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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Rejoicing In Mercy: Unity In Diversity, John W. Constable
Rejoicing In Mercy: Unity In Diversity, John W. Constable
Concordia Theological Monthly
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has adopted an apt slogan to celebrate a century and a quarter of its existence: "Rejoicing in Mercy." The Lord has been good to our beloved Synod and has given us so much. A quarter of a century ago we celebrated "A Century of Grace;" a half-century ago we cried "Ebenezer" - "the Lord hath helped us hitherto."
Theological Education: The Ecumenical Dimension, Thomas Coates
Theological Education: The Ecumenical Dimension, Thomas Coates
Concordia Theological Monthly
This article was originally presented as a lecture al the Consultation on Ecumenical Affairs of The Lutheran World Federation, Tokyo, Japan, May 5, 1971.
Beyond The One Hundred And Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, Oliver R. Harms
Beyond The One Hundred And Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, Oliver R. Harms
Concordia Theological Monthly
These comments form a sequel to an earlier editorial which was entitled "Why Missouri?" The issue remains the same. The future of Missouri, even as its reason for existence, depends on Missouri's readiness to be the church of the Gospel.
The Binding Nature Of Synodical Resolutions For A Pastor Or Professor Of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Arthur C. Repp
The Binding Nature Of Synodical Resolutions For A Pastor Or Professor Of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Arthur C. Repp
Concordia Theological Monthly
The author. argues that the principle that puts synodical resolutions of a doctrinal nature on a par with the Lutheran Symbols is unacceptable because it is unLutheran, unconstitutional, contrary to the advisory nature of the Synod, and too broad to be meaningful and valid.
The Christian Faith And Revelation, Fred Kramer
The Christian Faith And Revelation, Fred Kramer
Concordia Theological Monthly
The Christian faith rests solidly on God's own revelation of Himself and of His will with respect to man. Divine revelation is an act of God, not subject as such to the correction of the philosopher. Divine revelation has, however, a human correlative, namely theology. Theology, as the word is here used, is the church's speaking and teaching about God and His will. It is not itself revelation, which is always God's activity, but the church's speaking and teaching based upon divine revelation and therefore subject to correction, where it may need correction, on the basis of divine revelation.
The Relationship Between Dogmatics And Ethics In The Thought Of Elert, Barth, And Troeltsch, Edward H. Schroeder
The Relationship Between Dogmatics And Ethics In The Thought Of Elert, Barth, And Troeltsch, Edward H. Schroeder
Concordia Theological Monthly
A concern for dogmatics and a concern for ethics do not always go together. The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, for example, has always had a strong dogmatic tradition, but has in general been uninterested in what is commonly called ethics. But this is the opposite of the situation in many other American denominations. To put the problem into a broader perspective, what is the relationship between dogmatics and ethics? A helpful approach is to study the distinctive answers given by Werner Elert, Karl Barth, and Ernst Troeltsch, which prove to be distinctive not only because their personal theological convictions …
Lutheranism In American Theological Education, Jerald C. Brauer
Lutheranism In American Theological Education, Jerald C. Brauer
Concordia Theological Monthly
It is a privilege to bring greetings, very special greetings, from my institution, the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, to Concordia Seminary on this its 125th anniversary. There has been a long, intimate, and friendly relationship between these two institutions. I am not certain of the number, but I was informed that seven PhDs from the University of Chicago are on the present Concordia faculty. In addition to men holding degrees, a substantial number of the present Concordia faculty have taken courses at the University of Chicago. Hence it is understandable that the greetings I bring for this …
Foreword, J. W. Behnken
Foreword, J. W. Behnken
Concordia Theological Monthly
When at Langenchursdorf, Saxony, Germany, on Oct. 25, 1811, another boy, the fourth son and the eighth child in a large family of 12 children, was born to Pastor Gottlob Heinrich Walther and his wife Johanna Wilhelmina, nee Zschenderlein, these God-fearing parents could not have imagined that someday this child would be a prominent pastor, a profound theologian, an outstanding church leader in America.
Functions Of Symbols And Of Doctrinal Statements, Erwin L. Lueker
Functions Of Symbols And Of Doctrinal Statements, Erwin L. Lueker
Concordia Theological Monthly
The following outline was given to the faculty of Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, Oct. 9, 1959, as a guide for discussions of the functions served by confessional statements. In this presentation the writer did not attempt to give a complete historical survey of confessions, or to treat the most important confessions and statements, but to concentrate on the study of functions. Selections were made to show a variety of functions. Explanatory notes have been added for the orientation of the reader.
Vicarious Satisfaction: A Study In Ecclesiastical Terminology, Henry W. Reimann
Vicarious Satisfaction: A Study In Ecclesiastical Terminology, Henry W. Reimann
Concordia Theological Monthly
There is no dispute in modern theology on the importance of the work of Christ. Biblical, Reformation, and confessional studies have combined to recall theology to the importance of Christology and soteriology. Even the recent emphases on ecclesiology and eschatology, stemming from our ecumenical and apocalyptic times, have not been unproductive of more vital soteriological emphases.
"Melanchthon, Christ's Witness" (Editorial Comment), George W. Hoyer
"Melanchthon, Christ's Witness" (Editorial Comment), George W. Hoyer
Concordia Theological Monthly
This was the theme of a chapel address with which Prof. Henry W. Reimann introduced the observance at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, on April 19-21, of the quadricentennial of Melanchthon’s death. This issue presents three short papers read at this occasion; others are scheduled for later issues. The papers were not written for publication and are presented substantially as read, along with such documentation as had been added to the papers. Some of the leading thoughts of Professor Reimann's address may fittingly introduce this little symposium.
The Altpreussische Union. Its Status And Significance Today With Special Reference To The Ecumenical Movement, Matthias Schulz Jr., Siegfried J. Lehmann
The Altpreussische Union. Its Status And Significance Today With Special Reference To The Ecumenical Movement, Matthias Schulz Jr., Siegfried J. Lehmann
Concordia Theological Monthly
The Altpreussische Union of 1817 is not only a past event of historical interest, but it also deserves to be recognized as a significant factor in its effect on the contemporary scene. It continues to be effective in the church organization known as the EKU (Evangelische Kirche der Union), which stems from this union and through it exerts a definite influence on the life of the church in Germany. Moreover, it continues to be even more effective by reason of the principles on which it was based and which by no means apply only to Germany.
Justification By Faith In Modern Theology, Henry P. Hamann Jr.
Justification By Faith In Modern Theology, Henry P. Hamann Jr.
Concordia Theological Monthly
In one of his justly famous Gesammelte Aufsaetze entitled Die Rechtfertigungslehre im Lichte der Geschichte des Protestantis1mus Karl Holl quotes the scholar Lagarde as declaring that justification as a doctrine was dead-this was in 1873 - and that no one lived by it any longer. The far more pressing task, moderns tell us, is to show to modern man that there is a God. Whether there is a God at all is the problem he has to face, not something about God, say, that God justifies. To this criticism of the very raison d’ȇtre of this study we should reply …
The Doctrine Of Justification In The Lutheran Confessions, Herbert J. Bouman
The Doctrine Of Justification In The Lutheran Confessions, Herbert J. Bouman
Concordia Theological Monthly
In the 1538 edition of his commentary on Galatians, Luther speaks of "this one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, that is, that we are delivered from sin, death, and devil, not through ourselves (nor certainly through our works which are of lesser value than we ourselves), but through outside help, through the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ." "If the article concerning justification falls, everything falls." "This is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the undemanding of all godliness. It is, therefore, of prime importance that it be well understood and …
The Doctrine Of Creation In Lutheran Theology, Jaroslav Pelikan
The Doctrine Of Creation In Lutheran Theology, Jaroslav Pelikan
Concordia Theological Monthly
The fundamental category in the Biblical doctrine of man is the category "creature." Whatever else Christian theology may have to say about the nature and destiny of man, it says in the limits described by that category. Its picture of man as sinner, therefore, must portray him as a fallen creature. It must not make him a creature of Satan because of his sin. Nor dare theology forget that it is precisely man's creaturely derivation from God that makes his sin so calamitous. Because the category "creature" is so fundamental, orthodox Christian theology has always felt compelled to draw a …
The Formal And Material Principles Of Lutheran Confessional Theology, F. E. Mayer
The Formal And Material Principles Of Lutheran Confessional Theology, F. E. Mayer
Concordia Theological Monthly
The source of doctrine, or the formal principle, of Lutheran theology is sola Scriptura, the Scriptures alone. It does seem strange that with its avowed emphasis on the sole authority of the Scriptures the Lutheran Church nowhere has a specific article setting forth its attitude toward the Holy Scriptures. By contrast the early Reformed Confessions have an elaborate statement concerning the place and the scope of Scriptures, including even a list of all the books which are considered canonical. The Lutheran Confessions have no specific article dealing with the Holy Scriptures for three reasons.
Some Word Studies In The Apology, Jaroslav Pelikan
Some Word Studies In The Apology, Jaroslav Pelikan
Concordia Theological Monthly
"When I use a word," said Humpty-Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." In the history of Christian theology the tendency to do this has become almost an occupational disease, often making it difficult to understand theologians of the present and almost impossible to understand theologians of the past. Nor does this apply only to thinkers like Berdyaev, who found it necessary to coin his vocabulary as he went along, or to groups like the Gnostics, who sometimes seem deliberately to have chosen nonsense syllables to …
Sin As The Cause Of God's Wrath, Walter Nagel
Sin As The Cause Of God's Wrath, Walter Nagel
Concordia Theological Monthly
Every system of Christian doctrine and dogma treats the subjects of man's sin and its opposing element, God's wrath, as being in some way basic to an understanding of the Christian life. Both matters, however, receive their full due only in the theology of Luther and in our Confessions.
Luther's Endorsement Of The "Confessio Bohemica.", Jaroslav Pelikan Jr.
Luther's Endorsement Of The "Confessio Bohemica.", Jaroslav Pelikan Jr.
Concordia Theological Monthly
As a result of the research that has been carried on in the past half century on the theology of the Reformation. we are now in an advantageous position for a historical and theological evaluation of the faith of the Reformers. What began as purely historical investigation has become instead a recovery of Reformation insights that had been lost in the intervening centuries. For this reason contemporary theological scholarship has been compelled to buttress its systematic presentations with historical material and to make its historical study relevant by drawing theological conclusions from it.
Is Doctrinal Unity A Luxury?, Th. Engelder
Is Doctrinal Unity A Luxury?, Th. Engelder
Concordia Theological Monthly
Some time ago this view was expressed in the Christian Century: “In a world like ours, nothing seems to me to be less important than agreement about our theology. . . . Struggling to get such an agreement is a luxury which, perhaps, we can return to when the times are less desperate." (See Conc. Theo. MONTHLY, 1945, p. 569.) Unity in doctrine is here called a luxury; it may be a good thing for the Church to have, but the Church can get along very well without it. Her health does not require it.
Lund, W. Arndt
Lund, W. Arndt
Concordia Theological Monthly
During the first week of July all eyes were focused on the little town of Lund, Sweden, entertaining the World Convention of Lutherans. It is a town that is entitled to honorable mention in its own rights. Pleasantly situated in the maritime plain of southwestern Sweden and twenty miles distant from the port of Malmoe, it is the seat of one of the two Swedish universities and can justly claim to be an important center of scholarship and learning.
The Significance Of The Doctrine Of The Church And The Ministry, J. Theodore Mueller
The Significance Of The Doctrine Of The Church And The Ministry, J. Theodore Mueller
Concordia Theological Monthly
Both historically and because of its intrinsic value the doctrine concerning the Church and the ministry deserves continuous and careful study. Briefly expressed, its clear perception by our fathers and the consistent application of it saved the troubled and perplexed band of Saxon pilgrims from utter confusion and in the course of years made our Synod what it is today, a confessional, cohesive, active religious group whose influence upon other church-bodies, above all, on Lutheran church-bodies, has been considerable.
Foreword (Concluded), Theo. Laetsch
Foreword (Concluded), Theo. Laetsch
Concordia Theological Monthly
On October 22, 1934-, the United Lutheran Church of America, in convention assembled at Savannah, Ga., unanimously and enthusiastically adopted a series of "Resolutions on Lutheran Church Unity," showing reasons "in favor of negotiations with other Lutheran synods for unity of influence."
Sermons And Outlines, F. H. Eggers
Sermons And Outlines, F. H. Eggers
Concordia Theological Monthly
Sermons and outlines on Confessions
The Validity Of The Sacraments In Reformed Church-Bodies, P. E. Kretzmann
The Validity Of The Sacraments In Reformed Church-Bodies, P. E. Kretzmann
Concordia Theological Monthly
The immediate occasion for the writing of this article is found in an address on "Some Thoughts on the Value of Baptism and the Supper," printed in the Review and Expositor for April, 1933, although a request had also been received for the distinction observed by Lutherans with regard to the Sacraments as observed by the Reformed churches. The address was delivered by J. H. Rushbrooke at the General Assembly of the Australia Baptist Union, and it has a very pronounced polemical point directed against the Lutheran doctrine of the Sacraments.
Reformed Tendencies In Certain American Lutheran Churches, Th Graebner
Reformed Tendencies In Certain American Lutheran Churches, Th Graebner
Concordia Theological Monthly
The subject is one that would properly call for an extended treatise. Reserving a more detailed discussion for a later date, the writer here would submit in the form of extracts from the official organs of several Lutheran bodies evidence of a strong Reformed leaven now working in the Synods responsible for these periodicals.