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Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Justification And Anthropology, Wenzel Lohff
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.
The Just Shall Live By Faith, Otto W. Heick
The Just Shall Live By Faith, Otto W. Heick
Concordia Theological Monthly
When did Luther reach the reformation insight into the doctrine of Justification? The author reviews the literature on the question, and brings to the attention of American readers the work of Uuras Saarnivaara, which has received little scholarly attention since its publication.
Campus Ministry And The University In The Mutual Task Of Liberation, Wayne Saffen
Campus Ministry And The University In The Mutual Task Of Liberation, Wayne Saffen
Concordia Theological Monthly
The author is Lutheran campus pastor at the University of Chicago. He delivered this address at the dedication of a striking ecumenical center for worship and religious services on the Edwardsville campus of Southern Illinois University on Oct. 18, 1971. In the address he challenged both the church and the university to become agents of God's program of setting people free.
Law-Gospel Reductionism In The History Of The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, Edward H. Schroeder
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.
A Consideration Of The Meaning Of Prayer In The Life Of Martin Luther, Deanna Marie Carr
A Consideration Of The Meaning Of Prayer In The Life Of Martin Luther, Deanna Marie Carr
Concordia Theological Monthly
The author considers the meaning of prayer for Luther’s religious life and shows how during the 16th-century Reformation Luther "renewed" the wholesome traditions that had surrounded prayer in the prior history of the Christian church.
Erasmus-Luther: One Theology, One Method, Two Results, Gottfried G. Krodel
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.
The Gospel In The Medieval Church, Carl A. Volz
The Gospel In The Medieval Church, Carl A. Volz
Concordia Theological Monthly
A curious phenomenon of Protestant and Lutheran historiography since the 17th century has been a studied neglect of the millennium labeled by Renaissance scholars as the "Middle Ages." One reason for this indifference lies in the popular notion that the Reformation was preceded by a thousand years of sub-Christian superstition during which the strong Pauline accent of justification by grace through faith on account of Christ was almost totally ignored. By coloring these centuries dark, the reformers tend to stand in bolder relief as heroic men of God who appeared to correct long-standing abuses in the church. The more sharply …
Moving Toward Lutheran Unity, Oliver R. Harms
Moving Toward Lutheran Unity, Oliver R. Harms
Concordia Theological Monthly
Two words in this topic seem to me very important: "moving" and "unity." They express thoughts that many persons seemingly have wanted to avoid or to ignore. There are those who say we are already at the point of unity. Others are sure we will never get there. Some flexibility in thought is required at both ends of this spectrum of opinion.
Some Thoughts On The Church In The Lutheran Symbols, Herbert J. Bouman
Some Thoughts On The Church In The Lutheran Symbols, Herbert J. Bouman
Concordia Theological Monthly
Near the end of 1536 Martin Luther wrote that "a seven-year-old child knows what the church is" (SA III XII). In our time great ecumenical gatherings expend incalculable amounts of time and effort in wrestling with the doctrine of the church, and first-rate theologians in all churches provide the printing presses with an unabating flow of materials in discussion of the problems and implications of ecclesiology.
Editorial, Herbert T. Mayer
Editorial, Herbert T. Mayer
Concordia Theological Monthly
We salute the new year of God's grace with three articles that deal with time and history. Marvin W. Anderson has addressed himself to a historical question about the origins of the Lutheran Reformation with reference to philological reforms associated with the name of Lorenzo Valla. David W. Lotz looks at the understanding of history associated especially with the name of Rudolf Bultmann. Oscar Cullmann speaks to the whole question of the historical character of the Gospels and the message the church offers to the world in this day.
New Testament Studies, Past And Present, Edgar Krentz
New Testament Studies, Past And Present, Edgar Krentz
Concordia Theological Monthly
The pastor who picks up a recent New Testament introduction or theology, a study of the Synoptic Gospels or Acts, or a history of New Testament times may well feel that for him the study of the New Testament has become an arcane and esoteric discipline. The questions asked about the Redaktionsgeschichte of a Gospel, the surprising frequency with which the term gnosis or Gnosticism appears in current literature, or the discussion in many circles of "incipient catholicism" may well lead him to suspect that the whole discipline has now changed.
Editorial, Gilbert A. Thiele
Editorial, Gilbert A. Thiele
Concordia Theological Monthly
In this issue of the CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY our authors demonstrate insight into the events and persons that animated the century of the Reformation in Europe, including Britain, the centuries since then, and into our needs today.
The Treasure Of The Church, Walter R. Bouman
The Treasure Of The Church, Walter R. Bouman
Concordia Theological Monthly
If being on the cover of Time magazine is the status symbol of our age, then Martin Luther has it made. The issue of March 24, 1967, carried his picture, painted by Time cover artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. There's not much left in the status department, except perhaps being named "Man of the Year" or being belatedly canonized. The latter has been seriously suggested, but the former won't happen. This is 1967, not 1517. Religion could hardly be called decisive in national or international affairs. A protest against the sale of indulgences would be meaningless. Poor Tetzel couldn't give …
A Marxist De-Lutheranization Of The German Reformation, Douglas C. Stange
A Marxist De-Lutheranization Of The German Reformation, Douglas C. Stange
Concordia Theological Monthly
In 1947, when the rebuilding of a Europe ravaged by world war had only begun, a classical study of Thomas Müntzer appeared in Russia by the eminent historian, Moisei Mendelevich Smirin, entitled Nordnaja reformazija T. Mjunzera I welikaja krestjanskaja wojna. Five years later it was translated into German, and in 1956 it was enlarged and rcvised. Smirin's effort earncd him not only the Stalin prize, second class, but also acceptance as the "orthodox voice" in the confirmation of the Müntzer legend. Friedrich Engels in 1850 had baptized Münrzer's role in the German Reformation in the pure mainstream of Marxist history. …
Calvin's Doctrine Of Justification, Thomas Coates
Calvin's Doctrine Of Justification, Thomas Coates
Concordia Theological Monthly
Justification by faith was the great central doctrine of the Reformation, a doctrine which formed the foundation of the entire theological system of Luther and was bequeathed by him to the succeeding generations of Christendom as the great heritage of the Reformation. This doctrine, of course, did not originate with the reformers, but was restored by them to its rightful position as the pivot around which the entire Christian religion revolves - the doctrine which, in a preeminent sense, marks the great cleavage between Christianity and all heathen religions. The unique and distinctive character of Christianity, in contrast with all …
Eros And Agape In The Thought Of Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, John Warwick Montgomery
Eros And Agape In The Thought Of Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, John Warwick Montgomery
Concordia Theological Monthly
Anders Nygren's remarkable work, Agape and Eros, whose German edition appeared in Carl Stange's monographic series, "Studies of the Apologetics Seminar," and which opposes the interpretations both of Harnack and of Scholz, received from the outset high commendation as a classic theological production. In his review of the English translation of Part Two of Agape and Eros Sydney Cave wrote: 'Dr. Nygren's fresh and suggestive study puts many an old problem in a new light and in particular shows how false were some of Harnack's brilliant generalizations on the history of early Christian thought and piety…. It is some years …
Attitudes Toward The Use Of Force And Violence In Thomas Muentzer, Menno Simons, And Martin Luther, Ralph L. Moellering
Attitudes Toward The Use Of Force And Violence In Thomas Muentzer, Menno Simons, And Martin Luther, Ralph L. Moellering
Concordia Theological Monthly
The treatise offered here seeks to extract and delineate, from three leading figures of the Reformation period, three basic attitudes toward the use of force and violence which have been, and continue to be, assumed by the followers of Jesus Christ. When Constantine first raised the Christian banner in front of his armies he was already tending in the direction of the first position exemplified most clearly in the career and theology of Thomas Muentzcr.
The Influence Of The Reformed Tradition On The Elizabethan Settlement, Lowell H. Zuck
The Influence Of The Reformed Tradition On The Elizabethan Settlement, Lowell H. Zuck
Concordia Theological Monthly
Though the Church of England is now well past its 400th birthday, the sources of its distinctive doctrines and polity are still somewhat unclear. If we can agree that the conclusions reached by Queen Elizabeth I and her Parliament of 1559 were basic to the future shape of the Anglican Church, it is natural then to go into an examination of whether the outcome of the settlement depended primarily on Elizabeth, on someone else perhaps, or upon compromise between Elizabeth and her advisers. Needless to say, the still more difficult question of possible divine intervention in human affairs scarcely comes …
The Theological Implications Of Confirmation, Arthur C. Repp
The Theological Implications Of Confirmation, Arthur C. Repp
Concordia Theological Monthly
Since the Christian's whole life is a continuous spiritual Baptism, what is the relationship of the Word and the Lord's Supper in Baptism? Are they subordinate to it? Not at all. As Regin Prenter points out, it is just because the baptismal covenant, God's promise of man's salvation and man's faith in God's promise, implies the necessity of a lifelong exercise of man's faith in that covenant that there is a need for a continuous sanctifying activity of the living Word, not in competition with, but in consequence of the regenerating activity of the living Word in Baptism. ln this …
The Ecumenical Movement And The Lutheran Church, Hermann Sasse
The Ecumenical Movement And The Lutheran Church, Hermann Sasse
Concordia Theological Monthly
Church history knows of great movements which sweep through the whole of Christendom, irrespective of national and denominational lines, and bring about profound changes in the inner life and the outward appearance of all churches. Such movements were Pietism and Rationalism in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the great European Awakening in the 19th century. Such a movement is the Ecumenical Movement, which in our time is penetrating all churches of Christendom, including Rome and the Eastern churches. The effects may prove to be as far-reaching as those of the great movement of the 16th century which we call …
Do We Need Another Reformation?, Lewis W. Spitz
Do We Need Another Reformation?, Lewis W. Spitz
Concordia Theological Monthly
In view of the tremendous progress of our age in all areas of human endeavor and the problems it has created, the question has been asked: "Do we need another Reformation?" After all, nearly four and a half centuries have passed since Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg.
What Luther Says: A Review, Theodore Hoyer
What Luther Says: A Review, Theodore Hoyer
Concordia Theological Monthly
The last 80 years have seen a great revival of interest in Reformation history and as a result an ever-increasing research in the facts of those times. Its beginning came with the preparations for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of Luther's birth in 1883. More especially, however, this new Luther and Reformation research was launched by those who were opposed to Luther and to Protestantism in general. They knew what this celebration would initiate: literature describing, defending, promoting Protestant interests. In order to meet and to stop this, they did-the very best they could to promote it!
Nietzsche's Final View Of Luther And The Reformation, Heinz Bluhm
Nietzsche's Final View Of Luther And The Reformation, Heinz Bluhm
Concordia Theological Monthly
Nietzsche began as an admirer of Luther and the German Reformation. The age of Luther ranked as high in his early opinion as the age of Goethe and Beethoven. From Menschliches, Allzumenschliches on, this favorable attitude toward Luther underwent a strong transformation. In the five years from 1878 to 1883, Nietzsche’s second creative period, Luther emerged as a highly questionable figure, even as a most regrettable event in the history of German and European thought and civilization. But all these severe pronouncements on Luther were only a prelude to the scathing denunciations to come in Nietzsche's post-Zarathustra writings.
The Soteriolgical Aspect Of The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity According To The Lutheran Confessions, Lewis W. Spitz
The Soteriolgical Aspect Of The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity According To The Lutheran Confessions, Lewis W. Spitz
Concordia Theological Monthly
The Lutheran Confessions are basically doxological in their treatment of the Holy Trinity, as they sound forth a hymn of praise to the grace and mercy of the Triune God. The theme of their exultant song is Soli deo gloria! But the God to whom alone shall be all glory is the Triune God: the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost - three distinct Persons in one divine Essence. Measuring the space which the Confessions devote to the various doctrines which they profess, one might think otherwise.
Human Will In Bondage And Freedom, A Study In Luther's Distinction Of Law And Gospel. (Part I.), F. E. Mayer
Human Will In Bondage And Freedom, A Study In Luther's Distinction Of Law And Gospel. (Part I.), F. E. Mayer
Concordia Theological Monthly
Luther's re-discovery of the proper distinction between Law and Gospel may be viewed as the starting point of the Lutheran reformation. The proper distinction between these two doctrines is the heart and core of Lutheran theology, or in the words of the Formula of Concord, Art. V, "the specially brilliant light which has come to us through the Reformation." Where this distinction is properly observed, the Scriptures will be correctly explained and understood; conversely, where these two doctrines are mingled, the merits of Christ are obscured, and the Christian is robbed of his comfort. The Lutheran Reformation may be viewed …
The Relationship Of Faith And Knowledge In The Lutheran Confessions, Jaroslav Pelikan
The Relationship Of Faith And Knowledge In The Lutheran Confessions, Jaroslav Pelikan
Concordia Theological Monthly
The proper understanding of the nature of faith is a matter of central importance in Christian theology. For this reason the Christian Church has sought for terminology by which to describe faith in a manner that will do justice to all the affirmations of Holy Scripture concerning it. The origin and development of some of this terminology was the topic of a recent essay in the pages of this journal. There it was indicated that the distinction between the believing (knowing) subject and the believed (known) object was intended to safeguard an integral element in the Christian definition of faith …
The Sola Scriptura And Its Modem Antithesis, John Theodore Mueller
The Sola Scriptura And Its Modem Antithesis, John Theodore Mueller
Concordia Theological Monthly
It is indeed correct to say that the outstanding achievement of Luther's Reformation was the recovery, clarification, and vindication of the sola gratia (sola fide). That truly was a pre-eminent accomplishment, an almost miraculous attainment, as it appears to everyone who considers how thoroughly Rome had succeeded in burying this articulus omnium fundamentalissimus under the rubbish of its extreme work-righteousness program.
The Social Ethic Of Martin Luther, Carl Walter Berner
The Social Ethic Of Martin Luther, Carl Walter Berner
Concordia Theological Monthly
In the present effort to trace the fierce currents of Europe's political ground swells to their source, many writers wish to discover the first rising of the tide in the thought channels of Martin Luther's ideas on religion, politics, and social problems, away back in the sixteenth century. Able thinkers, like McGovern, who have sent their searching gaze into the dim years of history in the hope of discovering the precursors, either men or ideologies, of the present world-wide eruption, have held to a theory of history in which men like Luther are given a lion's share in the responsibility …
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.