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Inside Missouri Synod, James R. Blackwood

Concordia Theological Monthly

From what other people had told me, my mental picture of a Missouri Lutheran once took shape as a sort of scaly monster belching me.

But I have changed my mind in the last five years, since I have set out in my first charge, a Presbyterian minister in the thick of Missouri Lutherans. One day early in my pastorate I wanted to look up a reference in a certain volume of theology. The public library of nearby St. Louis did not have a copy of the book. What about Concordia Seminary? Perhaps the Lutherans would let me use their …

The Russian Eastern Church And Protestantism, Herbert Haljabold

Concordia Theological Monthly

The contacts between the Lutheran and the Eastern Church reach back to Luther. Benz points out that the Symbolical Books in several instances support their demand for a reformation of doctrine and cultus by an appeal to the authorities of the Greek Church during the first five centuries. He shows that during the dispute at Leipzig, Luther appealed to the Greek Church to corroborate his thesis that the supremacy of the Papacy was not recognized in the Old Church, but was developed after the age of Constantine and in opposition to the Eastern Church.

President Louis J. Sieck, D. D., Richard R. Caemmerer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The late president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., has gone to his heavenly rest. Therewith he joins the ranks of the theologians of the Church whom it remembers with honor. Throughout his life it seemed as though Doctor Sieck was not destined for the role of theologian in the professional sense of the term. After an assistantship of one year to the late President of the Missouri Synod, Dr. F. Pfotenhauer, at Hamburg, Minn., Louis J. Sieck became assistant pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis, beginning in 1905, and pastor after 1914. A large and active congregation …

Tribute To Dr. William Arndt, Faculty Concordia Seminary

Concordia Theological Monthly

Tribute to Dr. William Arndt

Chalcedon After Fifteen Centuries, Jaroslav Pelikan

Concordia Theological Monthly

This year marks the fifteen hundredth anniversary of one of the most important councils of the ancient Church, the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Chalcedon is generally regarded as the conclusion of almost a century and a half of theological discussion centering in the doctrine of the person of Christ. This discussion came to a focus at the first four ecumenical councils-Nicaea in 325, Constantinople in 381, Ephesus in 431, and Chalcedon in 451. Out of these four councils and the theological work that went into them there emerged the dogmas of the Trinity and of the person of Christ …

Background For The Peasants' Revolt Of 1524, W. Theophil Janzow

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Peasants' Revolt of 1524 and its causes have been the subject of widespread controversy ever since the days of the revolt itself. Accusations against Dr. Martin Luther as the prime mover of the revolt have been prevalent especially in the literature of those who were otherwise displeased, yes, angered, by Luther's success as a religious reformer. But even historians whom one would judge to be unprejudiced by training or religious bias have pictured the Peasants' Revolt of 1524 as the natural result of Luther's sermons and books.

Church And Church History In The Confessions, Jaroslav Pelikan

Concordia Theological Monthly

The current revival of interest in the doctrine of the Church has far-reaching significance for many areas of theological study. Without an adequate appreciation of the nature of the Church much of Christian doctrine cannot attain full articulation. For example, there has always been a close connection between the doctrine of the Church and the doctrine of the means of grace, as Article V of the Augsburg Confession shows. The study of the Old Testament as the record of God's dealings with His people, of the New Testament as the account of God's establishment of His new people, of liturgy …

The Lotthers: Forgotten Printers Of The Reformation, W. G. Tillmanns

Concordia Theological Monthly

The name Lotther is so similar to that of our Reformer that it must arouse the curiosity of the reader when he finds this name recorded in Luther's correspondence. Yet most Luther biographies do not even mention this name, and those that do pass it over lightly. Thus the family which has rendered outstanding service to the cause of the Reformation is today all but forgotten.

The Authorship Of St. John's Gospel, Hugo Odeberg

Concordia Theological Monthly

Some New Testament books contain clear statements as to who wrote them. Oftentimes the author's name is mentioned at the beginning of the book. This is natural when it is an Epistle, for it is usual to specify in a letter both by whom it is written, and to whom it is sent. Most New Testament Epistles begin with the name of the sender and also mention the name or names of those to whom the Letter is addressed. The Epistle to the Galatians, for instance, opens with the author's name: "Paul, an Apostle ... to the churches of Galatia." …

The Public Ministry In The Apostolic Age, H. G. Brueggemann

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the hope of resolving the points of disagreement relating to the doctrine of the call, the ministry, and the Church, which for a number of years threatened the unity of the constituent bodies of the Synodical Conference, the convention in 1946 appointed an Interim Committee. In 1948 this committee of eight men submitted its findings to the Synodical Conference in a majority and a minority report.

A Short History Of The Lutheran Church In Great Britain, E. George Pearce

Concordia Theological Monthly

“Lutheran” is a word that many English people find hard to pronounce because it is so seldom used in this country. In few countries of Western Europe is the Lutheran Church as little known as it is in Great Britain. When recently an inquiry was made at the B. B. C. in London regarding the possibility of a Lutheran religious broadcast, the surprising reply was given: "It is the policy of the B. B. C. to broadcast only the services of those churches which are in the mainstream of the Christian tradition." How strange that the largest of all Protestant …

Theodore Conrad Graebner, 1876-1950, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, the editors of the MONTHLY herewith pay tribute to Professor Theodore Graebner, D. D., esteemed teacher, colleague, and friend, whom the lord of the Church summoned to Himself on Tuesday, November 14. We are sorrowful that through his passing our Church lost within less than twelve months the fourth of its most representative leaders. Yet we also rejoice at the thought that Dr. Graebner has now, after a life of untiring service dedicated to the Head of the Church, entered the rest of the children of God. We praise God for all the mercies He …

De Ministerio Ecclesiastico, Augustana V, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is room for differences of opinion where the doctrine of the means of grace may be best discussed in a textbook on dogmatics, whether under the Prolegomena, under the Prophetic Office of Christ, in the article on the Church, or as a separate locus. But it is essential that the indissoluble connection between the doctrines of justification and the means of grace be preserved. The order established by the Augustana must be maintained, for grace and faith are correlative terms. Article IV presents justification by faith, and Article V very properly continues: "That we may obtain this faith [described …

Lutheran Theology As Reflected In The Life And Works Of J. S. Bach, Walter E. Buszin

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is interesting indeed to note that much of the Bach literature published in recent years has made special mention of the profound Lutheran character of Bach's life and work.

Professor W. G. Polack, Litt. D., 1890--1950, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the passing of Professor W. G. Polack on June 5 of this year, Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, and our entire Synod lost one of its ablest Christian leaders. The lord had endowed Dr. Polack with a variety of gifts. He had given him a discerning mind, a courageous heart, an evangelical outlook, a facile pen, an intense love for the Church, and an unflagging zeal to promote the cause of his Savior. Fastidious in appearance, calm and suave in speech, considerate of the opinions of others, aware of his own sins and inadequacies, yet wholly committed to the …

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.

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 …