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A Lutheran Perspective On Righteousness In China, Futao (Gary) Liu May 2023

A Lutheran Perspective On Righteousness In China, Futao (Gary) Liu

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

The recent history of China cannot get away from the impact of western thoughts and industrialization, including Democracy, Marxism, Republicanism, etc. For two millienium or so, the Chinese philosopher, Confucius (551–479 BCE), had dominated Chinese society through his philosophy (commonly called Confucianism) in every respect, from the hierarchical structures of governments and states to familial relations. Confucianism met its real challenge only in the recent history of China. At the collasping edge of the last feudal society (the Qing Dynasty which fell in 1911), patriotic Confucians had tried to bring what is useful of the West into traditional values and …


Liturgy & Life: How The Divine Service Connects With The Rest Of The Week, Benjamin Janssen May 2023

Liturgy & Life: How The Divine Service Connects With The Rest Of The Week, Benjamin Janssen

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

On vicarage, I was blessed to spend many hours with a faithful member named Ginger, who, alongside her husband Walter, runs and operates the congregation’s robust food and clothing distribution center. This center is completely run by volunteer efforts out of the undercroft of the church and successfully feeds and clothes 150 families a month. This work both serves the neighbor in need and brings the congregation into contact with many of those living in the immediate community. In short, it is a blessing to the congregation and the surrounding community. Therefore, at the end of each service day, I …


Making The Case For Preachers Who Read, Ethan Stoppenhagen Apr 2022

Making The Case For Preachers Who Read, Ethan Stoppenhagen

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

I once heard a story about a new pastor in the early 1990s who was settling into his first call in Pembroke, Ontario. A man walked into his study and silently began perusing the shelves. The pastor noticed him, but carried on with his business. The stranger spent several minutes pulling books off the shelves, flipping pages, nodding and murmuring, and setting some books apart by laying them on their spines. Occasionally he’d hold up a book with a quizzical look on his face. “Required for class,” the pastor shrugged, and the man would scoff and shove it back on …


Walther On Confessional Agreement And Church Fellowship, Christian J. Einertson Apr 2019

Walther On Confessional Agreement And Church Fellowship, Christian J. Einertson

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

In its report, Church Relations in the 21st Century,1 the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) addresses many of the challenges faced by the Missouri Synod as she enters a new era of global interconnection and is consequently confronted with a variety of church bodies near and far who seek support from, cooperation with, and even altar-and-pulpit fellowship with her. In this report, the CTCR helpfully points out that the differing histories of other church bodies around the world have caused their assumptions regarding ecumenical relationships to differ from those of the Missouri Synod, which were themselves shaped by …


A Letter Of Hope To The Concordia Seminary Community, John Nunes Apr 2018

A Letter Of Hope To The Concordia Seminary Community, John Nunes

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Shortly after the death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., these remarkably blunt words from Lutheran pastor and civil rights leader, William H. Griffin, were released by Concordia Publishing House: “Unless the church faces up to the racism in its own midst, the witness of the church against the racism outside the church will go unheedeed."


Rethinking Law And Gospel In The Way We Do Preaching, Benjamin Berteau Apr 2018

Rethinking Law And Gospel In The Way We Do Preaching, Benjamin Berteau

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

This paper evaluates the impact of C. F. W. Walther’s Law and Gospel and Richard Caemmerer’s goal, malady, means approach to homiletics, also discussing the potential trap of law-gospel reductionism. A suggested pathway forward is a reemphasis on a creedal approach to Lutheran theology and preaching as well as a renewal of rhetoric as foundational to ultimately restoring a positive view of the third use or function of the law in Lutheran preaching. Having done so, the reader may certainly apply this positive view of the law as it relates to preaching on other topics related to the Christian Life …


Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue On Foundations Laid In 1962–1964, Jared Wicks Sep 2015

Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue On Foundations Laid In 1962–1964, Jared Wicks

Concordia Journal

Ecumenical Issues discussed during the Vatican II


Why Priests?: A Failed Tradition By Garry Wills, John Helmke Sep 2015

Why Priests?: A Failed Tradition By Garry Wills, John Helmke

Concordia Journal

Though he does not include a bibliography, the breadth of his reading and frequent quotation of respected authors is impressive. Short chapters and Wills’s crisp writing style make for enjoyable, thought-provoking reading.


Martin Luther’S Platzregen In Action The Changing Face Of Global Christianity, Douglas Rutt Sep 2015

Martin Luther’S Platzregen In Action The Changing Face Of Global Christianity, Douglas Rutt

Concordia Journal

The study of the momentous demographic shifts in Christianity that have taken place in the past two decades has become a growth industry of sorts.


Some Concerns About Current Confessional Statements, Horst W. Jordan Jan 1974

Some Concerns About Current Confessional Statements, Horst W. Jordan

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther on occasion compared the world with a drunken peasant who when he was shoved into the saddle on the one side toppled out of it on the other so that it was impossible to help him, do what one would. The history of theology tempts one to use the same comparison. "What venturesome statements have men permitted themselves to make, statements that ultimately had to lead to disaster because the attempt was made to present a truth that was correct enough in itself but which was taught in a one-sided, undialectic form, with complete contempt and disapproval of its …


The Lessons Of Schwagerehe, Edward E. Busch Nov 1973

The Lessons Of Schwagerehe, Edward E. Busch

Concordia Theological Monthly

Traditional interpretations of Bible passages can have very long lives and can survive strong challenges if they are rooted deeply enough in the culture of a people. A case in point is the idea of Schruagerehe or marriage of in-laws.


Documentation: Authority In The Church, C. F. Walther, Arnold Krugler (Translator) Nov 1973

Documentation: Authority In The Church, C. F. Walther, Arnold Krugler (Translator)

Concordia Theological Monthly

In 1879 Dr. Walther delivered a long essay to Iowa Lutheran congregations who were reluctant to join the Synod because they feared the Synod would arrogate to itself excessive authority over them. With extensive citations from Scripture, Luther, the Lutheran Confessions, and the Lutheran fathers, Walther developed his concept of the proper relationship between Synod and congregations.


The Future Of Christian Education In The Missouri Synod: A Matter Of Self-Understanding, Stephen A. Schmidt Sep 1973

The Future Of Christian Education In The Missouri Synod: A Matter Of Self-Understanding, Stephen A. Schmidt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Permit me to outline the remarks. I will trace briefly the historical benchmarks of our cultural and ecclesiastical past. Secondly, I will develop candid suggestions about the revitalization of that heritage for our present and future. Naturally in the second enterprise one ceases to be historian, risking rather the role of prophet, a dubious undertaking for any person doing history. But there is some comfort in the words of the British philosopher of history, W. H. Walsh, who writes: "Historians may not be prophets but they are often in a position to prophesy."


Teaching The Faith: Models And Methods, Stephen A. Schmidt Sep 1973

Teaching The Faith: Models And Methods, Stephen A. Schmidt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Now our task is far more limited. I want to focus on the Christian classroom and specifically on the act of teaching the faith. I will develop my remarks in two parts. The first consideration will deal with past and present models used within the church to define the teaching act designed to teach faith. Secondly, I will attempt to underline crucial concerns toward a useful teaching method not only for the 1970s but for the future as well.


Six Christian Sermons On The Way To Lutheran Unity, Robert Kolb Sep 1973

Six Christian Sermons On The Way To Lutheran Unity, Robert Kolb

Concordia Theological Monthly

Four hundred years ago this year Evangelical theologians throughout Germany were picking up a new ninety-nine page book published in Tuebingen and saying something like, "What has the smithy forged this time?" James Andreae, or Schmiedlein, born the son of a smith - a fact his better-born antagonists never let him forget -was in 1573 one of the most prominent and one of the most reviled theologians in Germany.


Kyrios Jesus, Horst Wm. Jordan May 1973

Kyrios Jesus, Horst Wm. Jordan

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author provides a perceptive and pastoral analysis of the key issue before the Synod.


Social And Religious Attitudes Among Lutheran Students, Kenneth L. Frerking Mar 1973

Social And Religious Attitudes Among Lutheran Students, Kenneth L. Frerking

Concordia Theological Monthly

College students have probably been "'investigated"' more than any other single category of people. They have certainly been the subject of many articles and essays in recent years. However, much of what has been written has either been without empirical basis altogether, or else the empirical research has focused on only a small minority of the campus population. Leo Cherne, executive director of the Research Institute of America.


Martin Luther's Revision Of The Eucharistic Canon In The Formula Missae Of 1523, Frank C. Senn Mar 1973

Martin Luther's Revision Of The Eucharistic Canon In The Formula Missae Of 1523, Frank C. Senn

Concordia Theological Monthly

Martin Luther was the most conservative of the Reformers when it came to the work of liturgical revision. This was nowhere more evident than in his first effort at revising the Mass for evangelical usage: the Formula missae et communionis of 1523. He retained the use of the Latin language along with the optional use of lights, incense, and vestments. On the whole, the Formula missae faithfully followed the traditional Western structure, sequence, and content of the Mass. It is characterized not by what Luther added to the traditional Mass, but by what he deleted.


Justification And Anthropology, Wenzel Lohff Jan 1973

Justification And Anthropology, Wenzel Lohff

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author suggests that contemporary difficulties with respect to understanding the article of justification arise in large measure from the fact that justification has been separated from its anthropological rootage. At the same time, Dr. Lohff argues that the doctrine of justification offers great help to modern man, who often feels trapped in his very humanness. Furthermore, justification, when proclaimed properly, makes Christian unity possible. He describes justification briefly as the right and unequivocal determination of a human practice: to always live anew the life of faith in the Gospel.


Synodical Address-1848, C. F. Walther Jul 1972

Synodical Address-1848, C. F. Walther

Concordia Theological Monthly

(The 1848 Synodical Address of C. F. Walther, which is presented here in translation, clearly sets forth his views on the relationship between the congregations and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Dr. Walther's views were repeated almost verbatim in a "Brother to Brother" (Mein theurer Herr Amtsbruder} letter of Jan. 12, 1875, in which he assured the congregations of their freedom to accept or reject synodical resolutions, and then pleaded with them to "freely" accept a synodical resolution that called for a building fund collection for new construction at three synodical schools.


Another Anniversary, Edward May Jul 1972

Another Anniversary, Edward May

Concordia Theological Monthly

It will be another 73 years before it will be possible to write about 125 years of medical mission work in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Mother Synod, like Elizabeth, conceived this child in her old age, years after her sisters (if I may be so bold) in the faith had given birth to their medical mission work. The older hospitals in foreign lands were started by Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, and "other Lutherans." Missouri is a late comer, and after 52 years, her child still does not have much to show and tell.


Theological Education: The Ecumenical Dimension, Thomas Coates May 1972

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.


The Relationship Between Graduate Theological Education And The Worldwide Mission Of The Church, William J. Danker May 1972

The Relationship Between Graduate Theological Education And The Worldwide Mission Of The Church, William J. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

In spite of a desk piled high with other work, this writer could not find it in his heart to refuse an editor requesting an essay on a topic of such potential significance and excitement as "The Relationship Between Graduate Theological Education and the Worldwide Mission of the Church."


Beyond The One Hundred And Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, Oliver R. Harms Apr 1972

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.


Law-Gospel Reductionism In The History Of The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, Edward H. Schroeder Apr 1972

Law-Gospel Reductionism In The History Of The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, Edward H. Schroeder

Concordia Theological Monthly

This essay proposes to trace a segment of the history of hermeneutics in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod insofar as the distinction between Law and Gospel plays a role in that history. The study is important because in recent years one school of thought in the Synod has stated that some pastors and teachers are confusing the proper relationship between the two by practicing what these critics call "Gospel reductionism." This criticism seems to have been launched in the Synod in two conference papers that John Warwick Montgomery delivered to eight different audiences in the spring and fall of 1966.


Let's Be Lutheran, Lloyd H. Goetz Apr 1972

Let's Be Lutheran, Lloyd H. Goetz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Word of God is His self-revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. This is God's final, complete, and greatest communication to man for his salvation.


Of Congregational And Synodical Authority, John Constable Apr 1972

Of Congregational And Synodical Authority, John Constable

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is the blessing and the bane of the church in the 20th century that it is both the inheritor and the victim of its own organization. Among people who cry for the ''good old days" of simple truths, simple faith, and simple organization there is always the specter of complex reality. Gone are the days, we are told, when a member of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod could quote a father of the first, 16th or 19th century to support a proper thesis. Yet all seem to do it to underpin a modern position. Paul, Luther, and Walther are cited …


The Orders Of Creation-Some Reflections On The History And Place Of The Term In Systematic Theology, Edward H. Schroeder Mar 1972

The Orders Of Creation-Some Reflections On The History And Place Of The Term In Systematic Theology, Edward H. Schroeder

Concordia Theological Monthly

In this article, he argues that the concept associated, with the term "orders of creation" in current Missouri Synod, discussions of the ordination of women is not Lutheran but Calvinist in origin, and not a Biblical concept.


Luther And The Principle: Outside Of The Use There Is No Sacrament, Edward F. Peters Nov 1971

Luther And The Principle: Outside Of The Use There Is No Sacrament, Edward F. Peters

Concordia Theological Monthly

On the basis of a thorough search of the Weimar Edition and other pertinent materials the author argues that Luther taught that a valid celebration of the Sacrament of the Altar requires the acts of consecration, distribution, and reception, but that the presence of Christ's body and blood is not limited to the moment of reception.


The Reformation As A Youth Movement, John W. Constable Nov 1971

The Reformation As A Youth Movement, John W. Constable

Concordia Theological Monthly

The parallels between then, the period of the Reformation, and now are striking: changing social patterns brought on by a growing money economy, a movement that grew out of the university experience of the reformers, a period of more time for thought, young people that were beginning to criticize the society in which they found themselves, and an establishment against which many were directing their darts of opposition.