History of Christianity Commons^™

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."

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 …

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 …

Kiefl On Luther, Wm. Dallmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Luther's (fundamental error of the whole system is that in the work of salvation God does everything and man nothing."

So wrote the late Franz Xaver Kiefl, Dean of the Cathedral of Regensburg and before that professor of dogmatics in Wuerzburg, in Hochland of October, 1917. His article is "Martin Luther's Religious Psyche the Root of a Modem World Picture," reprinted in 1922 as "Catholic World-View and Modern Thought."

That is Luther's fundamental truth of the whole system.

Huldreich Zwingli, The Father Of Reformed Theology, Theo. Dierks

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the doctrine of atonement Zwingli merely repeated the traditional language of the Church. Zwingli tells us that, long before he even heard of Luther, he learned from Thomas Wyttenbach, one of his teachers at Basel, that "the death of Christ is the sole price of the remission of sins" III:544). This was nothing unusual, for such statements can be found in many Catholic writers before Luther.

Huldreich Zwingli, The Father Of Reformed Theology, Theo. Dierks

Concordia Theological Monthly

Huldreich Zwingli (born January 1, 1484, died October 11, 1531) has often been called the forerunner of Calvin; but as Ritschl, Dogmengeschichte des Protestantismus, III:27, point. out, Zwingli is the "real author of the Reformed confession and, together with Bucer, the founder of Reformed theology." It was Bucer who formed the connecting link between Zwingli and Calvin.

The Altenburg Debate, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

In an evaluation of Professor Polack's book The Story of C. F. W. Walther, which appeared a few years ago, the review editor of the Theologische Quartalschrift includes the following remarks: "Important and soul-racking though the later controversies were, they dwindle when compared with the difficulties of Walther and the Saxon immigrants as they came to a head in Altenburg. In Altenburg life and death, faith and despair, hung in the balance. In the later affairs it was Walther firmly grounded in the truth and unshaken in his faith who waged the battles, although he did not succeed in convincing …

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

What? Some more rattling of dry bones? As though we had to be told what an abominable and dangerous thing rationalism is! Just read on. The thing is not so dead as you may think. We are dealing with a live issue. There are many more rationalists in the churches than the census lists. Your own theological thinking may have more of a rationalistic bias than you are aware of. And in our spiritual struggles we are inclined to heed the insidious logic of reason more than the sure Word of Scripture, the certain promise of the Gospel. So the …

Die Disputationen Luthers, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Die Disputationen Luthers (Luther's Disputations)

Miscellanea, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Miscellanea

Was Gamaliel's Counsel To The Sanhedrin Based On Sound Reasoning?, W. C. Burhop

Concordia Theological Monthly

According to Acts 5:38, 39, Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin not to take hasty action with reference to the testimony of the apostles and the "Christian movement" but to exercise prudence and to wait. His reason for giving this advice he set forth in the following words: "For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest haply ye be found to fight against God.'' We ask: "Is the reason given by Gamaliel correct? Does it accord with known facts?"

The Archeology Of The Sacraments, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The boundary between history and archeology is somewhat indefinite, but for the purpose of this short discussion the following distinction may be of value. History is a more or less orderly narration of events, either in the form of a chronicle which notes down occurrences from day to day or week to week, like a diary, or in logical arrangement, presenting events in units as the historian understands the incidents which he presents. Archeology, on the other hand, and, in this instance, Christian archeology, is the science of Christian antiquity, an orderly presentation not so much of historical events as …

The Saxons Move To Perry County, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

When the Saxon Lutherans reached the metropolis of the central Mississippi Valley, then a town of some 16,000 inhabitants, their plans had not yet fully matured. Only one point seems to have been reasonably certain, namely, that they did not intend to remain in St. Louis. In the Regulations for the Emigrant, approved in Dresden on May 17, 1838, paragraph 4 reads:

"Place of Settlement. -The place of colonization in the United States of North America is to be chosen in one of the Western States in Missouri or Illinois or perhaps in Indiana."

Have We The Original Text Of The Holy Scriptures?, W. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

This question, as our readers will remember, was adverted to in the December, 1938, issue of this journal in an article which discussed the position of the U. L. C. A. with respect to the inspiration of the Scriptures.

Intersynodical Documents, Unknown

Concordia Theological Monthly

To let the pages of this journal serve as repository for important documents, we herewith reprint: 1. The report of the Missouri Synod Committee on Lutheran Union, including the Declaration of the American Lutheran Church Representatives; 2. The report of Committee No.16 of the Missouri Synod convention (St. Louis, June, 1938) with respect to the above-mentioned report and the action of Synod; 3. The resolutions of the American Lutheran Church passed at Sandusky, Ohio, touching the union question; 4. The resolution of the United Lutheran Church of America perta1n1ng to this subject.

The Arrival Of The Saxons In St. Louis, W. G. Polack

Concordia Theological Monthly

After relating something of the efforts made to establish Stephan's authority over the entire Saxon group, he declares that Stephan was again making his nightly "Spaziergaenge" with his friends but that he did not take part, because he considered it an unseemly practise, and, besides, he was too tired, after teaching school all day, to devote the nights, meant for rest, to running around.

Erasmus On Luther, Wm. Dallmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther's opposition to the Church of Rome was welcomed by many leaders in Church and State who had long chafed under the yoke of Popery. One of these leaders was the renowned Humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam. Yet Erasmus, like so many others, had not grasped the fundamental principles of Luther's Reformation. In the articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae, that of justification by grace, through faith, without works, Erasmus remained a good Romanist. For many years he refused to take up his pen against Luther in spite of urgent requests and demands on the part of Rome. Finally he yielded.

Erasmus On Luther, Wm. Dallmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Erasmus, like Luther, was an Augustinian; like Luther, a priest; like Luther, a preacher-at Paris; like Luther, a Doctor of Theology-of Turin; like Luther, a teacher-at Cambridge 1511-1514.

Andreas Carlstadt declared Erasmus "the prince of theologians," superior to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine.

I do not see among the old theologians any they can legitimately prefer to you," wrote Bude.

The Voyage Of The Saxons, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

In view of the fact that the approaching centennial celebration of the Saxon immigration will require a more than casual acquaintance with the chief incidents connected with this memorable historical event, we shall certainly all profit by a rehearsal and a restudy of the more significant features of this unique undertaking on the part of these Lutheran colonists. Such a study is especially necessary in view of the fact that many of the old histories are no longer generally available or accessible and that some of the · printed accounts, such as that by Hochstetter, do not give much detailed …

Von Der Babylonischen Gefangenschaft Bis Auf Christum, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Von der babylonischen Gefangenschaft bis auf Christum ("From the Babylonian Captivity to Christ")

Richard William Heintze, W. G. Polack

Concordia Theological Monthly

Richard William Heintze was born in Berlin, Germany, November 11, 1888, and at the age of ten years, together with his parents, Karl and Emma (nee Balzer) Heintze, came to New York City, where he was enrolled as a pupil in St. Matthew's Academy.

Luther, Seine Kaethe Und Seine Kinder, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther, seine Kaethe und seine Kinder (Luther, his Kathe and his children)

Johann Gerhard Als Lutherischer Kirchenlehrer, J. T. Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

Johann Gerhard als lutherischer Kirchenlehrer (Johann Gerhard as a Lutheran church teacher)

The Amazing Mass Of Biblical Manuscripts, R. T. Du Brau

Concordia Theological Monthly

This year of our Lord, 1937, bids fair to become the beginning of a third great period in the history of the Greek text of our Bible. Later generations of Bible-lovers will no doubt refer to this period of textual criticism as that of decipherment, transcription, and conservative comparison. True, this latter textual activity has been in progress for the last generation, but it becomes apparent with the wealth of material now on hand that only a modest beginning has been made. The century just ended, from 1838 to 1936, has resolved itself into an age of amazing discoveries of …

Romanism, Calvinism, And Lutheranism On The Authority Of Scripture, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The desire for a large Pan-Protestant union has endeavored to minimize the theological differences between Lutheranism and Calvinism. True, Luther and Calvin had many things in common, e.g., the rejection of Pelagianism and the Roman hierarchical system. But only too often the divergent conceptions of sin and grace, of faith and works, of atonement and justification, of repentance and sanctification, are viewed only as minor differences.

The Norm And Rule Of Doctrine In The Chrisitan Church Before The Reformation, Theo. Dierks

Concordia Theological Monthly

That the Gospel of Christ Crucified is contrary to all worldly wisdom is clearly affirmed by St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians, 1, 18 ff. He therefore warned the Colossians: ''Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ," 2, 8, and speaks of himself as "casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," I Cor.10, 8.