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Shaped By The Spirit: Spirit Christology As A Framework For Preaching Sanctification, Jonathan Rusnak

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Rusnak, Jonathan W. "Shaped by the Spirit: Spirit Christology as a Framework for Preaching Sanctification." S.T.M. Thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2014. 128 pp.

This thesis offers an account of preaching sanctification grounded broadly in the trinitarian economy of salvation and specifically in the person and work of Jesus Christ as receiver, bearer, and giver of the Holy Spirit. Grounded in atonement theory alone, other accounts of preaching sanctification are unable to address any number of concerns that arise in the sanctified life. In addition, atonement theory alone does not ground an account of preaching sanctification that maintains the nexus indivulsus of …

The Integration Of The Volga Germans Into American Lutheranism, Richard Allen Davenport

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper traces the incorporation of Lutheran Volga Germans arriving in this country between 1870 and 1910 into American Christianity and identifies factors in their affiliation with American church bodies. It analyzes whether Lutheran bodies identified the Volga Germans as a distinct ethnic group among German immigrants in America and recognized the specific challenges and adaptations necessary to work among them. Where Volga German congregations were established, the factors which decided joining one denomination over another are explored. Specific theological, ecclesiastical, and cultural issues that determined whether a group of Volga Germans aligned with one church body versus another are …

A Lutheran Look At President Bush's Faith-Based Initatives, Darren Olson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In recognition of this resolution it is important to examine President Bush's policy of faith-based initiatives. LCMS congregations that are faced with the opportunity to participate in faith-based initiatives should be informed of the nature and content of this government program. The purpose of this paper is to show that, theologically, legally, and practically, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives not only compromises but also loses her unique Christian witness. Theologically, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives is required by the government to separate her religious message from the social services she provides. By means of this requirement …

Bishop Bo Harald Giertz-Pietism And The Ordo Salutis-The Office Of The Holy Ministry, The Word, And Soul Care, Eric Andrae

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Though acknowledged as one of the most influential European churchman of the past century, and widely lauded in American Lutheran circles as the author of the acclaimed The Hammer of God, much remains to be learned in the U.S. of Bishop Emeritus Dr. Bo Harald Giertz (Gothenburg [Goteborg] diocese, Church of Sweden, served 1949-1970) and of his theology, especially concerning the specific doctrine which served as the foundation of the novel, the Order of Grace. Furthermore, interest in Giertz in America is increasing rapidly: several translation projects are underway, a film based on the first chapter of The Hammer of …

John 6 And The Lord's Supper, Jon Bischof

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis ventures to reopen an old argument on ground which has been a "no man's land" for Lutherans for nearly 500 years. There is a tradition within Lutheranism of interpreting John 6:51-59 as having no reference whatsoever to the Eucharist. This tradition within Lutheranism can rightly claim the support of Luther who said, "it [the sixth chapter of John] does not refer to the sacrament in a single syllable". Naturally, no confessional Lutheran wants to find himself in disagreement with Luther. We would always rather defend his views when they are maligned. But Luther corrected his own views many …

The Liturgical Confession Of The Lord's Supper In Five Representative Orders Of 16th Century Lutheranism, William Weedon

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In the ceremonies she retained, in the ceremonies she added, the Lutheran church of the 16th century gave a solemn public confession of her doctrine regarding the holy eucharist. Her liturgy gives ample testimony to what she confessed and taught regarding the nature of the sacrament, its benefits, and its proper use. The examination of this liturgy as public confession is the burden and joy of this thesis.

General Confession And Absolution In Luther's Reform Of The Canon Of The Mass, Daniel Torkelson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther's theology of worthy preparation for the Lord's Supper will play a central role. Confession and absolution along with discernment of Christ's Body and Blood are clearly the main focus of Luther's understanding of such preparation. This study inquires into the actual inclusion of confession and absolution in the rites, particularly the Formula Missae and its words about the Pax Domini. From these words, observations will be made also for the role of the Lord's Prayer in the liturgy. Thus, this study seeks to answer two questions: Is General Confession and Absolution a part of Luther's liturgies? Why or why …

Sanctification As Confessed By Luther In His Catechisms, Ernest Bernet

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The problem with the doctrine of sanctification is multifaceted. However, Senkbeil, in the above material, has identified for us two main facets in the problem: 1) speaking of justification without properly addressing sanctification, and 2) speaking of sanctification without properly addressing justification. The respective results of these problems are: 1) the whole matter seems to be God’s doing, or 2) the whole matter seems to be our doing.

In order to sift through these issues in sanctification which Senkbeil identifies, I propose for this study that we begin with a semantic method rather than speaking immediately in the traditional doctrinal …

The Relationship Of Christ And Faith In Luther’S Great Galatians Commentary (1531/1535), Section 2:16-21, Luisivan Veller Strelow

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther’s language. is not always .easily understandable in his description of how Christ and faith are related so that faith in Christ justifies with the exclusion of works. Luther refers to the "present Christ" and says, "Therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ.” Luther says also that Christ is "the form of faith," and that Christ and the believer are "as one person.” How is this language to be understood? In contrast to some authors who isolated these phrase. and interpret them in a way which goes against their own context, the …

An Analysis Of Justification By Faith, Laverne Janssen

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

A critical evaluation of this topic is practical today for a variety of reasons. Many Lutherans today earnestly desire a consensus on the gospel with the Roman Catholic Church. This desire is often misdirected by a lack of crucial information on the respective Lutheran and Roman Catholic teachings on justification today. The responsible pastor must provide the doctrinal information that is lacking. A restatement of the Roman Catholic position of Trent by the Lutheran pastor will not usually satisfy the questions of those who have witnessed what appear to be basic changes in the Roman Catholic Church in our generation.

The Doctrine Of Baptism As Confessed By C. F. W. Walther's Gesangbuch Of 1847, Jon Vieker

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the vitality with which the Doctrine of Baptism was confessed in the hymnody of those who emigrated from Saxony to Perry County, Missouri and later formed "The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States."® Their first Gesanabuch of 1847,edited by C. F. W. Walther, the Missouri Synod's first President and stellar leader in nineteenth century American Lutheranism, will serve as the principal source.

The History And Use Of The Galesburg Rule In American Lutheranism, William Utech

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is not the aim of this presentation to consider all the ecumenical issues and endeavors these three branches involved themselves in during the years 1875 to the present. Rather, this discussion is limited to only those personalities, documents, and events which had a direct relationship to The Galesburg Rule and the kind of ecclesiastical practice it encouraged. In addition to the standard American Lutheran histories, the primary source materials employed are the official convention proceedings and reports of the various synods and ministeriums under consideration. Also utilized are sources of secondary importance, such as the writings of the theological …

A Case Study In Ecumenical Methodology: Survey And Evaluation Of Post-Vatican Ii Roman Catholic/Protestant Solutions For Achieving Doctrinal Consensus Concerning The Marian Dogmas Of The Immaculate Conception And Bodily Assumption, Terence Groth

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In light of these developments it seems apparent that the church has a need to take cognizance of these methods and evaluate them to determine which, if any, are legitimate approaches to the problem of achieving doctrinal consensus in the church today. That, in short, is the burden of this study.

In the scope of this study the application of these methods to every major doctrinal obstacle now being tackled cannot be observed. Therefore, it was decided to focus attention upon one area of major disagreement which both Roman Catholics and Protestants agree is an obstacle which must be overcome …

The Mediation Of The Spirit Through The Word: A Critical Analysis Of The Theology Of Theodore Jungkuntz In The Light Of The Lutheran Confessions, Timothy Maschke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

A critical analysis of any theology can be presumptuous at worst; unnecessary at best. This study was undertaken a number of years ago as the writer struggled to determine the critical area where the charismatic movement touches Lutheran theology most sensitively. To start with a premise that the Lutheran charismatic movement is heretical (as a few writers have assumed) did not seem scholarly or fair. To impose Lutheran terminology on charismatic and nee-Pentecostal concepts seemed equally unsound. After observing the growing pains of the Lutheran charismatic movement, the writer became aware that a study of one area--the mediation of the …

The Doctrine Of Sanctification As Portrayed In Spener's Pia Desideria In Light Of The Lutheran Confessions, Francis Monseth

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The writer believes there is a need for a fresh study of the doctrine of sanctification. In the area of Christian ethics, a variety of views have found earnest adherents. Though various approaches have been advocated, three main categories are seen by the writer to be able to encompass the present spectrum: antinomianism, legalism, and truly biblical Christian living. The latter is given expression in the Lutheran Confessions. It is marked by pronounced emphasis upon the inseparability of justification and sanctification. Indeed, as A. T. Mollegen has expressed it, the whole of Protestantism in its historic confessions has derived its …

The Law Of Life: God's Alternative To Abortion, Randall Shields

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Medical and legal aspects of the problem inevitably arise in a study of this nature; however, the paper has a primary theological orientation which the contents of its five chapters will develop. In the first chapter we will survey the contemporary scene in order to clarify and to better understand what is involved with abortion practices, and how prevalent the humanistic mindset has become among those who endorse such practices. The second chapter will examine in some detail the Biblical data relative to the Law of Life, with special attention devoted to the Fifth Commandment as the life commandment.

A Lutheran View Of Vactican Ii On Liturgy And Scripture, Raymond Mueller

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The fact that the Second Vatican Council has brought vast change into the Roman Catholic Church is obvious. But was the sum of these changes beneficial for its own members and sufficient to remove the walls erected between Rome and historic Lutheranism back in the 16th Century? What, actually, is the direction in which the Roman Church is now headed after Vatican II? This study is an attempt to find answers to these questions.

Key 73: A Case Study In The Doctrine Of Church Fellowship, Curtis Peterson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This study is presented with the hope that it can help establish confessional Lutheran evangelistic and missiological practice on the bedrock of sound, Biblical and Confessional doctrine. The specific theological concern of this presentation is the doctrine of church fellowship. Key 73 is an excellent place to begin such a study because it is especially in evangelism and mission practice that the pressure to unite without prior doctrinal agreement is the greatest. "Conservatives” are particularly vulnerable to these temptations, because of their zeal for reaching the lost with the Gospel. Those who believe that there is salvation in no other …

The Real Presence In The Lord's Supper A Comparative Study Of Hermann Sasse, Leiv Aalen, And Tom Hardt, Geir Hoaas

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Our objective is to portray the Real Presence under three aspects, namely Christology, Salvation for the individual, and the Function in the Church. As such it is a systematic endeavor to clarify the relation of the Real Presence to each of these areas. The two latter are necessarily dependent on the first. However, we are also limited in a historical sense, in that our study is primarily an analysis of these three relations as presented by the theologians we are investigating, Hermann Sasse, Leiv Aalen, and Tom Hardt. We do not, therefore, intend to give an independent and original contribution …

The Concept Of Judgment In Pastoral Counseling, Alvin Bruenger

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This is the problem that has occasioned this study. Is there a place for a concept of judgment in pastoral counseling? If so, in what sense? Specifically, is there a place in pastoral counseling for a concept of judgment in Seward Hiltner's "ordinary sense," that is, imposed from outside? If there is, what is its place? This study is particularly concerned with the approach of the Lutheran pastor, who attempts to counsel within the context of the Lutheran understanding of Law and Gospel. The initial interest in this subject was sparked through discussions with Lutheran pastors in which it became …

The Liberation Of The Creature: A Study Of The Interpretation Of Romans 8:19-22 By Representative Lutheran Theologians, Nestor Beck

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The present "study of the interpretation of Romans 8:19-22" prompted by the following reasons. First, the passage is somewhat of a puzzle to the unprepared reader of the epistle to the Romans. Second, the passage has been quoted to enhance the struggle for a better world. The question arises whether such a use of the passage is legitimate. Third, the passage has become in Lutheran theological tradition the centre of the controversy on the "destruction or renewal" of the present. The need world. arises to verify whether the passage actually teaches the renovation of the world and whether it stands …

A Survey Of Recent Teaching On Holy Scripture In Selected American Lutheran Theologians, Leander Waechter

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In this thesis the writer intends to investigate the doctrine of Holy Scripture as this doctrine is set forth and expounded among leading American Lutheran theologians. As the title indicates, the primary objective of this study is a survey, involving: (a) investigation and research: (b) analysis: (c) presentation and summary

A Study Of Epistemology In The Theologies Of Emil Brunner, Martin Heinecken, Taito Kantonen, And Joseph Sittler, John Heinemeier

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Chapter I of the paper will deal with Brunner and Chapter II with Heinecken, Kantonen and Sittler in comparison to Brunner. The concluding section will summarize Brunner’s position, evaluate the comparison made between his position and that of the three Lutherans, and raise several questions for further investigation in this field.

The Theology Of Frederick Henry Quitman As Illustrated Primarily By His Catechism And Hymbook, Waldemar Wehmeier

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This research, therefore, was motivated by a desire to know more about the man who stood as a “Saul among the host of Israel" determining the course of the New York Ministerium for twenty-one years, given an honorary S.T.D. by Harvard University, so revered by his congregation that when he could no longer walk he was carried into the pulpit to a chair, and yet summarily dismissed by many as a rationalist and a socinian.

The Basis For Distinguising Moral Law From Ceremonial And Political Law In The Old Testament, George Loose

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to attempt to find an answer to the question, and in doing so, to examine the bases which have been used in the Lutheran Church. Some attention will be given to the attitude toward the laws in Old Testament times, but this is just for the sake of background. It would provide material for another study. Some attention will be given also to the position of other Christian churches, but again only to clarify the position of the Lutheran Church.

The Personal Union In The Theology Of Barth, Brunner And Berkouwer, George Lobien

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The problem about to be investigated is whether or not G. C. Berkouwer, Karl Barth and .Emil Brunner teach a personal union or the two natures 1n our Lord Jesus Christ. Or, to state it more comprehensibly, it they claim to teach a personal union of the two natures, we then propose to uncover exactly what they mean by the use of this term. Furthermore, throughout the study we shall attempt to indicate to the reader the areas of agreement and disagreement among these three outstanding Reformed theologians. Lastly, it must be admitted in all candor that our appraisal of …

The Doctrine Of The Universal Priesthood Of Believers And Its Exemplification In Pre-Reformation And Reformation Hymnody, Fred Precht

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is the task of this paper to trace the history and development of this universal priesthood as it is reflected in Christian hymnody and, to a certain degree, in the related liturgical materials and practices. In the pursuit of this task it has been our method, at least with respect to the hymnody, to take especial note of certain expressions and key words which express the concepts of sacrifice and priestly functions such as offer, bring, sacrifice, gift, altar, victim. Not dismissed were also such corporate expressions as "we" and its cognates.

Requirements For A Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics For Use In Training Filipino Pastors, Robert Mcamis

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Our Lutheran Church was late in beginning work in the Philippines. We do not have much time as American missionaries to work in this field. We have a real challenge before us in building an indigenous Lutheran Church in a short time. This paper is concerned with the doctrinal aapect of the indigenous church. · If a strong, evangelical Lutheran Church is to take root and grow in the Philippines, it must be built upon the right foundation. This must be done in the training of students for the ministry who can better translate these theological concepts to their own …

An Analysis Of The Confessionalism Of Edmund Schlink, Based On His “Theologie Der Lutherischen Bekenntnisschriften,” Together With A Translation Of The Original German, Herbert Bouman

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This present study is concerned with the last-named work and grew out of long pre-occupation with the task of producing an English version. The importance of Schlink's book has been widely recognized in Lutheran circles. To make it available to additional thousands of English-speaking Lutherans who are not able to make full use of the material in its original German, the work of translation was begun by the late Paul F. Koehneke of Milwaukee, and after his death, carried forward to completion by the present writer.

This essay proposes to subject Schlink's theology of the Lutheran Confessions to a critical …

The Concepts Of Unity, Fellowship, And Cooperation Among Various Lutheran Bodies In America, Carl Bornmann

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

A detailed examination will be made of. the principles And practices of the United Lutheran Church in its relationship to other Lutheran bodies. Its relationships with non-Lutheran: Christian bodies will also be summarized. An extensive treatment will not be given to this second aspect, however, since this topic has been exhaustively ·treated in a Bachelor of Divinity Thesis under ·this very subject; heading.