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The Marburg Colloquy Of 1529: A Textual Study, George John Beto

Concordia Theological Monthly

The primary sources on the Marburg Colloquy are comparatively numerous. While an official transcript of the proceedings was not kept, certain observers took notes and immediately after the conference supplemented these notes with the material they had retained in their memories. All of the sources are untranslated and are found in either German or Latin.

Henotheistic Abberatons In Ancient Israel, Robert Wiltenburg

Bachelor of Divinity

In our present discussion we shall use the term “henotheism" in its generally accepted sense as referring to a belief in the supremacy of one god in a particular locality, while the existence of other gods in other places is taken for granted. It is, or course, not true that Jehovism as a religious system recognized such tenets. Scripture affords ample evidence to the effect that the great, inspired religious teachers of the Hebrews, such as Moses, Samuel, David, the prophets, and others, had a clear knowledge of the sole position of Jehovah as God of the universe. That this …

The History Of Scholasticism And Its Influence On The Church And Education Of The Middle Ages, Walter Huber

Bachelor of Divinity

This is to be a Bachelor of Divinity Thesis in the field of Church History. Immediately, however, it becomes evident that in the coverage of the above subject we cannot restrict ourselves within the bounds of Church History. It is impossible altogether to divorce Church History from general history. When one is taken and isolated from the other, both automatically suffer an infinite loss. Apart from the history of the world we cannot understand the history of the Church; and with the Church throughout all Christian ages playing so great, influential, and important role in the general history of mankind, …

Missouri Synod And Buffalo Synod To 1866, Roy Suelflow

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It will be, therefore, one of the main objects of this paper to study and record the different contacts which the Missouri Synod made with the Buffalo Synod, to enable others after us to read the facts step by step, and to form their own opinion of the matter if they wish to do so. Then it is also an object of this dissertation to investigate how the interaction between these two synods resulted in the growth of the Missouri Synod, but in the decline of Buffalo, what caused the Buffalo Synod to lag behind the Missouri Synod in growth …

Laurentius Valla And The Donation Of Constantine, Markus Koch

Bachelor of Divinity

Generally, historians refer to Laurentius Valla, or Lorenzo Valla, or just plain Laurentius with a line or two and then dismiss his real significance. Quite evidently there is more to the man Valla, than a mere sentence of praise or condemnation. He must have done something to earn for himself the title as the greatest critic of his age, as a forerunner of the Lutheran 'heresy’, as the first scientific critical historian. He was not just an ordinary person, if be received the praise of a Luther and an Erasmus. This readily becomes apparent, even inspite of the limited character …

John Tauler His Life, Work And Influence On Luther, Walter Boss

Bachelor of Divinity

Throughout the centuries the name of John Tauler has never passed into oblivion. He has been recognized as an outstanding preacher by the Protestant as well as the Catholic Church. J. H. Kurtz, the Protestant church historian, has called him "one of the most powerful("gerwaltigsten") preachers of all time." The Catholic scholar, Klemens Loeffler, considers Tauler as "one of the greatest mystics and preachers of the Middle Ages."

The Influence Of The Black Death Upon The Life And Works Of John Wycliffe, William Henline

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper then is to ascertain to what extent John Wycliffe was influenced by one of the greatest calamities which has ever come upon the world.

To the average person the Black Death recalls vaguely a horrible phase in medieval Europe which merely came, but also merely went. This great blight was not a passing thing. It left lasting, livid scars on succeeding generations. It was a type of revolution from which no class escaped; no institution remained unaffected. In fact, many of the medieval institutions were all but destroyed by the Black Death. It also accentuated …

William Herman Theodore Dau, W. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

This issue of the CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY, thanks to the generous cooperation of Concordia Publishing House, can present a picture of the sainted Dr. Dau together with a facsimile of an outline written by him in 1910 for a sermon preached in Messiah Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Mo. The neat, careful chirography, thoroughly characteristic of the man, will be noted. The original of the outline was in possession of the Rev. W. F. Lichtsinn, President of the Central District of our Synod, who kindly placed it at our disposal

England And The Thirty Years' War, Walter Sohn

Bachelor of Divinity

An interesting question that arises in the historian’s mind when he considers the Thiry Years ' War is why a Protestant nation like England did not do more to help the Protestant Cause on the Continent. It is the purpose of this paper to search out and evaluate the help England did give to the Protestant cause and to seek an answer to the question why she did not help more than she did.

The Prayer Books Of Edward Vi Written In The Years 1549 And 1552, Ralph Lindemann

Bachelor of Divinity

The Church in England used slightly different forms of the Latin Mass before the Protestant Reformation. Atter the mission of Augustine the few remnants of the old Celtic rite had all but vanished, and the Roman Canon of the Mass, which he brought with him from Pope Gregory I, was in general use, substantially as we know it today. However, in the Middle Ages the Roman Mass, apart from its unchangeable Canon, varied somewhat, in its prayers as well as in its ceremonial rubrics, from diocese to diocese. Such variations in the Roman Rite were known as Uses. So in …

Geography Of The Bible In Relation To Inspiration, Carl Eberhard

Concordia Theological Monthly

The connection between geography and the doctrine of inspiration, at least as far as this group is concerned, seems to be the sentence in the first paragraph of the Brief Statement of Missouri, which reads: "Since the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, it goes without saying that they contain no errors or contradictions, but that they are in all their parts and words the infallible truth, also in those parts which treat of historical, geographical, and other secular matters, John 10: 35."

The Rise Of Liberal Theology In Congregationalism, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The terms "Liberalism" and "Modernism" have been used interchangeably during the past few decades. Prior to 1910 the representatives of rationalistic theology in American Protestantism were known as "liberal theologians." The term "Modernism" was employed originally to denote the radical historico-critical method of two Roman Catholic scholars, Louis Duchesne and Alfred Loisy of the Paris University, who questioned virtually all of the ecclesiastical material on which the Papacy based its claim as well as the Biblical foundations. This movement was condemned by Pius X in 1907. It was quite natural that in the clash between the liberal and conservative theologians …

The Reformation And Nationalism, Thomas Coates

Concordia Theological Monthly

From Constantine to Charlemagne to Charles V the relationship of Church and State determined the course of history and affected every aspect of Western civilization. The interplay between this problem and the emerging nationalism of the Middle Ages provides a most interesting phase in the study of the Protestant Reformation.

Walther And The Free Lutheran Conferences Of 1858-1859, E. L. Lueker

Concordia Theological Monthly

The minutes of the first session of the Fourth Free Conference contain this sentence:

''The meeting expressed its heartfelt sorrow because Professor Walther, who gave the first impetus towards the calling of free conferences and through whom God Himself caused so many blessings to be add~d to the conferences, was prevented this time by a severe throat illness from participating in the transactions of the conference."

The Political And Economic Conditions Of The Jews In Palestine At The Time Of Christ And The Apostles, Julius G. Jacobsen

Bachelor of Divinity

To fully understand this era in history with which the New Testament deals, and to appreciate the environment of Jesus and His Apostles, it is of the greatest importance to have a clear and graphic understanding of the political situation of their day and time. Jesus and His disciples lived and labored in Palestine during the period of Roman domination, and this foreign influence figured largely in their lives, particularly in the lives of Christ and the Apostle Paul.

How did this Roman domination come about? How did it influence Jewish political life? What role did the Herods play in …

Paul's Activity After His First Roman Imprisonment, Elmer Kroening

Bachelor of Divinity

The object of this brief paper is to take again these known facts from Scripture and form what we think is the most reasonable picture of the final days of the great apostle. The greater part of our material is found in the Pastoral Epistles. For this reason we will begin this paper with an examination of the Pauline authorship and genuineness of these Epistles; for if this genuineness shou1d not be accepted, the latter days of Paul would always remain a total mystery.

Who Wrote Hebrews, Roland Thies

Bachelor of Divinity

Our problem, as the title informs one, is to discover, if possible, who is responsible for the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews; and if we are not able to arrive at any definite conclusive conclusion, to set forth such theories as we find and give as many of their arguments as we are able.

The Peassants' Revolts From 1358 As A Background For The Peasants' Revolt Of 1624, W Theophil Janzow

Bachelor of Divinity

It is not the purpose of this monograph to refute directly the contentions of historians. Nor will an attempt be made to prove that Luther's part in the Peasants' war of 1524 was nil, that there was absolutely no connection between the religious reformer and the social revolution. The object of the following chapters is, rather, to place before the reader the development and the causes of peasant reaction to feudal serfdom and oppression as this reaction takes place successively in the major countries of Medieval Europe. Beginning with the revolt of the French Jacquerie in 1358 and ending with …

Nathan Soederblom, Theodore Graebner

Concordia Theological Monthly

Lars Olof Jonathan (Nathan) Soederblom was born in the parish of Troenoe, Sweden, January 15, 1866, the son of Rector Joseph Soederblom and his wife. He received the degree of Candidate of Philosophy at the University of Uppsala in 1886 and the degree of Candidate of Theology in 1892. He was appointed pastor of the Swedish church in Paris in 1894 and also seamen's pastor at Dunkerque, Calais, and Boulogne. While in Paris, he pursued his studies and graduated from the Ecole des hautes etudes, in the section of the science of religion, in 1898, receiving the degree of Doctor …

Paul's Personality Traits- A Potent Factor In His Success As A Missionary, Edwin Wiebel

Bachelor of Divinity

Many books have been written on the life of Paul and his Epistles, which treat the subject critically, historically, and exegetically. There are, however, only a few monographs in existence, which have as their central object a treatment of Paul's life in the light of his personality or which make an analysis of his character only. Hence, it is not in accordance with the purpose of this thesis, which it is hoped will meet the wants of the general reader interested in its subject, as well as satisfy the requirements of the Biblical student, to enter upon an elaborate criticism …

Celtic Chrisitinaity A Survey Of Its History And Influence, Gerald Schaus

Bachelor of Divinity

In the light of thorough research in this field by outstanding historians, it would be a rather serious admission of a lack of completeness of historical study to hold with the old view, namely, that nothing factual is known about Celtic Christianity! Now this paper makes no, pretensions of being a comp1ete coverage of the history of Celtic Christianity, for that is impossible to do in a work of this length. The purpose, rather, is to present an overall picture of the labors of the Celtic Christians and to compare the Celtic Church with the Church of Rome.

Jewish Fidelity To The Law In The New Testament, Bernard Wittrock

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper aims to demonstrate Jewish fidelity to the Law in the New Testament. The evidence presented in this paper makes it evident that the Jews clung to their laws, ceremonies, and traditions with great tenacity.

The Historicity And Significance Of Peter's Stay In Rome, Clarence Boye

Bachelor of Divinity

However, the aim and purpose of this paper is not to present a biography or character sketch of this disciple of Christ, but to devote our attention to the latter years of his life, and more particularly to the question: "Did Peter visit Rome during the evening hours of his earthly pilgrimage?" We shall examine all the evidence at our disposal, meagre and controversial though it may be, and from this draw our deductions. Since, however, this question of Peter’s visit to Rome is the very "corner-stone" upon which the "greatest Christian body on Earth” stands or falls, we shall …

A History Of The Cithara Sanctorum (Tranoscius), Jaroslav Vajda

Bachelor of Divinity

It is evident from the bibliography of this thesis that there are no English references available on the subject of the Cithara Sanctorum. This is in itself an indication of the ignorance on the part of the English-speaking world concerning this phase of Christian hymnody. Even Julian's exhaustive Dictionary fails to mention the Cithara! It was necessary, therefore, to work entirely with Slovak and Bohemian sources generally. These are naturally secondary sources, with the exception of the two editions of the Cithara which contain most of the original edition's hymns in more or less altered form. A first-hand study will …

Background And Beginnings Of Organized Youth Work In The Missouri Synod, Henry E. Simon

Bachelor of Divinity

So that the reader may more easily and more fully understand various details described in the following pages it seems· advisable to offer a few words in explanation, showing the development of this thesis. It will be noted that the first two chapters deal with ·the background •from which our youth societies began to emerge. We have endeavored to picture this background from the various writings and expressions gleaned from different early periodicals and books. Thus the LUTHERANER, DISTRICT SYNODICAL REPORTS, LEHRE UND WEHRE, and other writings up to the turn of the century were thoroughly scanned for any notices …

The History Of The American Lutheran Foreign Missions In Asia, Africa, And Oceania Since World War I, Orville Buntrock

Bachelor of Divinity

The primary purpose of this thesis is to give a brief history of each mission field, but in some cases where we believe that material on the topography of the land, the climatic conditions, the religious conceptions of the heathen natives, etc. are not generally available - such topics are included.

The First Years Of Trinity Congregation Freistadt, Wisconsin, Roy A. Suelflow

Bachelor of Divinity

During the 17nth and 18nth centuries in Germany Pietism and Rationalism had been opposing the principles founded in the Reformation, which demanded a separation from error. Thus for a long time the Lutherans had kept themselves separate from the errors of the Reformed. Yet thru Pietism, which stressed the outward life instead of doctrine, and thru Rationalism, which set human reason above the revelation of God, this principle of Lutheranism was being undermined, and the punch was being taken out of Lutheran orthodoxy.

The One Hundredth Anniverary Of The Franconian Settlements In Michigan, 1845-1945, J. H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Loehe was the man who, under the guidance of God, was responsible for the Franconian Settlements in Michigan, with Frankenmuth as a starting point in 1845. Craemer, Graebner, and Sievers were the pioneers who established the first colonies. Also the names of Lochner, Auch, Deindoerfer, Roebbelen, and others have been written into the early history. Nor can we leave Wyneken out of the picture.

The Independence Of The Early Irish Church, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the annals of the past one frequently finds a twilight zone, where tradition and history meet, where fact must be distinguished from fancy and mythical accretion. It is rather challenging and intriguing to evaluate both secondary and primary sources in the effort to determine just which points may be regarded as the nuclear truth. In the history of the Apostles, for example, only that is acceptable without question which we find in the New Testament. With regard to later accounts and church tradition we must exercise great care to separate truth from legend. Thus we may, from the apocryphal …

The Seminary And The Church, W. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

In beginning the consideration of the theme before our meeting this morning it is well for us to bear in mind that the seminary is not so necessary for the existence of the Church as we teachers at the various Lutheran seminaries are perhaps wont, or at least inclined, to assume. It may be conducive to humility on our part if we reflect that the Church existed and flourished once upon a time without such schools, and if that thought pricks some bubbles of self-importance which we may have fondly permitted to float about our heads, I would say we …