luther. Whether this effort at contextualization succeeds is open to debate. To some, this framing material will sound excessively parochial. The general reader who is looking for an accessible survey of Christian history will likely be more satisfied with The Story of Christianity, the two-volume work of Justo Gonzalez, published by HarperCollins, 2010. Phillip L. Brandt Concordia University Portland, Oregon Copyright © 2017 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc

Luther's Small Catechism and Luther's Small Catechism Study Edition by Martin Luther, and: Luther's Small Catechism by Martin Luther. iPad, iPhone, and Android.

Reviewed by: Luther's Small Catechism and Luther's Small Catechism Study Edition by Martin Luther, and: Luther's Small Catechism by Martin Luther. iPad, iPhone, and Android. Ken Sundet Jones Luther's Small Catechism and Luther's Small Catechism Study Edition. By Martin Luther. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2016. iPad, iPhone, and Android. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.augsburgfortress.smallcatechism; https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/luthers-small-catechism/id1114077769 Luther's Small Catechism. By Martin Luther. iPad, iPhone, and Android. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2016. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/luthers-small-catechism/id733691341?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cph.catechism Lutheran digital literati, including the church's much-sought-after Millennials, may now access Luther's most accessible teaching in two new apps for IOS and Android devices. The Evangelical [End Page 213] Lutheran Church in America's Augsburg Fortress and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's Concordia Publishing House now have free Small Catechism apps available for download for smart phones and tablets. They can be found by searching the App Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices. Augsburg Fortress' app (in both English and Spanish) initially includes the standard elements of the Catechism, including the Ten Commandments, Apostles' Creed, Lord's Prayer, Baptism, Lord's Supper, and Confession, along with Luther's various prayers. The text is taken from the translation by Timothy Wengert included in the The Book of Concord (2000). By making a $1.99 in-app purchase, further material becomes accessible: additional notes and illustrations, an introduction by Wengert, the household duties, marriage and baptismal services (oddly, and in a sort of bait-and-switch move, from the ELCA's Evangelical Lutheran Worship), and Luther's Preface. The Concordia offering uses the 1986 translation that was the product of the "Synod's Task Force for Revising the 1943 Catechism" and makes the Catechism available in two types of Chinese, Portuguese, German, and Tigrigna (a language of Ethiopia and Eritrea), along with English and Spanish. It requires no in-app purchases and includes the following: Ten Commandments, Apostles' Creed, Lord's Prayer, Baptism, Lord's Supper, and Confession, Daily Prayers, Table of Duties, Christian Questions and Answers, and Luther's Preface. Whether the Catechism itself is useful, well-written, or faithful is a matter for another discussion. As far as these apps are concerned, one has to ask what their intended purpose is. Both apps remain stuck in the pre-app past and reveal confusion about their intent, for they are simply a set of texts that could be pulled out of the digital ether in many other ways. The Catechism can already be downloaded in an ebook format for these intended devices. And its many earlier (and usually more memorizable) renditions are handily downloadable with the smart phone in most people's pockets. These apps would be a glorious addition to the on-line Luther—if it were 2010 when the iPad was first introduced. But the steps forward in technology since that time have been immense. If the publishing houses intended greater use of and familiarity with the Catechism, they should have pushed forward with more features. [End Page 214] Augsburg's app includes a Study Version, but has little material to expand the user's knowledge or understanding. Neither app includes links to corresponding passages in the Large Catechism or to relevant scripture passages for users who want to delve deeper. Both might have included games for help in memorization. Concordia already has a file available to create flashcards with the Tinycards app for memorizing the Catechism. A similar feature would have been a distinct advantage here. All in all, we ought to be grateful for the catechetical crumbs that have fallen from the tables of these venerable publishing houses. But in spite of the nearly six hundred years since Gutenberg, we treat the digital world as a mere variation on movable type. Luther's explanation of the Third Petition of the Lord's Prayer says that God's kingdom comes "whenever God strengthens us and keeps us steadfast in his word." Our age offers innovative...

Emotional Eating Mediates the Relationship Between Role Stress and Obesity in Clergy.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between role stress, emotional eating, and obesity in clergy. A random sample of United States Lutheran Church Missouri Synod clergy who met the study criteria (N = 430), response rate 38%, completed the Role Stress and Emotional Eating Behavior Scales, and self-reported height and weight for Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation. Obesity was high (81.4% overweight/obese, 36.7% obese), and emotional eating partially mediated the relationship between role stress and obesity. This study tested relations of the Neuman Systems Model.

Leben in zwei Welten: Die amerikanische Diakonissenbewegung und ihre deutschen Wurzeln by Margit Herfarth (review)

Reviewed by: Leben in zwei Welten: Die amerikanische Diakonissenbewegung und ihre deutschen Wurzeln by Margit Herfarth Deborah Matern Graf Leben in zwei Welten: Die amerikanische Diakonissenbewegung und ihre deutschen Wurzeln. By Margit Herfarth. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, 2014. 480 pp. When considering the modern international German deaconess movement, many sources detail Orientarbeit, particularly the work of the Kaiserwerth community in Jerusalem and Palestine. Addressing [End Page 90] a lack of German awareness of such work in the United States, this book presents a comprehensive overview of the transplantation of diaconal ministry across the Atlantic. Margit Herfarth reveals the results of her extensive doctoral research into the background of the German-based mission to establish deaconess communities in the United States. She asserts that most previous scholarship concerning the American deaconess movement addresses specific communities. Her work includes the history of several denominations. While the title implies a complete review of the German roots of the American deaconess movement, the first half of Herfarth’s work primarily covers the history of the various Lutheran deaconess ministries influenced by Theodor and Friederike Fliedner and the Kaiserswerth model, while giving a brief nod to the diaconal mission of Wilhelm Loehe and the deaconesses of Neuendettelsau. The remainder of the book focuses on German deaconesses sent forth from the Westphalian Sarepta community, modeled on the Kaiserswerth motherhouse and based in Bethel/Bielefeld (282), as well as the history of urban Methodist Episcopal diaconal ministries. This work intentionally spans eight decades from Fliedner’s first voyage to the United States in 1849 to the 1930s and admittedly does not cover the history of the German roots of the deaconess movement of several churches that later formed the present Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod (203). Any reader expecting a dry history on the American deaconess movement will be disappointed. Interspersed between dates and factual communal assessments are personal letters and journals of the sisters who were sent across the pond. Utilizing the vast records of the Kaiserswerth community, Herfarth explores the historical and societal reasons for the difficulty of transplanting the German model of the feminine diaconate. Communication across the Atlantic was difficult. Adjusting to a new language and culture proved to be more of a challenge than expected. Whereas most immigrants came to the United States intending to start a new life in a new land, the German sisters were sent out into the missionary field—they were not considered immigrants; many intended eventually to return to Kaiserswerth. While the Lutheran diaconates in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia remained committed to serving primarily in hospitals and to helping [End Page 91] specific European immigrant communities, other denominations expanded diaconal ministry in response to the rapid urban growth of the late nineteenth century. The Sarepta-supported work based in Dayton, Ohio, intentionally spanned confessional and language divides. The Methodist Episcopal Church planted a diaconate in the middle of Chicago, the second largest city at that time. While not always successfully emulated, the Kaiserswerth model was generally recognized as the prime example of thriving deaconess ministry. Students, teachers or practitioners of diaconal ministry willing to read a German text may find Herfarth’s book interesting and informative. Not only does it help the reader understand the roots of deaconess work, it also reminds one of the continued influence of the deaconess movement in American society. The heart of diaconal service evidenced in those who founded communities and answered a call continues to beat today in American hospitals, social service agencies, and active diaconal communities, persistently reminding the church of its call to serve all people, following the example of Jesus. Deborah Matern Graf Trinity Lutheran Church Reading, Pennsylvania Copyright © 2016 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Der Homiletische Entwurf von Gerhard Aho (1923–1987): Studie zur Rekonstruktion eines Nordamerikanischen Lutherischen Predigtkonzepts by Daniel J. Schmidt

Reviewed by: Der Homiletische Entwurf von Gerhard Aho (1923–1987): Studie zur Rekonstruktion eines Nordamerikanischen Lutherischen Predigtkonzepts by Daniel J. Schmidt Thomas Jacobson Der Homiletische Entwurf von Gerhard Aho (1923–1987): Studie zur Rekonstruktion eines Nordamerikanischen Lutherischen Predigtkonzepts. By Daniel J. Schmidt. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2014. 394pp. Based on his doctoral dissertation at an institution of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church, a German church in fellowship [End Page 485] with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Schmidt’s title translates as The Homiletical Proposal of Gerhard Aho (1923–1987): Study for the Reconstruction of a North American Lutheran Preaching Concept. Some information about the author’s experiences establishes the interest of this German scholar in North American preaching. After Schmidt’s ordination in Germany in 1991, he served as a missionary in Congo and Botswana, where he preached in French and the local languages. While attending a preaching seminar in South Africa, he reflected on how theology is communicated in these different cultures. How useful is it to talk about “sin” when the word for such in the local language describes something different than what is meant by Lutheran theology? How does one preach effectively when listeners come from a variety of Christian traditions or none at all? How does one speak meaningfully to communities ravaged by AIDS? This “crisis” of cross-cultural communication led him to reflect on his time as an exchange student at Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The different educational approach that he experienced there left a deep impression on him. In seeking to address the question of cross-cultural preaching, he was drawn once again to the teaching of his former homiletics professor at Fort Wayne, Gerhard Aho. Schmidt justifies the use of the word “reconstruction” in reference to Aho’s work, noting that Aho’s career was devoted mostly to teaching, resulting in a paucity of published writings. Schmidt argues that Aho’s teaching is an example of how to communicate theology not only cross-culturally, but also in the midst of shifting cultural trends. In the first section, Schmidt provides a brief overview of Aho’s life, noting his Finnish background as a part of the National Evangelical Lutheran Church, which merged into the Missouri Synod in 1963. This Finnish revival tradition was rooted in the theology of Fredrik Gabriel Hedberg and focused on the power of the proclaimed Word of God. The second section discusses the complex homiletical situation in the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, touching on issues such as the influence of European theology and rhetorical style, the struggle to maintain a law and gospel focus in Lutheran preaching given the popularity of liberal and moralistic theology, and especially the emergence of a “new homiletic” in response to the changed situation of the second [End Page 486] half of the twentieth century. The last major section discusses Aho’s concept of preaching, which responds to the changed situation with a call for a more relational preaching style, geared toward listeners in their context while maintaining a Lutheran confessional focus on the external Word. Schmidt’s German is relatively basic, but it still requires a strong reading knowledge, all the while being peppered with English language quotations from Aho and others. He also assumes knowledge of twentieth century German theology, making this book useful for advanced students in homiletics. Yet he highlights many issues, such as sermon preparation, homiletical style, and the role of personality in preaching, that are relevant to any preacher. The book’s general usefulness, however, might lie in the way it prods North American Lutherans to seek out and be shaped by expressions of the faith in other parts of the world. Finally, though understandably outside the scope of Schmidt’s work, one longs for greater discussion of how he understands Hedberg’s Finnish revival tradition to contrast to other Finnish pietistic revival movements of the time. Thomas Jacobson Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota Copyright © 2016 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc

English

Researchers who have examined the role of partnerships in addressing intractable social problems have concluded that collaborative approaches yield results superior to those of organizations acting alone. In this article, I examine the forms, strengths, and limitations of partnering across international borders through two collaborative programs operating in faith-based, nonprofit fields: Lutheran Church Missouri Synod World Missions operating in the Czech Republic and PROCOM Rwanda operating in the African nation of Rwanda. The purpose of this study was to examine the structural arrangements of these partnerships, elements that facilitate and impede partnering, and how partners define and measure success. I offer perspectives on development of full partnerships, as opposed to minimalist partnerships characterized by limited contractual obligation and mutual accountability, and significant differences in power wielded by organizational leaders. I conclude that whether or not such partnerships live up to their promise depends on factors including organizational structure, economic and political resources, philosophical and mission alignment, accountability, and communication.

Lutherans in America: A New History

Lutherans in America: A New History

The Political Attitudes and Activities of Missouri Synod Lutheran (LCMS) Clergy in 2001 and 2009: A Research Note

Research has explored Lutheran clergy and politics at various time points, though few studies have focused longitudinally on this significant religious tradition. Using Cooperative Clergy Survey data, this research note examines the theological and the political attitudes, beliefs, and activities of pastors in one branch of American Lutheranism, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), in 2001 and 2009. The results suggest that LCMS clergy became more conservative, both theologically and politically, during this time. Moreover, LCMS clergy indicated higher levels of approval for a variety of political actions in 2009 than in 2001, as well as reporting higher levels of actual political involvement in 2008 than in 2000. A new breed of LCMS clergy may be emerging that is more comfortable engaging with the public square.

Exploring Religious Congregations’ Registration With the IRS

Religious congregations hold a unique status among public charities in that they are exempt from having to ask for recognition of their tax-exempt status from the federal government. Despite this privileged status, more than two hundred thousand congregations are registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the rate of registration appears to be increasing. We examine regional, religious, and administrative patterns among the congregations registered with the IRS. Certain denominations, such as the Latter-day Saints, appear to have taken a centralized stance against congregational registration, whereas others, such as the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, have made a centralized decision for congregational registration. Other denominations appear to have left the decision up to individual congregations. Of those congregations that are registered, the method of registration, whether independent or through a denomination’s group exemption, appears to be related to the denomination’s centralization of authority.

Religious Beliefs and Reproductive Counseling Practices in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Religious Beliefs and Reproductive Counseling Practices in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Religious Autonomy in Europe and the United States--Four Recent Cases

On 11 January 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its judgment in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (132 S Ct 694), the most important religious freedom case to come before the Court since the 1990 Employment Division, Department of Human Resources v Smith (494 US 872). In Smith, the Court held that ‘neutral laws of general applicability’ trump claims to free exercise of religion. The neutral law in question in Hosanna-Tabor was the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the claim of applicability was brought by the EEOC in behalf of a fourth-grade teacher, Cheryl Perich, who had been diagnosed with narcolepsy. Perich, a ‘called’ employee of a church and school that comprise a member congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, was dismissed for insubordination after she threatened to sue the school when it resisted her premature return from medical leave. Her threat, said the church, violated the Synod’s belief that Christians should resolve their disputes internally. In the ensuing litigation, the church claimed the suit was barred by the ‘ministerial exception’, a non-statutory, constitutionally compelled exception to the application of employment-discrimination and civil rights statutes to religious institutions and their ‘ministerial’ employees. The teacher claimed that the church’s invoking the exception was a pretext for firing her for non-religious reasons, and in any event she was not actually a minister. The district court granted summary judgment for Hosanna-Tabor, which had treated Perich like a minister and had long held her out to the world as such. The Sixth Circuit remanded, recognizing the ministerial exception but accepting Perich’s arguments that she did not qualify as a minister because of the small percentage of time she spent dealing with religion in her fourth-grade classroom. Given that the doctrine had been ‘adopted and developed’ by all 12 federal circuits over a period of 40 years, the existence of the doctrine was not thought to be in doubt when the Supreme Court agreed for the first time to consider it.