Practical Theology Commons^™

Brief Studies, Martin H. Franzmann, John W. Klotz, Wm. A. Kramer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Royal Banners Forward Go

Population Problems

Lutheran and Protestant Elementary Schools

An Analysis Of Communion Hymns In The Lutheran Hymnal And Of Certain Communion Hymns Available From Outside Sources, Herbert Andrew Schulze

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this project is to analyze the Communion hymns of the present Lutheran Hymnal in terms of their eucharistic value and to investigate other Communion hymns of the Christian Church as to their usability in our future hymnal, especially their accent on the euchariatic nature of the Sacrament.

It is the writer's opinion that hymns 304 to 316 (''The Lord's Supper" section of TLH) are inadequate both in number and in quality for expressing our reawakened appreciation of the Lord's Supper as an opportunity joyously to receive the grace of God in Christ for the preservation and strengthening …

Editorial Comment, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

The fifties of our century produced an unusually large number of theological investigations of the term "tradition." Whether the wide interest in this term resulted from efforts in ecumenical circles to determine precisely what Protestantism means with its accent on the sole authority of Scripture, or whether this interest resulted from the proclamation in 1950 by Pius XII of the dogma of the Bodily Assumption of Mary, or whether other factors contributed to this veritable explosion of investigations of the term "tradition," may be difficult to establish.

February's Festivals, Arthur Carl Piepkorn

Concordia Theological Monthly

The two minor festivals of February focus attention on two important tasks that faculty and field, the editors and most of the readers of this magazine, share with each other.

Preaching For The Church (Review), Arthur C. Repp, George W. Hoyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

In spite of their preoccupation with preaching most pastors are not particularly interested in books about preaching. Sermon books are more promising. They can offer valuable ideas, give a few practical hints now and then, present a stimulating model, and not infrequently suggest an outline to the harried pastor. But a book on homiletics at best seems to promise a review of those principles which every seminary graduate ought to know. If he no longer remembers them, they probably were not very helpful anyway. After all, one learns to preach by preaching.

Toward An Understanding Of Our New Sister Synod In India, M. H. Grumm

Concordia Theological Monthly

At the San Francisco convention of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod the India Evangelical Lutheran Church was accepted in fellowship as a sister synod. Though this young church is still heavily dependent on our American church for support in money and missionary personnel, it has been accepted as a church in its own right, and it is following a phased plan working toward its own support. The American church may feel a justified sense of satisfaction in seeing a small but living church established in this faraway country through the work of its Mission, and it can also justly …

Brief Studies, Andrew S. Burgess

Concordia Theological Monthly

American Lutheran Missionaries

Engagement And Marriage: A Review Article, David S. Schuller

Concordia Theological Monthly

Europeans have long charged that Americans are the "most married," the "youngest married," and the "most divorced" of any people in the civilized world. What concerns us most is that the charge is true. We do have one of the highest proportions of population married. Our marriage rate is fifty per cent higher than that of a country such as France or Switzerland. It is double that of Mexico or Ireland! We are so eager to marry that we marry at an earlier age with every passing decade. Just within the last ten years the age at which men marry …

What About Vestments For Pastors? (Concluded), Arthur Carl Piepkorn

Concordia Theological Monthly

The church's feeling that those who minister at her altars should be vested in white - although colored overvestments might be worn -is ancient and persistent. This feeling is based not merely upon esthetic considerations and upon the custom of the period but also upon the symbolism of the Sacred Scriptures (Matt.17:2; 28:3; Mark 9:3; 16:5; Acts 1:10; Rev. 3:5, 18; 4:4; 7:9, 14; 15:6; 19:8). This symbolism, of course, does not constitute any prescription.

The Development Of The Sunday School In The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, C Rodger Meyer

Bachelor of Divinity

The study limited itself to the Missouri Synod, including its English root, the English Synod, and touched only briefly on the Sunday school movement in so far as other denominations were concerned. It took into account the numerical growth, the official and unofficial opinions concerning the movement during its various phases of development, and the contribution of the various materials and practices. The progress of the movement was traced independently through the Missouri Synod and the English Synod prior to their amalgamation in 1911.

Structuring A Youth-To-Youth Visitation Program, Marvin Bergman

Master of Divinity Thesis

This interest in youth evangelism is due to several factors. The number of unchurched youth in the United States is a factor. Though it is difficult to obtain reliable figures on the youth population, Ellis reports that the difference between the number of youth enrolled in church activities and the youth population of America amounts to 19,328,000 teen-agers. This means that three out of four young people are outside the church.

Structuring A Youth-To-Youth Visitation Program, Marvin Bergman

Bachelor of Divinity

This interest in youth evangelism is due to several factors. The number of unchurched youth in the United States is a factor. Though it is difficult to obtain reliable figures on the youth population, Ellis reports that the difference between the number of youth enrolled in church activities and the youth population of America amounts to 19,328,000 teen-agers. This means that three out of four young people are outside the church.

An Intergrating Theology Of Parish Administration, Michael Keyne

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the task of the Church, the role of the ministry, and their interacting functions. The first step is to determine the nature and function of the Church. The conclusion is reached that the Church is the body of Christ. By means of the Holy Ghost's work, its task is to build itself in the faith and to expand its outreach. To carry out this dual task, the Church uses its God given implements, the gifts of the Spirit.

Training Youth For Christian Youth Leadership, David Eberhard

Bachelor of Divinity

In this thesis an attempt is made to present the theories of leadership training and the methods available for the training of youth as youth leaders in the church. Therefore, the materials are directed towards the youth, both boys and girls, between the ages sixteen and twenty-four who have been confirmed in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The Medieval Sequence And Troupe, John Lemkul

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The present thesis primarily is an historical research into the origin and development of. the sequence and the trope. From the Table or Contents it may appear that the order of the chapters is a little unusual, for one usually expects an historical account to be presented in chronological order. But because of what we know and what we do not know about the sequence and trope, the outline of the paper begins with the known and proceeds to the unknown. That is why both the sections on the sequence and the trope begin at the Abbey of St. Gall …

Racial Integration In The Light Of Scripture, Lambert Elmer Loock Jr

Bachelor of Divinity

The paper can be divided into three main sections. Chapter II considers the Negro as he exists in society. Chapters III and IV present the segregationist’s view of the interpretation of Scripture and the purposes of God, as well as the examples of Jesus and the New Testament directives. Chapter V considers man's responsibilities toward the Negro in the light of God's Word.

Johann Sebastian Bach As Interpreter Of Scripture In The Passion Of Our Lord According To St. Matthew, William George Naumann

Bachelor of Divinity

With regard to the study or the St. Matthew Passion, or of any of Bach's works, the basic assumption must be Bach's familiarity with and loyalty to the teachings of the Lutheran Church .

Such a study has limitations. Any study of musical interpretation falls into the dangers of subjectivism. This is easily seen by the wide variance of opinion on perhaps the same musical form.

The Role Of The Lutheran Pastor In Dealing With The Problem Of Alcoholism, Harold Gene Hermetz

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is to survey the problem of alcoholism in the light of present-day developments in an effort to determine the role the Lutheran pastor may play in effectively dealing with the alcoholics with whom his ministry brings him into contact. It is becoming increasingly evident that one of the greatest needs of the minister is a definition of his role in this problem--a clear picture of where he is needed and in what areas he can serve most effectively. There is little doubt that the parish pastor will have opportunities to deal with alcoholics since such …

An Examination Of The Practice Of Personal Announcement For Communion On The Basis Of Its Pastoral Concerns, Herbert E. Borchelt

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to examine the Lutheran practice of personal announcement and registration for Holy Communion on the basis of the pastoral concerns connected with this practice. Since the church I served on vicarage in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, changed its practice from personal announcement to simple registration for Communion, and since this writer learned of other churches which had made or were in the process of making similar changes, an examination of these Lutheran practices on the basis of the pastoral concerns connected with them posed a highly profitable study.

A Study Of The Curricular Materials Of The Intermediate Department Of The Sunday School, William Carl Beckmann Jr

Bachelor of Divinity

An effective Sunday school program will require attention to four factors in the curriculum: defining the objectives, selecting learning experiences in the light of these objectives, providing learning materials in the light of these objectives using the selected learning experiences, and evaluating the learning process in the light of these objectives. Thus the question that will always bear investigation is, “How do the Sunday school materials offered meet these objectives?” If learning experiences and learning materials are to be selected. In the light of the objectives, it is necessary to evaluate periodically how this is being accomplished.

Education In Meaningful Worship For The Confirmation Class, Paul Wagner

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The problem undertaken by the thesis is tied to this need for meaningful worship and the lack of materials. While books and articles have appeared from time to time, they have all been concerned primarily with phases of parish education other than the confirmation class. In Missouri Synod circles there have been only a very few significant works on worship education at any level. The purpose,, therefore, was to survey as many works in this area as time would permit and synthesize the findings into a workable approach toward the teaching of worship and the Liturgy in the confirmation class.

A Critique Of The Orders Of Matins And Vespers And The Offering Of A New Musical Setting, Robert Bergt

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The present thesis directs special attention to the last point. The musical settings of The Lutheran Hymnal are borrowed from Anglican and Gregorian traditions. This is not to say that Anglican and Gregorian chant per se are bad and unusable. Those responsible for putting the texts, tunes and accompaniments together did something adequate a generation ago. The present author believes that we have outgrown these and need to offer what will set off a new spark, a new life and love for Matins and Vespers. New musical settings may assist the renaissance.

After a brief historical background is given to …

The Saints' Days Of The Lutheran Liturgy, Roger Pittelko

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This present study is intended to investigate the saints' days of The Lutheran Liturgy. The study will look at the historical warrant for the saints’ days. It. will further consider the theological content of the propers for each commemoration. Finally, it will look at the extent of the present use of the saints’ days.

The main emphasis of this paper will be on the saints’ Days in the calendar of the Lutheran Church, and in particular The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Such a study must broaden its base to include the history of the minor festivals of the pre-Reformation Western Church …

The Easter Season, Roger Pittelko

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Easter and its season. The pertinent questions to be answered are these: What is the history of Easter, and how does this history effect the observance today? What special message do the propers have for the Church today? What is the accent of the season? How has Easter affected folkways and customs?

An Evaluation Of The Arguments For And Against Tax Exemption For No-Profit Private Schools In California, Robert K. Menzel

Bachelor of Divinity

The development of the thesis will focus on the years 1951 to 1956. The first marks the passage in the California Legislature of the measure exempting from taxation non-profit private schools of less than collegiate grade. In December, 1966, a decision of the United States Federal Supreme Court declared that the California statute presented no substantial federal question. This action. In effect, quashed efforts of opponents of tax-exemption to foil the will of the majority of voters in the state.

An Evaluation Of Current Proposals For Religion In Public Schools-Practical, Edgar Trinklein

Bachelor of Divinity

Within the past decade there has been an increasing concern among educators and religious leaders over the problem of religion in the public school curriculum. It is the purpose of this study to examine some of the proposals currently made by influential groups and individuals to introduce religion into the curriculum of the public schools. The proposals will be evaluated in the light of published statements of the Lutheran Church --Missouri Synod.

The Emerging Objectives Of Instruction For Confirmation As Currently Practiced In The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Martin Haendschke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In this study our primary interest was to approach, study, analyze, and. wherever possible, resolve the basic problems attending the development of specific objectives for junior confirmation instruction in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod

The Educational Implications Of Holy Baptism, Franklin Ritthamel

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This study will concern itself chiefly with the subject of infant baptism and the educational implications for the child so baptized, though some reference will be made to adult baptism and the educational implications present in such a baptism.

Contemporary Architecture In The Lutheran Church Of America, Arlis John Ehlen

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this study baa been to report, on the state of the so-called “contemporary1” (or "modern,” or “functional” architecture in American Lutheran circles. Special emphasis has been placed on describing how Lutherans have accepted modern design and the forms which it has taken in the churches they have built.

Principles For Winning Unchurched High School Youth For Christ, Raymond Mueller

Bachelor of Divinity

Winning people for Christ includes, necessarily, these two main emphases: namely, evangelism and Christian Education. Those are the two emphases used both by the apostles and by the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod of our own day. To these two emphases must be added that of youth work in general. Thus, this study forms a synthesis of Christian education, evangelism, and youth work, and it is an attempt at outlining a program which will best answer the question, "How can the Church win the unchurched youth for Christ?"