History of Christianity Commons^™

A Study Of The Cross, Harold Krueger

Bachelor of Divinity

The scope of this thesis is: to give to the reader a clearer picture and understanding of that most sacred symbol, the cross. The history of the cross both before and after Christ will be considered first; the more important types of the cross will then be examined, and finally thought will be given to its liturgical use.

The Life And Work Of H. C. Schwan As Pastor And Missionary, Everette Meier

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is stated in the title, namely, to present as· fully as possible "the life and work of H. C. Schwan as pastor and missionary." The scope of this paper does not permit the very absorbing and significant study of a number of other questions. Such studies would include l) a detailed account of Schwan’s work as member and officer of Synod, 2) an evaluation of his position on the question or unionism, 3) an analysis of his role in the predestinarian controversy with the Ohio Synod, and 4) a comparative and analytic study of Schwan’s …

Lutheran Sidelights In English History, E. G. Pearce

Concordia Theological Monthly

When Lutheran pastors from all over Great Britain met recently for their Third Annual Conference at Wistow Manor in England, it brought to mind certain facts in seventeenth century English history which are of interest to Lutherans. The seventeenth century was the end of a period of transition from the absolutism, civil and religious, of medieval Roman Catholic England to the constitutional monarchy and religious toleration of modern Protestant Britain. It was the era of the Stuart kings with their reactionary leanings toward Romanism as the form most likely to maintain absolute monarchy. It was the century of that strange …

Highlights In The History Of The Female Diaconate, L. B. Buchheimer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The early Apostolic Church set its seal of approval upon the ministering function of women, for in the records of the second century we find that women were solemnly ordained to a diaconate. While the appointment to the female diaconate excluded from the functions of public teaching and worship, it was considered co-equal with the male diaconate regarding the exercise of active charity.

Martin Samuel Sommer, 1869-1949, W. G. Polack

Concordia Theological Monthly

DR. M. S. Sommer was a gentleman of the first water. One could meet him at leisure or at work and find him always the same - kindly, wholehearted, congenial, and cheerful; ready and willing to enliven the conversation with a good quotation from classical literature, whether English, German, or Latin; or eager to tell a good story to illustrate a point he was trying to make.

He was a good friend, loyal and reliable, not easily ruffled by outward circumstances. If conditions of life were not too favorable, he never complained.

Evangelical Christianity In America And Its Significance For Evangelical Christianity In Germany, Fritz Hahn

Concordia Theological Monthly

The first impressions on a German visitor are disturbing and confusing, because he is here confronted by a tremendous multiplicity of churches and sects. The many divisions in Protestantism are due in part to the various historical backgrounds and to the diversity of languages formerly used in their church services. Furthermore, the tendency toward individualism and independence, particularly strong among the pioneers, was an important factor in producing many separate church bodies. That human interests, bigotry, and pharisaism contributed toward the formation of sects is not to be denied. American evangelical Christianity is in no sense of the word homogeneous.

Walter Arthur Maier, 1893-1950, Wm. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

On January 11, 1950, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, like all other sections of our Church, was thrown into a state of deepest mourning by the news that one of its professors, Dr. Walter A. Maier, shortly after midnight had departed this life. While since 1944 he had been on leave of absence, devoting his energies almost exclusively to the work of the Lutheran Hour, he was living on the campus, had contact with other professors and with students, and sent out his Sunday broadcasts from Station KFUO, located on the campus of Concordia Seminary. It was known that on December …

Augustana Ii: Of Original Sin, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The very position of the article on original sin in the Augsburg Confession indicates the importance that the doctrine of original sin had for the consciousness of the Reformation. "We turn from God to man; here the peculiarity of the Lutheran Confession confronts us: we cannot speak of God without thinking also of ourselves. God and our ‘I’ belong intimately together." "Over against life as it should be there is life as it ought not to be." And so when the Augsburg Confession speaks of man, it speaks of sin, or better, of sinners, for it speaks personally and concretely …

Notes On The Consensus Tigurinus Of 1549, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the latter part of May, 1549, there was adopted at Zurich, Switzerland, a Calvinistic covenant of the greatest importance - the so-called Zurich Agreement or Consensus Tigurinus, so named after the Latin designation of Zurich and its environs.

To Professor William Arndt, Ph.D., D. D., J. T. Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Editorial Committee of the Concordia Theological Monthly herewith expresses its regret in losing Dr. William Arndt from its staff. He has been associated in various capacities with this journal and its predecessor for twenty-five years. In recent years he has been the managing editor.

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.

Theodore Engelder, 1865-1949, The Staff

Concordia Theological Monthly

On June 23, 1949, the rich and full life of Dr. Theodore Engelder came to a blessed end. We can probably pay him the greatest tribute by enrolling his name with those of his two illustrious predecessors in the chair of Dogmatics at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Walther-Pieper-Engelder were the great dogmaticians who under God were largely instrumental in developing and preserving a Christ- and Bible-centered theology during the first century of our Synod's history (1847-1947, the year of Dr. Engelder's retirement).

Luther's Negotiations With The Hussites, Jaroslav Pelikan Jr.

Concordia Theological Monthly

As a result of contemporary efforts to bring about union within and between the existing Protestant communions, considerable attention is being devoted to the history of similar efforts in the past. The period of the Reformation remains a most fruitful source for a consideration of that history. For the Lutheran Church this means that an examination of the attitude and activity of Martin Luther in this problem is an important step in the determination of the distinctively Lutheran position in the matter.

Thomas Guthrie, Apostle To The Slums, F. R. Webber

Concordia Theological Monthly

Everybody is aware that Dr. Thomas Guthrie was one of the most noted pulpit orators of the nineteenth century, but the fact is often overlooked that most of his long life was devoted to congregational work in the worst of Edinburgh's slums. He built a spacious church there and a parochial school; and in that district his well-known sermons were preached. They fill most of the sixteen volumes of his collected works, and very few sermon books have enjoyed so large a circulation.

The Salutary Use Of Corporate Prayer With Special Reference To The Community Of The Congregation, Howard E. Claycombe Jr

Bachelor of Divinity

In the life of the Christian prayer is to the soul as breathing is to the body. We sing in the hymn "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath un-uttered or expressed.” Although we know the reasons for praying, the how and the why of it all, and although volumes have been written on the subject, yet it appears that much of the praying in our church is very formal and awkward. We know how and why to pray but do we really pray? The purpose of this study is to particularly isolate and point up the problem of praying together. …

The Religious Opinions Of Thomas A Jefferson, Herbert Fritze

Bachelor of Divinity

The Religious Opinions of Thomas A Jefferson

Bekenntnismaessige Erziehung In Der Lutherischen Kirche-Missouri Synode, Otto Meinardus

Bachelor of Divinity

Zweck dieser Aroeit ist, dem Besucher vom europaeischen Kontinent einen Einblick in die Arbeit zu eeben, die hi e·r von den Lutheranern in Beziehung auf das Erziehungswesen geleistet warden ist.

The purpose of this work is to bring visitors to the European continent gives an insight into the level of the work done here by the Lutherans in relation on the educational system.

Jesuit Action In England, Lyle R. Mueller

Bachelor of Divinity

JESUIT ACTION IN ENGLAND brings before us one of the most Interesting periods in the history of England, be it political or ecclesiastical. For it combines both classes of history into one interwoven pattern. It is not merely a recitation of cold facts, of days and times and events. But it is full of romance, intrigue, cunning, tragedy, courage, and suspense. This is the story of the birth of the Church of England, of its struggles in its infancy to establish itself in a world hostile to its innovations and determined to destroy it.

The Transition From German To English In The Missouri Synod From 1910-1947, Paul T. Dietz

Bachelor of Divinity

One of the features that marks the Missouri Synod is the fact that for a long period of time it has been able to retain the German language. For years it has held to the German language as a defense against liberalism and rationalism.

The Spheres Of Action Of The Inquisition In The Counter-Reformation, Paul E. Krohn

Bachelor of Divinity

In this paper, we will endeavor to set down the special spheres of action of this institution in regard to the quenching of various heresies which arose within the church. As we refer to the term heretics at various times, let it be understood that we are viewing people as heretics as those who deviated from the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. This will be done only for the sake of clarity, not to prove that they were either wrong or right in their beliefs.

William Of Orange And The Counter Reformation, Robert R. Moehring

Bachelor of Divinity

The Lutheran Reformation Spreads over Europe is mixed with political personnel ambition and results in the Roman Counter Reformation. These two movements demanded a choice of allegiance by individual; and, in the Netherlands, the two outstanding champions are William and Philip.

The Founding And Early Development Of The Lutheran Philippine Mission, John G. Scholz

Bachelor of Divinity

As the title indicates, this thesis represents an attempt of the writer to set forth clearly the events which lead up to the founding and early development of the Philippine Mission. To make this study, it was necessary to read the autobiography of Alvaro Carino and see the mysterious workings of God in directing this man to become a member of the Lutheran Church and eventually the Church's first pioneer Filipino missionary to the Philippines. The present study of the Lutheran Philippine Mission will take the reader up to the end of December, 1951.

The Rise Of Anticlericalism In Mexico, Erdmann Arthur Frenk

Bachelor of Divinity

This thesis will treat this problem as objectively as possible. It will trace first the historical background out of which the Religious Laws came. A clear picture of these conditions is necessary if one is to appreciate the incidents which occurred later. Then.it shall consider the revolt itself and finally the results of the anti-clerical movement in Mexico.

The Religious Beliefs And Practices Of The Ancient Slavs, George Dolak

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The religion of the pagan Slavs seems to have been a purely domestic religion with the idea of a state religion not entering into the S1avic concept of one’s relation to the supreme being. The religion of the early Slavs has also been characterized as of the non-fanatical type. It is a question as to whether such a statement permits of a broad application. As a matter of fact Orloff limits it to the religion or the Southern Slavs maintaining that it was of a purer kind than the Scandinavian or that of the northwestern Slavs.

Religious Conditions In England, E. George Pearce

Concordia Theological Monthly

Ever since the days of the Reformation the group of islands lying off the northwest coast of the European continent have been a stronghold of the Protestant faith and a city of refuge for suppressed minorities from every part of Europe. True, there were days when the fanatical views of Queen Mary or the despotism of the Stuart kings reversed the process and · drove thousands of nonconformist Englishmen into exile in Holland and America. Generally speaking, however, once the half-hearted politico-religious reformation of Henry VIII was over and the Protestant faith had imbedded itself in British hearts during the …

Luther's Attitude Toward John Hus, Jaroslav Pelikan Jr.

Concordia Theological Monthly

The history of the development of Protestantism in Eastern Europe is an area of church history to which comparatively little attention has been devoted. Because Protestantism is now relatively weak in the lands east of the Iron Curtain, many students of church history are inclined to forget that at one time the churches of the Reformation had millions of adherents in these lands which are now dominated by Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Soviet Communism.

St. Paul's Usus Practicus Of Holy Baptism, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

It may safely be said that the average Lutheran Christian does not think of his Baptism often enough and that the average Lutheran pastor does not remind his parishioners often enough of the great value and importance of Holy Baptism. There are, of course, exceptions, but these only establish the rule. If this appears as a rather severe indictment, let the reader bear in mind that due grateful appreciation of the meaning and blessing of Holy Baptism involves a most weighty point in Christian sanctification in which we never become perfect and that, because of our perverse Old Adam, we …

Biography Of Pastor Ernst Moritz Buerger (1806-1841) With Special Emphasis On His Decision To Leave Perry County, Missouri, Ernst Albert Wolfram Jr

Bachelor of Divinity

Biography of Pastor Ernst Moritz Buerger (1806-1841) with Special Emphasis on his Decision to Leave Perry County, Missouri

The Reformation Of Cranmer With Special Reference To Its Doctrine And The Influence Upon It, George S. Robbert

Bachelor of Divinity

At the time of Cranmer's youth end early schooling England was Catholic. At the time of his death, it was Protestant. How did this change take place and what were the motivating forces in this change? The opportunity for the break from Rome was given when Henry VIII sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Bolyen. Cranmer's part in the proceedings of the divorce brought him into the public eye and to a large extent made possible the Reformation of Cranmer. After the break with Rome Cranmer, who was easily influenced by his companions, maintained …

The Development Of The Character Of The Jew From The Babylonian Captivity To The New Testament Era, Robert Trautmann

Bachelor of Divinity

This· paper is to trace the history of the Jewish nation from the Babylonian Captivity to the New Testament Era, noting those factors which influenced the Jewish life to the extent that they became a part of the Jewish character.