Lutheran Church Research Articles

Ontstaan en groei van ’n seminarium aan die Fakulteit Teologie Stellenbosch en ander ontwikkelinge in die teologiese opleiding van die Ned Geref Kerk in die Sinode van Wes-Kaapland.

The article focuses on the developments of theological training in die Western Cape Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) in the last decade. In this era a Seminary was founded to facilitate ministerial formation for the DRC; Uniting Reformed Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA). The article unpacks the historical, demographic, and especially pedagogical complexities of theological education that aims to build missional leadership capacities. The theology and missional ecclesiology, rhetorical pedagogy and capacity theories are some of the building blocks that the synod utilise to build a new era for theological education.

Pro-immigration Norwegian Church élite: what explains the pro-immigration attitudes and are alleged welfare challenges acknowledged?

ABSTRACT Unlike political and business élites, few studies address attitudes among members of the church élite. Faced with politicians who refer to Christian heritage and values to justify restriction on immigration, we want to understand the attitudes of church leaders. This article draws on data from the Norwegian Leadership Surveys, conducted in 2000 and 2015, to identify attitudes to immigration and to the Norwegian welfare system among the Norwegian Church élite. The church élite respondents were recruited among bishops, deans, and members of the National Church Council in the Lutheran majority church, the Church of Norway. Finding that a pro-immigration position characterizes the Church élite, we explore how these attitudes can be understood by introducing various variables. As immigration allegedly represents challenges to socio-economic integration and to upholding the welfare state, we investigate whether pro-immigration attitudes correlate with attitudes to promoting integration and upholding the welfare state. We find that pro-immigration attitudes are correlated with concern for those not able to provide for themselves, stronger trust in the State than in markets, and no particular concern for the impact on the welfare state. Opposing a nationalist protection discourse, the church leaders express a humanistic or human-centered protection discourse, which we term ‘human-centered cosmopolitanism’.

Hilja Pärssinen and the religious grounds for socialist welfare in early twentieth-century Finland

ABSTRACT The schoolteacher and poet Hilja Pärssinen (1876–1935) was the most influential and internationally best-known female socialist in Finland before the Finnish Civil War (1918). She was a member of the Finnish Parliament, the leader of the Finnish Social Democratic Women’s Movement, and the most prominent ideologue of the Finnish Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) welfare programme. For instance, Pärssinen promoted paid maternity leave, public daycare, legalised abortion, and compulsory education with free meals and school supplies. Historians have acknowledged Pärssinen’s leading role as the architect of Finnish socialist welfare, but also pointed out that she was an aggressive opponent of the Evangelical Lutheran church. However, the studies have mainly failed to note that instead of rejecting religion itself, Pärssinen claimed all the reforms demanded by socialists were based on Christianity. Finnish scholars have argued—mainly based on writings by the party male elite—that the SDP rejected religion and adopted secular/antireligious ideology at the beginning of the twentieth century. I argue that this paradigm is based on an oversimplified and gendered interpretation. This paper will show that shifting the perspective from male socialist leaders to female ideologues can change and widen the comprehension of the history of socialism drastically.

Can History Bring Reconciliation in Divided Christian Communities?

As Elazar Barkan, the founding president of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation, pointed out, the recounting of history has been exploited to provoke conflict, incite war, and inflame genocides. Can it also be drawn upon to facilitate reconciliation? Indeed, many conflicts have an ideological component which is based on contested views of history. This applies to the Christian churches, starting with the Reformation. Using four case studies, the article argues that “good” history, based on reliable archival and oral evidence, can lay the foundation for a more serene view of the past and lead to reconciliation. It is essential to consider all points of view. The historian must navigate between diverse opinions and emotions, deepening the analysis when there are conflicts of interpretation. The article examines four recent memory debates in the Christian churches: the painful closure of the Federal Theological Seminary in 1993; the silence of the Rwandan churches during the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994; the brutal transfer of a group of black sisters from Newcastle to Montebello in 1939; and race relations and the search for unity in the history of the Lutheran churches of Southern Africa.

Paul Gerhardt in America 1743–2007

Abstract: German Hymnwriter Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676), often described as the most important Lutheran hymnwriter other than Martin Luther, has had an impact in America. His hymns helped shape the faith and ministry of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (1711–1787), often described as the “father” of the Lutheran church in America. His hymns helped Lutherans to face the crisis of World War I. Since the eighteenth century Gerhardt hymns have appeared in North American Lutheran hymnals. Even today they appear in both Lutheran hymnals and the hymnals of other Christian groups. Lutherans observed the 300th anniversary of his birth in 1907 with celebrations for laity and clergy featuring Gerhardt’s hymns. Many articles in church periodicals described Gerhardt and his hymns. The 400th anniversary of his birth in 2007 gained some attention, in church publications and academic conferences, but generally less attention than in 1907.

Exploring Christian Lutheran theological framings that shape men’s perpetration of domestic violence through pastor perspectives

ABSTRACT The inclusion of theological beliefs and practices in the analysis of domestic violence is needed, hence this paper explores how Christian theological framings shape men’s perpetration of domestic violence. Through engagement with the Lutheran Church of Australia, interviews and a survey with Pastors found that gender was dominant in the themes and provided a framework for how Pastors understood domestic violence and how they articulated their explanations for why they perceived a denial of domestic violence in their religious contexts. The interviews in this study brought out the capacity of gendered theological discourse and the truth valency of scripture to both inform domestic violence and potentially be part of the solution, while at the same time the narratives express the inherent tensions and the resistance to change in the religious culture. The paper argues for the coming together of sociological, feminist, theological and spiritual understandings of gender identity to shape responses to domestic violence in Christian contexts.

Christ under the rubble

In a brief comment from prison Dietrich Bonhoeffer asks how anyone can be happy in a time of war. In response he writes about founding aesthetic existence anew in the church. This essay examines what he meant by this in our own “time of war”. First, by considering Kierkegaard’s rejection of aestheticism, his affirmation of “living poetically” and the “passion of possibility.” Secondly, by recounting Bonhoeffer’s own journey from his early humanist formation and travels abroad to his involvement in the Resistance and imprisonment. Thirdly, by examining what Bonhoeffer meant by the church as a “sphere of freedom”. Fourthly, I discuss the examples Bonhoeffer suggests for nurturing aesthetic existence in the church (art, formation, friendship, and play).I wonder whether … it is only from the concept of the church that we can regain the understanding of the sphere of freedom (art, education, friendship, play). This means that aesthetic existence (Kierkegaard) is not to be banished from the church’s sphere; rather, it is precisely within the church that it would be founded anew. I actually believe this, and from here we could recover our connection with the Middle Ages! Who in our time could, for example, light-heartedly make music, nurture friendship, play, and be happy? Certainly not the “ethical” person, but only the Christian (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).The startling nativity scene of “Christ under the Rubble”, displayed in the Lutheran Church in Bethlehem during Advent 2023 was an icon of solidarity with the Palestinian people during the war on Gaza. Irrespective of how we evaluate it as a “work of art”, it is testimony to God’s incarnational solidarity with the suffering people of the world and an example of the prophetic role of art. How to understand that role within church and society and its theological significance led me to write Christianity, Art and Transformation twenty years ago. In doing so, I became more aware of the remarkable role that art in its various forms played in the struggle against apartheid, much of it outside the church. While it was important to recall and reflect on the role of art in the anti-apartheid struggle, my focus in writing Christianity, Art and Transformation was on the potential role of art in the creation of a more just world global society. In doing so I discussed Bonhoeffer’s passing comment on aesthetic existence, quoted above, in a letter from prison to Eberhard and Renate Bethge, his close friend and niece. That discussion was developed further by Adrian Coates in his dissertation published as The Aesthetics of Discipleship, and in a later essay on Bonhoeffer’s understanding of “mature aesthetics.” In what follows I take that discussion further with specific reference to ecclesiology within an unjust global context defined by war, most notably but not only in the Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine.

The Coexistence of Protestant Confessions – Alliances, Unions as an Existential Strategy

It is generally known that during the Reformation, there was no good relationship between the Protestant denominations, and rather discord and intolerance characterized the relationship between the Lutheran and Calvinist churches in particular. The same applied to the rejectionist and sometimes-persecutory attitude of the two leading Protestant doctrines towards radical tendencies. This was manifested on several levels and for different reasons. First and foremost, it was caused by theological differences, i.e. each Reformation doctrine was convinced of the sole truth of its own doctrine. These disagreements were manifested in the first joint Protestant synods and later in disputes between individual theologians, in polemical writings, but also in the denial of any unification of religions. Another important factor that influenced the bad relationship was, of course, the loss of believers. Especially the Evangelical Church, which had been established in the mid-16th century, feared that the later spreading Swiss Reformation doctrines would cause a loss of believers. However, there have been individual, local examples where different Protestant religions have been able to cooperate and ally with each other very well and profitably when mutual benefit or even existential motivation was at stake. The paper would like to outline some examples of this: the union between the Protestants and the Reformed in Zemplín County existing throughout six decades in the 17th century, the union between the Reformed Church and the Bohemian brethren concluded in 1647, and the union in the form of smooth coexistence between the Protestants and the Reformed in Košice in the first half of the 17th century. Keywords: union, Protestant denominations, 17th century, intolerance, cooperation, Hungarian Kingdom

Peculiarities and Difficulties of Processing Church Collaboration

The purpose of this study is to show how the church public received the process of uncovering the past in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary in 2005, which is centred on the secret agent activities of those church members who collaborated with the communist-socialist system. One of the objectives of the political authorities was to eliminate, or at least weaken, the religiousness and the internal activity and social influence of the churches. The presentation and critique of the fact-finding work will focus on the testimonies of those who, as descendants of those involved, have been closely confronted with the disturbing revelations and who have seen the process of fact-finding from a particular perspective. The study points out the complexity and difficulties of fact-finding work, without losing sight of the conviction that reconciliation with the past is always justified. A unique feature of research on church collaboration is the examination from the perspective of descendants, which is the focus of this study. Keywords: uncovering the past, collaboration, secret agent activity, transgenerational effect, confession, absolution

Freedom of Religion of Muslims in Finland

Freedom of religion and the right to equality and non-discrimination are significant human and fundamental rights that are currently under-researched in the Finnish context. This article analyses how different legislative and societal structures adversely affect the realisation of positive religious freedom for Muslims in Finland by examining two case studies: freedom of religion among Muslim prisoners, and the impermissibility of headscarves as part of the police uniform. The article argues that although Finnish legislation does not directly limit freedom of religion, it contains structures that hinder the realisation of positive religious freedom for Muslims. These stem from the close relationship between the state and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and from prejudicial attitudes that manifest together or separately. Such structures may lead to an unequal position for Muslims compared to Christians in society, and can constitute discrimination.

Disaffiliation from the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the Nordic Countries: Mistrust in the Churches, Changing Worldviews, or Something else?

Disaffiliation from the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the Nordic Countries: Mistrust in the Churches, Changing Worldviews, or Something else?

Cultural Sustainability: Reflections on The Social Formation of Panambi/RS in The Light of Lutheranism

Objective: The objective of this study is to understand German colonization in Panambi, a city located in the Northwest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, by understanding it as a complex process that involves a variety of historical, economic, social, political and cultural factors of varied dimensions that intertwine to shape the unique character of the city in the light of Lutheranism. Theoretical Framework: Protestantism played a significant role in the formation of the developmental spirit in the South of Brazil, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Colonies in the South of Brazil and Lutheranism are deeply interconnected, mainly through German immigration, given that these immigrants brought with them cultural, religious and social practices that significantly shaped the region. Method: The research follows methodological paths of an applied nature and a qualitative approach. Regarding procedures, a bibliographic review, documentary research and case study are used. Data interpretation is anchored in categorical content analysis. Results and Discussion: The research results point to local development, the emergence of companies, with community ties strengthening the tripod: religion, school and work. A process of cultural identification in the municipality had strong German influences, from the religious Lutheranism, focused on the world of work. This journey contributed to the strengthening and dissemination of a social imaginary that reinforces the relationship between colonization and the Lutheran Church, and, associated with it, the school, which sustains and preserves German culture, generating “Germanness”. Thus, this peculiarity lived and experienced by the social agents who colonized Panambi, created a social system that, although in constant adaptation, maintains the relationship between Germanness, church, entrepreneurship to boost local development. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by addressing the sociocultural formation of the city of Panambi, given that this development shapes the unique characteristics of the city, influencing its growth, urban structure, social dynamics and cultural identity.

Religious orientations on attitude toward a secular state: Case of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in north regions of Kazakhstan

The main objective of this study was to explore the connections between orientations (Quest, Intrinsic, and Extrinsic) and peoples' attitudes towards a secular state among members of the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the northern regions of Kazakhstan. To achieve this, established scales were used to assess participants' perspectives on secularism and their religious orientations. The article analyses the opinion on the separation of church and state using measures of tendency. There were also calculated Pearson correlation coefficients to understand how religious beliefs interacted with views on governance. The findings indicated that there was an inclination towards secularism among the participants. While some respondents valued the guidance provided by the Church in decisions, others preferred a separation between religious institutions and legislative affairs. However, when examining orientations, none showed a significant influence on attitudes towards a secular state. This highlights the relationship between religious beliefs and societal views on governance. Overall, this study emphasises that while religious orientation provides insights into beliefs, it does not solely determine attitudes towards secularism. It underscores that belief systems are multifaceted and interact intricately with governance perspectives. Future research should focus on uncovering factors that influence these perspectives within and beyond the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Friendship Followership and Leadership

This article investigates church members' understanding of leadership and the follower–leader relationship in local congregations. The main problem is: How do followers in three Lutheran free churches in Norway describe the follower–leader relationship, and how can this relationship influence the leadership process? The material is constructed from qualitative interviews with followers; as such, it is the followers’ perspective on the leadership process. The informants in this study associate leadership with responsibility. This is a responsibility given and monitored by the congregation. Leadership is understood as socially and relationally constructed. It is a process co-created by leaders and followers in the congregation. This relationship between leaders and followers is described with friendship terminology by the informants. The pastors are described as close or personal friends of the informants. This understanding of the follower–leader relationship as friendship means influence is connected to equality. Moreover, pastoral friendship has implications for the accessibility and expectations of leaders, whereas money becomes more of a challenging matter in relationships understood to be friendship. Finally, findings suggest that the pastor also is seen as representing friendship with God.

Formal and informal

Volunteering is a pressing concern in civic organizations. This article explores how voluntary work can be best organized by using a case study from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway, which is characterized by both voluntarism and professionalization. Drawing on interviews and observations in congregations following different modes of organizing, we investigate the roles of volunteers and professionals. The findings highlight how actors distribute their work tasks and interpret functional and moral responsibility. The patterns of roles and responsibilities reflect two ideal-typical forms of organizing. We discuss the degrees of formalization in each context and propose a new categorization, which we conceptualize as informal and formal organizing of voluntary work. The first places emphasis on the individual employee, who works through personal relationships, and task distribution is scarcely regulated. The latter is formalized by explicit mandates and responsibilities shared systematically. We conclude that congregations, professionals, and volunteers can benefit from a formal approach to organizing voluntary work.

Exploring the Theological Context to Domestic and Family Violence.

This article explores the theological drivers of domestic and family violence (DFV)-specifically intimate partner violence-by engaging with ecclesiastical beliefs and practices of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). Key theological, policy, and public documents were analyzed to understand gender relations, gender roles, marriage, ordination, ethical behavior, and responses to DFV. Findings from the document analysis demonstrate church practice and policy reforms underway in addressing violence against women and supporting safety. Simultaneously, the documents show contested and troubled positions regarding gender relations, the theological context to gender roles and responsibilities and the church's journey of debating (re)configuration of its organizational structure and responsibilities.

The Brazilian Hymnological Melting Pot: Investigating Ethnoracial Discourses in the Compilation of the Lutheran Hymnal Livro de Canto (2017)

In 1926, a New York Times article described the cultural and ethnic flows in south Brazil as a “Melting Pot”. The report predicted that German Brazilians, tied to their ethnoracial origin, would soon be Brazilianized. The study of congregational song practices offers insight into the relationship between migration, race, culture, and ethnicity. Moreover, investigating Brazilian Lutheran singing practices helps us understand how the New York Times’ prediction unfolded on the ground. This paper examines the Brazilian Lutheran hymnal Livro de Canto, published in 2017, and displays how Brazil’s ethnoracial diversity is manifested and negotiated in the Lutheran context, both musically and theologically. By interviewing members of the hymnal committee and investigating how they dealt with Brazil’s ethnoraciality in the context of the hymnal compilation, this paper demonstrates ways denominations and churchgoers negotiate theological, cultural, musical, and ethnoracial identities through congregational singing. More importantly, it showcases how Brazilian Lutheran church music practices inform broader social conversations around racism, nationalism, Blackness, and Brazilianness.

Historical and cultural heritage and public activities of G.-A. P. Shleifer and his family

The purpose of the article is a comprehensive study of the historical and cultural heritage and public activities of Georgy-Olexandr Pavlovich Shleifer, as a representative of the German Shleifer family, who lived in Ukraine in the second half of the ХІХ – early ХХ centuries. The methodology is based on theprinciples of historicism, systematicity, scientificity, authorial objectivity, moderate narrative constructivism, as well as the use of general scientific and special historical methods. Yes, it ensured knowledge of the historical process and social development of the German ethnic group, especially the Shleifer family, based on the principles of dialectics and logic, taking into account the present. Scientific novelty. Рroved that the German ethnic group contributed to the socio-economic and cultural development of the new Motherland. Also, the issue of the relationship between the German and Ukrainian ethnic groups in various spheres was investigated using the example of a representative of the family of Georgy-Olexander Pavlovich Shleifer – an artist, architect, teacher, public figure. According to the results of this study, a positive assessment was given not only to his fruitful work, but also to the entire Shleifer family. Conclusions. The most priority areas of development have been determined, and in the future, this successful experience during the war will be used for the development of Ukraine. The great experience of German architects is clearly visible in the development of large and small cities of Ukraine. Thus, their unique creativity was manifested in the projects of representative industrial buildings and private houses in a wide variety of styles. This is especiallynoticeable in sacred architecture, not only Catholic and Lutheran churches, but also Orthodox churches and synagogues. In particular, a brilliant example is the architectural masterpieces of the famous specialist Georgy-Olexander Pavlovich Shleifer. He owns the projects of entire blocks of ancient Kyiv, religiousbuildings of various denominations, hotels and theaters. Central unique streets and unusual buildings. The capital of Ukraine is bursting with art, culture and incredible mystical stories. Through numerous parks, mysterious buildings, and the fate of Kyiv residents, we get to know it, discover it, and explore it.Prosopographic studies help to comprehensively and more reliably investigate the life and activities of the family and create a family portrait of members of the Shleifer family.

Becoming a legitimate actor: “Rainbow pastors” and same-sex marriage within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

This article explores the public discussion in the media where a group of religious activists who call themselves rainbow pastors are constructed as a legitimate actor in terms of the same-sex marriage debate within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF). Same-sex marriage was legalized in Finland in March 2017. The majority of the population and members of the ELCF support same-sex couples’ right to marry. However, it is not officially approved within the ELCF, which causes polarization. This study draws on a neo-institutionalist framework of epistemic governance to identify the discursive representations and justifications presented in the media. The activists aimed to convince the church decision-makers and general public of the need for institutional change regarding the religious understanding of marriage while the media pushed its own agenda. The data for this study consist of news articles in which the issue of the ELCF and same-sex marriage was discussed. Four discursive representations were identified: contesting the authority of the ELCF, creating heroic narratives, drawing on common moral principles, and normalizing same-sex marriage. The findings show that the debate also turned into a battle over authority, in which the rainbow pastors challenged the official power structures of the ELCF.

Lutheran Theological Education to Christian Education in (South) Africa: A Decolonial Conversion in the African Church

It can be debated whether a Lutheran identity is still relevant in the midst of ecumenical development in (South) Africa, with special reference to theological education and Christian education. The Lutheran Church is a unique body within the ecumenical family as it contributes to work on the mission of God. Theological education and Christian education are educational centres which aim to promote social justice towards community development. These two educational centres are branches of the Lutheran Church. Taking into account the fact that theological education and Christian education were introduced by European and American missionaries with various church traditions in (South) Africa as part of community development, the purpose of this article is to discuss the impact of Lutheran theological education and Christian education, to demonstrate their contribution in the church, and call for their decolonisation and contextualisation.