History of Christianity Commons^™

A Basic History Of Lutheranism In America, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Abdel Ross Wentz, the author of this book, may be regarded as the dean of historians of the Lutheran Church in America. Among the significant contributions to the history of Lutheranism in this country is his Lutheran Church in America History, the precursor of the present volume. His History of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Maryland and The Beginnings of the German Element in York County, Pennsylvania, have set a pattern for other historians, demonstrating the kind of work that must be done elsewhere before a final and comprehensive history of Lutheranism can be written. The same may be said …

The Lutheran World Federation, Gilbert A. Thiele

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the years immediately after World War I, tentative attempts were made to establish contact for purposes of fellowship and understanding between European, North American, Asian, and other Lutheran bodies in the world. The first real meeting of representatives of Lutheran churches throughout the world took place in 1923 at Eisenach, Germany. Here 160 delegates from twenty-two nations met August 19-24, 1923, in order to explore and express their unity of faith and spiritual kinship. The way for this gathering and all that followed from it "was prepared by the General Evangelical Lutheran Conference, which, although at first confined to …

The World Council Of Churches, Gilbert A. Thiele

Concordia Theological Monthly

The World Council of Churches represents the confluence of previous ecumenical movements. The two most important streams of activity that merged in this broader and deeper endeavor are the Faith and Order Movement (Conference) and the Life and Work Conference. Each of these deserves our attention.

Cranmer's Legacy, Carl S. Meyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

At Oxford in the nineteenth century at the height of the Tractarian Movement, the Evangelicals believed that the Tractarians had shown themselves opposed to the principles of the Reformation. Partially to counteract this movement a proposal was made to erect a memorial to the Reformation martyrs. Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley- the three men who had been burnt opposite Balliol College -were to be honored especially. Latimer and Ridley had died together there on October 16, 1555. Five months later, on the 21st of March, 1556, "in the same place where Ridley and Latimer had suffered," Thomas Cranmer was burnt. The …

Luther Speaks English, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

On Reformation Day, 1955, the first volume of the great American edition of Luther's works was presented to the public. When complete with its fifty-five volumes, it will be by far the largest English edition, a truly outstanding monument of Luther scholarship and a major contribution to the mighty Luther renaissance in our century.

Luther On Faith, W. M. Oesch

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Lutheran Reformation unleashed religious subjectivism and was a precursor of the egocentricity of the modem age. A Roman Catholic theologian who is perhaps the most eminent living dogmatician of his communion makes this claim. Michael Schmaus in his Katholische, Dogmatik (Vol 4, Part 1, 1952) holds that the type of faith which Luther expressed and propagated disregards all religious authority which is not centered in the direct approach of the soul to God.

Lntertestamental Studies 1946-1955, Raymond F. Surburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

Modern Biblical studies stress the importance of an acquaintance with the era between the Testaments as a necessary aid in understanding the New Testament. It is the time span from the Medo-Persian to the Roman period. Between these two epochs is the Grecian period. During these four centuries the seat of world empire moved from the East to the West, from Asia to Europe. These years witnessed the rise of cities with Greek names in Palestine and gave us the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. It was in the Grecian period that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes arose …

Our Anniversaries (1855-1955) (1930-1955), Walter R. Roehrs

Concordia Theological Monthly

The current issue of the CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY greets our readers in festive colors. There is ample reason for donning holiday dress. The year that is drawing to a close marks two milestones in its career. As the direct lineal descendant of Lehre und Wehre (1855) our journal is observing its one-hundredth birthday: It bears the marks of age and the changes that come with growing old. In its younger days it spoke to its readers in the language of Luther as Lehre und Wehre and continued to do so for many years. Also in German the homiletical section had …

The Foreword Of "Lehre Und Wehre" For 1862 (Vol. 8)., C. F. Walther, William F. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

From the very beginning of our venture the charge has been voiced in various quarters, and not long ago again in the Kirchliches Zeitblatt ( 1861, No. 7) of Ehlers by Pastor Fengler of Lowenberg, that Lehre und Wehre and the Missouri Synod lack "creative activity,'' that the fathers are quoted too much, and that even the old material is not offered in a new form entitled to be called original. It may therefore be worthwhile to look at this charge a little more closely. As we prepare to do so in the present foreword, our motive is by no …

The Story Of "Lehre Und Wehre.", William F. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Having in 1947 observed the centennial of our dear Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, we can in 1955 recall that 100 years have elapsed since Lehre und Wehre, our first theological journal, was called into being. As all students of American Lutheran church history know, Lehre und Wehre was not the first paper or journal published by our church. That honor goes to Der Lutheraner, which C. F. W. Walther, supported by several other pastors in Missouri and Illinois and by his congregation, founded in 1844. If anything required faith and courage, it was the issuing of this biweekly, because for its …

Dr. C. F. W. Walther As Theologian, Francis Pieper, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

When we try to depict Dr. Walther as theologian, we must, above all, discuss his doctrine of justification, for his attitude toward this doctrine supplies the clue to his whole line of action in his life so full of controversy.

The Religious Peace Of Augsburg, Theodore Hoyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Religious Peace of Augsburg, an event regarded so highly and of such importance in the history of the Lutheran Reformation that the 100th, 200th, and 300th anniversaries were celebrated throughout the Lutheran Church in the respective years. Our fathers have regarded it as a special intervention of God to save the Reformation from total collapse. In an article sketching the history of this Diet of Augsburg one of the early leaders of the Missouri Synod. F. C. D. Wyneken, calls the adoption of this peace treaty "the end of the Reformation, when, …

The Contribution Of Archaeology To The Interpretation Of The New Testament, Raymond F. Surburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

The inscriptions and papyri have furthermore helped New Testament students see the great contrast between Christianity and the other religions of the empire. The Lord Caesar is in definite opposition to the Lord Christ. The papyri reveal the fact that the divine names "Lord" and "Savior" were applied by the Roman emperors to themselves. The abler among the Roman emperors endeavored to strengthen and convert ancient popular worship into worship of the state and its head. Already in 195 B. C. there is evidence of this patriotic deification of the Roman state, as is apparent from the worship of the …

The Contribution Of Archaeology To The Interpretation Of The New Testament, Raymond F. Surburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

Archaeology is, furthermore, of great value because it relates exegesis to historical facts. Christianity is a historical religion, based upon events and experiences which transpired in history. Allegorical and symbolical interpretations often ignore the historical background of the Christian religion and lead to aberrations in religious thought. While the New Testament as a supernatural revelation harbors many elements transcending historical verification, it does nevertheless contain much material which can be determined by historical study. Thus Dana asserts: "There is no feature of the process of interpretation more important than the reconstruction of the historical situation out of which a given …

Third Corinthians, Martin H. Scharlemann, W. B. Streufert

Concordia Theological Monthly

The mysteries surrounding the apocryphal letter called Third Corinthians are enough to challenge the imagination and intuitive skill of the most astute Sherlock Holmes who might be inclined to operate in the field of the New Testament. Who wrote the letter? How did it get into the canon of the Syrian and Armenian churches for a few hundred years? Why was it lost for so many centuries? These are some of the exciting questions posed by this remarkable document.

The Contribution Of Archaeology To The Interpretation Of The New Testament, Raymond F. Surburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

The pastor, the missionary, the parochial school teacher, the Sunday school and weekday school teachers, the Christian youth leaders, and others use the Bible in their respective fields of labor in the Lord's vineyard. If these Christian workers and leaders are to fulfill the intention of the divinely appointed ministry of reconciliation and accomplish the perfecting of the saints through the Word of Truth, a correct and adequate understanding of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, together with their proper application, is essential. The explanation and the application of the Word of God must rest upon a sound and self …

Paul Writes To The Romans, W. F. Beck

Concordia Theological Monthly

Some Jews came to Rome in 161 B. C., when Judas Maccabaeus sent them as ambassadors in order to get Rome to help him fight for Jewish freedom against Antiochus of Syria. The Roman senate granted Judas a treaty of mutual defense and friendship. Other embassies sailed (like Paul two centuries later) over the Mediterranean to Rome. When they came home, they must have told their friends that Rome was a good place to live and to do business; for before a hundred years had passed, we find rich and influential Jews living in Rome. When Pompey captured Jerusalem in …

The Schism Of The Eastern And The Western Churches, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

For a thousand years the church was regarded as a unit in spite of various sects and occasional violent disagreements among prominent churchmen. Nine hundred years ago it broke into a Greek and a Roman segment. Repeated efforts have been made to heal the breach, but only with passing success. It took a millennium to effect the schism; there is at present no indication that the two segments will ever reunite. The year 1054 has been accepted as the date of the schism. This date, however, merely serves the convenience of the historian. It is a handy road marker along …

Review Of "Bad Boll" Conferences, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Building Theological Bridges" is the appropriate subtitle of the sainted Professor Fred. E. Mayer's The Story of Bad Boll. In this booklet, which is a lasting memorial to Dr. Mayer's synthetic and sympathetic mind, the author summarized the three theological conferences conducted by our Synod at Bad Boll, Wűrttemberg, Germany, in the summer of 1948. The readiness of officials of our Synod to "build theological bridges" connecting our Church with European Lutheran Churches was so favorably received by the participants in the first Bad Boll venture that in the opinion of our officials these conferences needed to be continued.

Factors In Lutheran Unity, E. George Pearce

Concordia Theological Monthly

Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century, advised his people that when they attended a divine service in a strange city, they ought not merely to enquire for the church or for the lord's house, because Marcionists and Manicheans and all manner of sects professed to be the Church and called their meeting places the House of the Lord; but they ought to ask: Where is the Catholic Church? The name "Catholic," used in all the early creeds and in the writings of the Fathers, came into use first to distinguish the universal Christian Church from the national Jewish …

Saint Boniface, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Twelve centuries have passed since St. Boniface on June 5, 754, died as a martyr on the banks of the Borne at Dokkum, in Friesland. Much is being made of the anniversary of his death. Roman Catholics have organized pilgrimages both to Dokkum, the place of his death, and to Fulda, where his body now rests. Protestants, too, have honored his memory with special services. Many thousands of both Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians have thus paid their respects to a great man of God and to their common Christian heritage.

In Memoriam. Professor F. E. Mayer, D.D., William F. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

The managing editor of the Concordia Theological Monthly has been taken to the home above where there is rest for God's children and editorial drudgery is unknown. Exigencies of space will not permit that we insert more than a few biographical data; for fuller accounts the readers are referred to the biweekly popular papers of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Lutheraner and the Lutheran Witness.

Did Luther Teach That Christ Committed Adultery?, Arthur Carl Piepkorn

Concordia Theological Monthly

As every paster discovers, Roman Catholic ignorance - clerical hardly less than lay-of Lutheran and Luther's theology is often abysmal.

Something of a new nadir, however, was achieved by the Rev. Richard Ginder in the Roman Catholic weekly, Our Sunday Visitor, Vol.XLII, No.44, February 28, 1954, page 12, when he wrote: "Did Martin Luther believe that Jesus was God?

"In his Table Talk,' Weimar edition, ii, 107, one reads the following hair-raising blasphemy: 'Christ committed adultery first of all with the woman at the well about whom St. John tells us. Was not everybody about Him saying: "Whatever has He …

Luther On War And Revolution, H. R. Klann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Secular authority, according to Luther, is in a sense the extension of patriarchal authority to the community. As such it is part of the present order of creation, by which Luther meant the conditions of human activity and existence in history. However, its constitutional form, like all other political settlements within the frame of Moral Law, was for him a matter of human expediency. For his part, Luther was content to accept the political settlement of his time.

John Henry Charles Fritz, D. D., 1874-1953, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

On Sunday, April 12, 1953, about 9:40 A. M., at Springfield, Ill., there was called to his eternal reward a churchman, pastor, educator, editor, and administrator of our Church who was highly esteemed both at home and abroad-John Henry Charles Fritz. Born on July 30, 1874, he reached the age of 78 years.

The Significance Of Luther's Hermeneutics For The Protestant Reformation, Raymond P. Surburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Protestant Reformation, called by Roman Catholics the Protestant Revolt, is generally conceded to have been one of the most significant movements in the last two thousand years of world history. Historians who have treated the Reformation have interpreted it from at least four distinct points of view: the religious-political, the rationalist, the liberal-romantic, and the economic-evolutionary. A current scholar, Rosenstock-Huessy, lists the Protestant Reformation as the first of four political revolutions occurring between 1517 and 1918.

Grace Of God In The Old Testament (Concluded), Walter R. Roehrs

Concordia Theological Monthly

After making a rapid survey of the terms that the Old Testament employs to denote the grace of God, we need to say that these words are not the fleeting sound of empty vocables. Nor do they describe an abstraction in the nature of a Platonic idea. They tell what God does to save men from the curse of their separation from Him and to bring them a life in blessed communion with Him. Our next task is, therefore, to trace how the grace of God entered the lives of the Old Testament believers to bring them salvation.

Our English Bible, E. J. Saleska

Concordia Theological Monthly

Many Biblical scholars are agreed that September 30, 1952, will go down in American church history as a red-letter day. It was the publication date of the highly publicized Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Special services commemorating the event were held in more than three thousand communities. Coupled with this was the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the first printing, in Mainz, Germany, of the famous Gutenberg Bible. In recognition of this event the United States Government placed on sale on September 30 a special commemorative three-cent stamp.

In Memoriam Joh. Albrecht Bengel, Jaroslav Pelikan

Concordia Theological Monthly

November 2, 1952, is the two-hundredth anniversary of the death of Johann Albrecht Bengel, a leading figure in the history of Lutheran theology. He has exerted an influence over subsequent Biblical scholarship comparable to that of Luther and Flacius in the sixteenth century, the Buxtorfs in the seventeenth, von Hofmann in the nineteenth, and Schlatter in the twentieth. Until a generation or two ago his Gnomon Novi Testamenti was a commonplace in the libraries of the evangelical clergy; and some of the works which have come to replace it, like Dean Alford's commentary and the Expositors Greek Testament, are expansions …

The Rise And Fall Of The Schmalkaldic League: The Treaty Of Passau, 1552, Theo. Hoyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

There are several reasons that suggest the truce of Passau as a subject for special consideration at the present time. One is, of course, the date. Since 1883 we have followed up the great outstanding events in Reformation history by church-wide celebrations, beginning with Luther's birth and ending, in 1946, with Luther's death. But several events following Luther's death were to be of immense importance to the Lutheran Church; one of them is the Schmalkaldic War, ending in the truce of Passau, 1552, and the Religious Peace of Augsburg. 1555. - Another reason: We have seen a veritable flood of …