Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Learning The Liturgy With Mr. Miyagi: The Case For Liturgical Catechesis, Benjamin Leeper

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Using the narrative of The Karate Kid as a guide, I will demonstrate that Christian formation is a matter of recontextualizing liturgical practices in the daily life of the believer, so that she knows when, where, and how to use the precogni¬tive spiritual habits formed by Word and Sacrament in Christian worship. This understanding challenges prevalent liturgical theology, which tends to assume an automatic connection—or worse, no connection at all— between worship and daily life, by highlighting the necessity of locating for believers the telos of the church’s rites and ceremonies in discipleship. Finally, I will provide concrete examples of …

Theology Of The Laity: The Lutheran Way, Brian M. Mosemann

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The distinction between the laity and clergy has been a contributing cause of disunity within the church because the clergy and laity are often pitted against one another with one or the other being elevated to the detriment of the other. This problem has plagued the church from the middle ages until the present day. Since the definition of the term “laity” is vacuous, the laity are generally defined relative to the clergy, specifically in reference to their authority and duties. This results in a negative definition when the laity are defined as the opposite of the clergy. The laity …

Light: Recovering An Ancient Perspective, Hayden Lukas

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

As John the Baptist bore witness to the Light of the World, so too must the Church today. But there are many ways to talk about light. How should we speak about light when bearing witness to Christ? On which understanding of light should we draw? Light can refer to daylight or the light in a room—the physical phenomenon we perceive through sight. But light can also refer to objects that produce light, such as a floor lamp; we “turn on the lights.” We are familiar with scientific descriptions of light, such as its speed or its wavelength. Light can …

From Vice To Virtue: Contours Of Idolatry And New Obedience, Michael Fieberkorn

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Fieberkorn, Michael T. “From Vice to Virtue: Contours of Idolatry and New Obedience.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2021. 290 pp. What are the specific contours of life lived in accordance with God’s will? That is the primary question this dissertation seeks to answer. Discerning the particular shape of Christian sanctification is difficult. Radical Lutheranism attempts to define sanctification simply as “love,” which lacks the specificity necessary to adjudicate between competing and mutually exclusive claims concerning Christian morality. Theologians attempting to address this insufficiency by incorporating virtue ethics within a Lutheran theological construct must clearly articulate the particularly Christian telos.

Reading …

Recapitulation And Christ’S Active Obedience A Lutheran Retrieval Of Irenaeus, Andrew Bloch

Master of Art Theology Thesis

That will conclude the discussion on theologians and their views of the active obedience of Christ. Next, we will look back to the Reformation. Georg Karg questions the imputation of Christ’s active obedience. Through a historical lens, there could be merit to what Karg argues. This will lead to the problem with which this thesis is concerned: Is the active obedience of Christ necessary? Some of the theologians discussed below suggest that the active obedience of Christ is something that can be discarded from the atonement with no major consequences (or even perhaps that removing it strengthens the theology of …

"It Was He Who Gave Some To Be": Toward An Understanding Of The Role Of The Female Prophet In The Lutheran Church, Ann Murphy

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Murphy, Ann I. "'It Was He Who Gave Some To Be': Toward an Understanding of the Role of the Female Prophet in the Lutheran Church." STM thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2014,131 pp.

This thesis addresses some of the ambiguities and inadequacies in Lutheran theological reflection regarding the prophetic office and attempts to integrate theological constructions pertaining to revelatory spiritual gifts, inspiration, the Ministry, and women's roles in the church so that they more consistently inform one another.

Luther On Idolatry: A Lutheran Response To Contemporary False Belief, Michael Lockwood

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Lockwood, Michael A. "Luther on Idolatry: A Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2013. 303 pp.

The first step in solving any problem is to understand the problem. As Christians we know that Christ is the solution to the human plight. Yet what exactly is this plight? And why do so many people feel no need for the solution he provides? Luther's answer is that people feel no need for the true God until they are disenchanted with the false gods they have put in his place, which they think can provide all they need.

In …

A Theology Of Religious Change, David J. Zehnder

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Zehnder, David, J. “A Theology of Religious Change.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2011. 218 pp.

This essay sets up a dialogue between the sociology and psychology of religious change (conversion’s human side) and conversion (theologically defined) to prove that empirical research into change experience, ideology as an attracting force to religion, and social networks’ influence on conversion does not threaten theology’s assertions but can help to clarify theology’s tasks in communicating to various audiences. Science helps theology through a correlational model of interaction developed in the study. The correlational method first asks of science: Why do people change religiously? Once …

Biblical Hermeneutics In The Early Missouri Synod, Charles Schaum

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

We now move to the specific situation of the Missouri Synod in the nineteenth century. They will not always use terms in the same manner as today's LCMS. The importance of the material lies in its being translated into English for the first time. The reader will gain a healthy respect for the strengths of "Old Missouri" and also an understanding of its weaknesses. Lutheranism is not an "easy" sort of theology, either with regard to innovation or repristination. Yet the capacity of the early Missouri Synod to remain "on message" in what was already a markedly pluralistic society in …

Luther's Two Kinds Of Righteousness And His Wartbug Postil, Makito Masaki

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This study discusses how Luther exhorted people to live the Christian life. Luther understood the Christian life as a life of the saved sinner in himself and in his community. He understood that Christians live lives defined by two kinds of righteousness; that is, righteousness that God bestows, and righteousness that they produce. This study will be carried out by reviewing this basic understanding of what the Christian life is, and by examining Luther's preaching material, specifically a set of sermonic writings called The Wartburg Postil. The thesis of this survey is that in The Wartburg Postil, Luther used the …

Luther's Reformation Of Penance, Robin Korsch

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

The history of the practice of penance from the early church to the dawn of the Reformation in the Western church is a rich story of continual change. The early church did not have a uniform doctrine and practice of penance and neither did the Western church even after Martin Luther's lifetime. The purpose of this paper is to study and explain the reasoning behind Luther's initial rejection of the Roman Catholic doctrine and practice of penance as found in various writings of Luther up until his 1520 work The Babylonian Captivity of the Church. It is the thesis of …

"Words Written In Golden Letters": A Lutheran Anthropological Reading Of The Ecumenical Creeds—"For Us" As The Constitutive Factor Of What It Means To Be Human, Guntis Kalme

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Kalme, Guntis "'Words Written in Gold Letters': A Lutheran Anthropological Reading of the Ecumenical Creeds — "For Us" as the Constitutive Factor of What It Means to be Human."Ph.D. Diss., St. Louis, MO: Concordia Seminary, 2005. 386 pp.

After briefly introducing several possibilities for understanding man, the author — touching upon the traditional compositional and the relational definitions of man — turns his attention tithe Creedal approach. Since Nicea, Christians have confessed that God in Christ acted "for us men and for our salvation." The author argues that the Nicene Creed actually centers around the “for us," which both permeates …

The Confessional Liturgical Revival Of Theodor Kliefoth And The Works Of Liturgical Revision Of The Preface In Nineteenth-Century Sweden: The Vitality Of The Lord's Supper As Confessed In "He Alone Is Worthy!", Naomichi Masaki

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Masaki, Naomichi. "The Confessional Liturgical Revival of Theodor Kliefoth and the Works of Liturgical Revision of the Preface in Nineteenth-Century Sweden: The Vitality of the Lord’s Supper as Confessed in "He Alone Is Worthy!" Ph.D. diss., St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Seminary, 2005. 379 pp.

The vitality of the Divine Service of the Church of Sweden was enlivened during the second half of the nineteenth century. In this dissertation, the acclamation in the Preface of the Lord’s Supper, "He alone is worthy of thanks and praise!" which emerged through the works of the liturgical revision during that time, is taken as …

The Christian Concept Of God And Japan-An Examination Of The Christian Concept Of God In Japanese Culture, Utilizing The Two Realms Theology Of The Lutheran Framework, Chikako Drawbaugh

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Therefore, it is essential to recognize that God, the author of the earth and heavens, has placed people in cultures with a variety of lifestyles and values. Even though circumstances may differ, our Christian identity remains unchanged because of faith in Christ. It is also crucial to appreciate culture as God's gift to human beings. At the same time, however, Christians need to recognize the idolatrous attitudes in their lives. Christians uniquely possess the character of living within and beyond cultures. This prompts us to consider what it means to live as a Christian while also belonging to a particular …

Luther And "Social Ethics", Terrance Adamson

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

For Luther, it appears, that there is a distinction between an office of authority and the office holder. The office holder is the same as any other Christian with the same divine command to "love" in and through his call. Instruction and Christian admonition to the individual regarding faith and Christian duty does not, in itself, violate the distinction between Law and Gospel.

Original Sin In The Smalcald Articles With An Excursus On The Coat Of Skins As An Image Of Original, Albert Collver Iii

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

In order to understand better how Luther understood original sin in the Smalcald Articles," this paper will compare SA with two other Luther writings, one contemporary with its composition and one from his earlier writings. Since Luther adopted the term "original sin," it will be useful to briefly examine the events that led to the coinage of the term by Augustine in addition to examining a few patristic sources in order to see how the idea of "original sin" was expressed formerly. Finally, Luther's confession of original sin in SA will be addressed to current issues such as the decay …

De Poenitentia Et Evangelio Coming Together And Coming Clear In Luther's Theology, Korey Maas

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

These three breakthroughs - the understanding of God's righteousness, law and gospel, and repentance - are not noted here arbitrarily. While the present examination is concerned primarily with tracing Luther's changing theology of repentance, we can not do so as if this doctrine existed in isolation, standing and falling on its own. Any understanding of repentance, Luther's not excepted, is intimately entwined with one's understanding of God's righteousness and the gospel- and most importantly, how these meet in one's conception of the person and work of Christ.

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 …

ΔιαθήΚη In The Lord's Supper And The Lord's Supper's Liturgy In Luther And The Lutheran Tradition, Chuck Ramsey

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

This paper addresses this question, and in the process reflects on the use and understanding of the word διαθήκη in the writings of Dr. Martin Luther, in the Lutheran Confessions, and in Lutheran tradition.

"What Is A Christian To Do: A Study Of Christian Service From Pertinent Writings Of Dr. Martin Luther In Light Of Recent Developments In The Church", Daniel Quinn

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

This paper will, from the Lutheran perspective, address the imbalance that occurs when the priesthood of all believers is exalted at the expense of the clergy, specifically when what God has given the laity to do is made to be the same as what God has given the clergy to do, i.e., the tasks of the office of the Ministry. Applying pertinent writings of Luther, this paper will attempt to exalt both the laity and the clergy by emphasizing the distinctiveness of what each has been given by God to do.

Luther's Teaching Of "Faith" In His Catechisms, Randy Asburry

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

In this paper we will examine Luther's understanding of faith in the following ways. First, we will define "faith" by unpacking its meaning. We will ask, "Who believes and in what do they believe?" Second, we will look at Luther's language of faith in his Catechisms and catechetical writings. We will note how he changes his language of faith depending on which part of Christian teaching he is explaining. Third, we will examine Luther's grammar of faith-his use of grammatical subjects, verbs, and objects-in the Small Catechism. And finally, we will see how Luther combines the teachings of the Christian …

Der Grund Der Seligkeit Luther's Evangelical & Christological Method Of Distinguishing Doctrine Within The Early Church Councils & Fathers, Jeffrey Meyers

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

This essay will analyze Luther's On the Councils and the Church, especially Parts I and II, in search of the criteria he uses for distinguishing between true and false doctrine in the ecumenical councils and consequently for "locating" the "true" church amid the confusing whirl of ecclesiastical traditions. It is my desire to allow Luther himself to speak, to engage the reader in Luther's own argument as it develops in this treatise. He does not show all of his cards in the first pages of the treatise. He builds his case slowly, methodically. As we shall see, according to Luther, …

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 …

Ministratores Verbi In Fidem Remissionis Gospel And Ministry In Luther's Writings To 1520, William Schumacher

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

The scope of this study is explicitly and intentionally (and hence, perhaps, artificially) limited to Luther's early writings, up to and including the milestone works of1520. It will seek to pay attention to detail, but makes no claim of being exhaustive. We will explore how Luther came to confess the gospel when speaking about the office of the holy ministry. Or, to put the question another way, what happened to the doctrine and vocabulary of the ministry when the gospel began to make itself heard in Luther's thinking, teaching, and preaching?

Law And Gospel In Luther's Antinomian Disputations, With Special Reference To Faith's Use Of The Law, Jeffrey Silcock

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

Three major antinomian controversies took place in Wittenberg in the sixteenth century, one during Luther's lifetime and two after his death. The first controversy, which is the subject of our study, had its beginnings in 1527 in an argument between Johann Agricola and Philipp Melanchthon. The occasion for this was the visitation of the churches in electoral Saxony and the major issue was the role of the law in repentance. The main phase of the first controversy however was the dispute between Agricola and Luther between 1537 and 1540. The issue was basically the same. The second and third antinomian …

Luther And Zwingli On The Righteousness Of God, Liars Plume

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

It would be going too far to say that Zwingli was a Nestorian, but his christology definitely had weaknesses, similar to those of Scholastic theology. My thesis, which I hope to demonstrate in this paper, is that Zwingli did not come to Luther's evangelical understanding of "the righteousness of God" because he did not recognize the importance of the proper distinction between the law and the gospel. The result of this was that Christ remained a lawgiver for him, as Christ was for Luther before his rediscovery of the gospel. I shall base my research on Luther's two sermons, "Sermo …

The Missiological Significance Of The Doctrine Of Justification In The Lutheran Confessions, Klaus Schulz

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

Generally the Lutheran Confessions are understood in the traditional sense as the normative sources for Lutheran doctrine; in addition, they are also documents which offer valuable missiological insights. To support the latter observation the following study attempts to read the Lutheran Confessions with a heightened missiological perspective. Such a reading takes up the interests and concerns frequently raised by Lutheran theologians who in light of the increasing changes in mission see the theological integrity of Lutheran mission endangered. Consequently, they plea for a return to the Book of Concord from which guiding principles for Lutheran mission m Confessions, though, should …

Auctoritas In Ecclesia: Jean Gerson And Martin Luther On The Authority Of The Papacy And General Councils, Paul Robinson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther's ecclesiology provides fruitful ground for testing the validity of these hypotheses. The development of Luther's doctrine of the church continues to generate interest, especially in regard to the question of Luther's relationship to the medieval theologians. The earliest statements of Luther's doctrine of the church, those found in his first lectures on the Psalms, have been treated in this regard by Scott Hendrix. Hendrix has isolated specific themes found both in Luther and in medieval commentators on the Psalms for the purpose of comparison. The study presented here will approach Luther's statements on authority in the church, specifically the …

Luther And The Third Use Of The Law, With Special Reference To His Great Galatians Commentary, Jeffrey G. Silcock

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The question of whether Luther taught a third use of the law is far too broad for a thesis. We will therefore confine ourselves, in the main, to his great Galatians Commentary of 1531 / 1535, where he explicates in considerable detail the doctrine of justification and the proper distinction between law and gospel.4 Even though the nature of the letter is such that Paul speaks there more about justification than about sanctification, Luther still writes enough about the role of the law in the Christian life to warrant using this as our primary source. There are two main reasons …

A Proposed Prolegomenon For Normative Theological Ethics With A Special Emphasis On The Usus Didacticus Of God's Law, John Tape

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The purpose of this study is to examine and organize some of the current contrasting methodologies of theological ethics in an attempt to determine the Biblical method of choosing the moral option. This will be done in two different ways.

In the first part, two common methods in moral philosophy, the deontological method and the teleological method, will be defined and illustrated. It will be demonstrated that Scriptural ethics has elements in common with both rule deontology and rule teleology. In the second part, the Scriptural method of moral reasoning will be examined more closely by comparing three different ways …