Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Pray Anyway, Raymond C. Schulze

Concordia Theological Monthly

How Professor Hoyer arrived at the title "Pray Any Way" is an illustration, however poor, of part of today's talk. When we were talking about this on the phone, I gave him the title "Pray Anyway” - and it came through to him "Pray Any Way." As with prayer itself, one wonders: Was the connection poor? When I saw the thing in print, I wondered: Was there anyone on the other end? Did the one who answered hear what I said but then disagree and write, "Pray Any Way" anyway?

Editorial, George W. Hoyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

This issue of CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY exhibits one aspect of a continuing effort on the part of the seminary to deepen the spiritual environment in which its students grow. It contains the presentations made to the students and faculty during the Easter Quarter of 1970 on various aspects of spirituality by a group of distinguished theologians and pastors.

Editorial: Today’S Challenge To The Church, Lloyd H. Goetz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The church has never had any other challenge than that of the Great Commission, and it ought to anticipate no new responsibilities or opportunities in the decade ahead. Nor could any task be more difficult and meaningful than that of continuing Christ's ministry.

Theological Observer, William A. Buege

Concordia Theological Monthly

Theological Observer

The Computer With Legs And The Rough Beast Slouching -Notes On Religion In The 1970s, Martin E. Marty

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author reviews a variety of models used in religious interpretations that were popular in the sixties as a prelude to his discussion of the trends and images that theologians must discern and deal with during the cultural revolution of the seventies.

Erasmus-Luther: One Theology, One Method, Two Results, Gottfried G. Krodel

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther and Erasmus were both biblical humanists, both affirmed the grace of God as central, but each constructed a different theological system. Erasmus always regarded theology as a descriptive task, best advanced by continuous disputations. Luther saw the Gospel as the crystal-clear center of Scripture, the saving knowledge revealed by God. Because of this conviction, Luther viewed theology as the task of making assertions, of boldly confessing one's faith.

A Man Without Spare Time, Alfred Von Rohr Sauer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The papers that appear in this issue were originally presented at a symposium on the relationship between archaeology and theology held at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, October 3-5, 1969, and subsidized by the Aid Association for Lutherans. The introductory essay was delivered by Professor G. Ernest Wright under the title "Historical Knowledge and Revelation." This material has appeared in Translating and Understanding the Old, Testament, Essays in Honor of Herbert Gordon May, ed. H. T. Frank and W. L Reed (New York: Abingdon, 1970), pp. 279-303.

The Goddess With The Tambourine, Delbert R. Hillers

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author studies a figurine discovered at Taanach and in doing so provides an exercise in asking the right archaeological question and working out tentative answers.

Early Israel As The Kingdom Of Yahweh, Albert E. Glock

Concordia Theological Monthly

Archaeological evidence indicates that early Israel as the kingdom of Yahweh functioned on the analogy of Ancient Near Eastern vassal states. In the religion of Early Israel both law and warfare were vehicles for the extension of Yahweh's covenant rule.

The Influence Of Archaeological Evidence On The Reconstruction Of Religion In Monarchical Israel, Horace D. Hummel

Concordia Theological Monthly

Early covenant traditions shaped much of Israel’s theological expression even after the wilderness wandering and settlement. The author examines kingship, cult, and prophecy in monarchical Israel and cites archaeological evidence to support his contentions.

The Meaning Of Archaeology For The Exegetical Task, Alfred Von Rohr Sauer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author illustrates how archaeological evidence may supplement, clarify, contradict, or confirm historical and geographical statements in the Scriptures. Biblical theologians and archaeologists need to work together in the exegetical task.

Eschatology In The Teachings Of Jesus, Kenneth Heinitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

A study of biblical language about kingdom and life reveals that both terms are eschatological and that both emphasize the quality of Christian living rather than presenting a timetable for the advent of the Parousia. Jesus brings both and calls men to decision. Kingdom and life are present possessions of believers, and the day of judgment will bring their culmination. When Jesus spoke of the signs of His Parousia, He was speaking of the signs that point to the coming of the Son of Man rather than to the actual coming itself. Eschatological hope characterizes all that the Christian does.

Some Ancient Documents And Some Current Thoughts, Thomas C. Hartman

Concordia Theological Monthly

Critical scholarship has made many valuable contributions to our knowledge of the Old Testament. A series of examples illustrates this point. We need to be sure that we retain the priority of exegesis over dogmatics.

Sic Et Non: Are We So Sure Of Matthean Dependence On Mark?, H. P. Hamann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Let’s take another look at the view that Matthew depends on Mark, especially at the way in which G. M. Styler has recently defended it. The author then examines the pros and cons of the arguments and concludes that the case for Markan priority is not as open and shut as some would argue.

A Look At The Neb-Ot, Alfred Von Rohr Sauer, Frederick W. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

A reviewer of the New English Bible (NEB) is inclined to compare this text with that of the 18-year-old Revised Version (RSV) and the new Jerusalem Bible. Before he compares these three versions, he needs to note the difference in backgrounds in each case. The RSV is, of course, not a new translation, but as the name indicates, it is a revision of the old King James Version. Its purpose is to bring the Authorized Version up-to-date, modernizing words and phrases that might not be intelligible to the reader of the 20th century.

Fresh Perspectives On Matthean Theology, Frederick W. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

In his book The Parables of Jesus in Matthew 13 Jack Kingsbury argues that chapter 13 marks the great turning point in Matthew's theological interpretation of Jesus' life. After 13, Jesus no longer tries to teach the people of Israel, but instead concentrates on the disciples, the true people of God. But Kingsbury's analysis of λαλεῑν overlooks important evidence concerning the use of λαλεῑν and διδάσχειν. The author then presents a new interpretation of the difficult statement by Jesus concerning why He spoke in parables.

Brief Studies, Arthur Carl Piepkorn

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Church of The East and of The Assyrians

Preserve The Unity Of The Spirit, Richard R. Caemmerer Sr.

Concordia Theological Monthly

Surely there is no gift for the human race that we desire more at this hour than unity. Nations fight nations, classes stand embattled against classes, spouses and children draw apart from each other. The most deadly illness of the individual today is alienation, the sense of being alone. Would that there could be unity to draw us together!

Editorial, Carl S. Meyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The 400th Anniversary of the Concordia and the 450th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession-the Task Ahead for World Lutheranism

Kosmos-Men Or Men For The Kosmos, Donald Heinz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Kosmos is a key theological term in the Gospel of John. The author of the Fourth Gospel chose this term to signal his concept of men without God, men in need of God, men in rebellion against God, men who would decide against God when confronted with His Sent One. The Christian church has often found it easy to look out into the world to see what John was talking about. The overtones of the English word "world" as a translation of "kosmos" have helped the church· deceive itself theologically.

Documentation: What's Around The Corner For Humanity In The Life Sciences?, Paul E. Lutz

Concordia Theological Monthly

My comments here are restricted to those biological breakthroughs that will have some theological or moralistic implications. You must, therefore, understand that this restriction eliminates an enormous number of small and some very large advances in the area of basic biological research. Detailed research, for example, on mitochondrial DNA, mechanisms for hydrogenation in photosynthesis, insect photoperiodism, bacterial taxonomy, and phosphorus metabolism by planktonic desmids will all be very exciting and will significantly advance those areas. But there are few if any direct theological; ethical, or philosophical conceptual spin-offs from such studies.

My remarks are structured in three basic areas of …

Rudolf Bultmann Revisited, Otto W. Heick

Concordia Theological Monthly

Early in the fifties the writer asked the late Paul Althaus of Erlangen whether in his opinion World War II ushered in a new epoch in the history of theology, as had been the case with the first World War. His answer was no. The emphasis in theology, he felt, had remained unchanged. Seen from the vantage point of the mid-sixties, we know that Althaus was wrong. Gradually through the fifties interest in neoorthodoxy declined. Karl Barth no longer dominated the theological scene. The name of Rudolf Bultmann began to claim primary attention. The historical problems of the New Testament …

The Qumran Meal And The Last Supper, John E. Groh

Concordia Theological Monthly

The presence of "communal meals" among the Covenanters of Qumran has given birth to the question of the relationship of these meals to the Christian Eucharist as instituted by Jesus Christ. Kuhn notes that "the Qumran texts, as well as Josephus, agree that this order had, as its peculiar features, the constantly repeated baths of immersion and the daily communal meal of the community." Josephus describes the meals of the Essenes (presently considered to be the mother group of the Qumran Convenanters).

Brief Studies, Richard Klann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Jaspers' Philosophy of Religion

The Biblical View Of The Sexual Polarity, Ralph Gehrke

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Bible contains a vast amount of information on the topic of sexuality. We can come to grips with its significant features by concentrating on the two great "breakthroughs” which have resulted in the distinctly Biblical views that believers have expressed about the sexual polarity of male and female. Such an approach calls for consideration, first, of that decisive turning point in Old Testament times when Yahwism "demythed" the sexual realm and set up what one might call a creaturely or a creation view of the polarity of male and female. Second, we must consider the breakthrough which occurred at …

The Church's Responsibility In International Affairs, Richard Jungkuntz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The nature of the church's responsibility in this area of concern (as in all others) can be rightly understood only when it is seen in keeping with the nature of the church itself.

The Church's Ministry To People Who Differ On Issues Of National Policy, Richard Jungkuntz

Concordia Theological Monthly

We ourselves are the church. When we speak of the church's ministry, therefore, we are speaking first of all of our own ministry. We ourselves are also people who differ on a host of issues, including those of national policy. Consequently, the church's ministry to people who differ is in the first instance our own ministry to one another.

Brief Studies, Erwin L. Lueker, B. H. Jackayya

Concordia Theological Monthly

Plymouth Brethren (Christian Brethren)

’Αλήυ̑εια in the Johannine Corpus

The Ministry Of Absolution, Friedrich-Wilhelm Kuenneth

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Commission on Worship and Spiritual Life of the Lutheran World Federation at its meeting in Hanover (March-April 1967) decided to summarize its general discussion on absolution and to use it as a basis for further research. At the same time the commission wanted to develop a questionnaire on the basis of its discussion and send it to several experts. Those experts were expected to be particularly well-trained theologians as well as people experienced in hearing private confessions and in pastoral counseling. The commission sought reactions to four specific questions.

In God For The World, John H. Tietjen

Concordia Theological Monthly

Thank you, those of you who shared just now in the official inauguration act. I am deeply grateful to you for your kind words and your warm encouragement. Thanks to all of you who have come here today, some representing educational institutions and ecclesiastical organizations, others simply representing yourselves. I am grateful to all of you for honoring Concordia Seminary and its presidential office with your presence. I am personally overwhelmed by the occasion and by the honor I have of serving as president of a seminary with so distinguished a history.