Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Implications Of The Quia Subscription To The Lutheran Confessions, George Loose

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to clarify what the implications of the quia subscription to the Lutheran Confessions are.

Mariolatry In The Roman Catholic Church Since 1854, Lawrence Reilly

Bachelor of Divinity

The aim of the paper is very ably expressed by Dr. David S.Schaff, of Union Theological Seminary: “To the popular imagination in countries under Papal control Mary occupies virtually the same place of a goddess and the practical result would seem inevitably to be that through the gracious leniency associated with woman and motherhood, sinful habits will be condoned which Christ’s teachings forbid. The wonder is that appeals to another should be commended in view of Christ’s invitation, ‘Come to Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.'' We feel very definitely that …

Fellowship With God, C. August Hardt

Concordia Theological Monthly

By way of introduction let me say a few words about the reasons for submitting a paper on Koinonia. It is well known that the word "fellowship" has been very much in the foreground in recent years, especially in connection with the efforts of Lutheran bodies to establish church fellowship. We, too, have had committees at work discussing doctrinal differences with a view to bringing about Scriptural unity as a basis of church and altar fellowship. Some in our midst have looked upon these negotiations with doubts and apprehensions; others, however, feel that we have not even gone far enough …

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

"O ye theologians, what are you doing? Think ye that it is a trifling matter when the sublime Majesty forbids you to teach things that do not proceed from the mouth of the Lord and are something else than God's Word? It is not a thresher or herdsman who is here speaking" (Luther XIX: 821). When men prefer those things that originate in their own minds to those that proceed out of the mouth of the Lord, they are doing an evil thing. We shall discuss this matter under four heads.

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

Satan has brought untold woe upon the Church by inducing the Pope to deny the right of private judgment and suppress the exercise of it. And Satan brings additional woe upon the Church by inducing men to turn the God-given right of private judgment into a license to sit in judgment on Holy Scripture, to criticize and discard it. That is our second proposition: There is an exercise of private judgment which God absolutely forbids and condemns.

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Ueber die Lehre zu erkennen and zu richten, kommt allen und jeden Christen zu, und zwar so, dass der verflucht ist, der solches Recht um ein Haerlein kraenkt" (Luther XIX:341). The matter of exercising private judgment is of supreme importance. (1) They commit a monstrous crime who keep God's people from dealing directly with God's Word and judging all doctrine on the basis of it. (2) Blessed is the community where the right of private judgment is recognized and practiced.

The Doctrine Of The Atonement In New England Theology, Ralph Pomeroy

Bachelor of Divinity

Our major concern in this thesis is the doctrine of the atonement in New England theology. However, what has gone before is essential to a proper understanding, not only of Edwards' views with regard to the atonement, but also of the men whom he influenced. We shall take up now the study of the doctrine of the atonement according to Edwards. For a proper comprehension of the doctrine, we shall consider it both from the development as suggested by Fisher, and also from the excellent and thorough consideration of the doctrine by Franks.

Justification In Article Iii Of The Formula Of Concord, John Meyer

Bachelor of Divinity

The doctrine of justification is the article by which the Church stands or falls. It is, therefore, almost impossible to overstress its importance or to understress the danger of error in this most fundamental of all teachings. And so studying an error in the doctrine of justification is profitable for understanding and appreciating the true doctrine of Scripture in other points as well.

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

In his recent book Luther and His Work the Catholic writer Joseph Clayton says: "To this day Martin Luther is praised ... for bringing the gift of private judgment in faith and morals to all believers. On the other hand, among Catholics Luther is held in abhorrence as an apostate monk who drew countless souls into heresy and whole nations into schism; the evil of whose life has lived after him." According to Luther "No one, neither pope nor bishop, has any right to dictate to the individual Christian what he shall or shall not believe. . . The notion …

Ritschl's Theology, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Ritschlianism is the most highly developed form, that theological empiricism has yet taken." This is the claim of the former dean of the Methodist Boston University School of Theology, Professor Knudson. The majority of liberal theologians hail Ritschl as their champion, because the empirical method is the formal principle, the principium cognoscenti, of American liberal theology. Three German theologians are largely responsible for the wide acceptance of the empirical method in modern theology: Schleiennacher, Ritschl, Troeltsch. Schleiermacher is the father of the modern empirical method in theology.

Schleiermacher, His Theology And Influence., John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Editorial Committee of this periodical has planned a series of articles on leading theologians of modern times who in a preeminent way have influenced and molded theological thought. These essays are to supply the necessary background of the theology current in our time, are to be practical rather than scientific, and are to present the various theological systems in such a way that even the reader unacquainted with technical literature will gain a clear picture of their traits and significance. This objective imposes a limitation on the essayists compelling them to remain within a narrow scope; but this limitation …

The Anselmic View Of The Atonement, Thomas Coates

Concordia Theological Monthly

The doctrine of the atonement has always been one of the cardinal tenets of the Christian faith- a tenet of such central importance that with it the Christian religion can be said to stand or fall it was to effect the atonement for man's sin and to reconcile the creature and the Creator that the Son of God assumed the human nature. This has been the conviction of all those who have stood within the historic Christian tradition - from the days of the Apostles onward.

The study of the doctrine of the atonement, accordingly, represents one of the most …

The Doctrine Of The Holy Ghost According To St Paul, Edward Saleska

Bachelor of Divinity

The doctrine or the Holy Spirit is fundamental in Christian teaching. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is intimately bound up in the doctrine of the Trinity and is an all-important factor in the life of the Christian. It makes all the difference in the world as to what a man believes regarding the Holy Ghost and whether or not he has an intelligent understanding of what the Spirit is ready to do for him in his life.

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

This is, and must be, the burden of our concluding remarks: Let us "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3); let us faithfully guard' the precious doctrine of Verbal Inspiration.

We shall earnestly contend for it if we realize, in the first place, how much is at stake. We must realize what the Church would lose if she surrendered Verbal Inspiration. We would lose our Bible. The battle for Verbal Inspiration is not a mock battle played by children. It is not some unseemly brawl among squabbling theologians- Theologengezaenk. No; the Church is …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

We are asked to come in under the charter of liberty proclaimed by the moderns which calls for freedom from "the tyranny of words." We cannot do so, for three reasons.

First, we do not feel that Verbal Inspiration imposes a legalistic yoke on us. It does indeed require of us unquestioning acceptance of all the statements of Scripture. On that we and the moderns are agreed. We are bound by every word of Scripture. But we do not resent, nor rebel against, this bondage. It is a holy bondage. We rejoice in it. Why? Verbal Inspiration has taught us …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The moderns are bound to make the "sure Word" of Scripture (2 Pet. 1:19) unreliable. They have been telling the anxious Christian that the "mechanical, verbal theory" of inspiration is all wrong; that according to their dynamical canon the words in which the saving truth is revealed are purely human; that nobody knows whether the words of John 3:16 correctly express the divine thought. But they are not yet through with the dismayed Christian. Lest he still be disposed to base his trust on John 3:16 and similar passages of Holy Writ, they now tell him: Forget all about John …

Luther: A Blessing To The English, W. Dallmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The First English Lutherans and the First English Lutheran Theological Seminary

''Martin Luther" is written over the page with the names of Gardiner, Cranmer, Thirlby, and Bilney, the degree list of Cambridge in 1521.

A committee was sent to London to have Luther's books examined and to get an order from Cardinal Wolsey to burn them - Drs. Humfrey; Robert Ridley, uncle of the martyr; John Watson, praised by Erasmus; and Henry Bullock, a pupil of Erasmus, ''most learned Bovillus," now professor of Greek and vice-chancellor.

The books were burned on Market Hill about the Easter term, and the grand …

The Doctrine Of The Church And Ministry According To Dr. Walther, In Relation To The Romanizing Tendencies Within The Lutheran Church, Waldemar Streufert

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

When one studies the writings of Dr. Walther in the field of the doctrine of the Church and the Ministry, one cannot fail to notice his peculiar approach to this locus of theology. In employing the word 'peculiar; we do so advisedly. In a certain sense, he expresses the same doctrine proclaimed by the martyrs of apostolic days. In this respect, Walther is ecumenical, not peculiarly original. On the other hand, placing his theories beside the theories of his contemporaries, we must admit that Walther is an exception to the rule.

The Relationship Of The Universal Grace Of The Election Of Grace, Paul Juergensen

Bachelor of Divinity

A study of this subject will have its direct value for ourselves. After this study, we ought to have a clearer view of the matter than ever before, and if nothing else, we will have a better appreciation for the GRACE of God, one great distinguishing mark of the Christian religion.

Privileges And Obligations, Th. Laetsch

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the name of the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, we are assembled here for the purpose of considering ways and means to bring the Gospel of peace to a war-tom world and to build, maintain, and extend His Kingdom of Grace and peace in a world enslaved by sin and Satan, harassed by war and rumors of war, by malice and hatred and deadly enmity. Almost one hundred years ago a considerably smaller number of men came together in Fort Wayne, Ind., and in other communities of the Central …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The moderns look upon Verbal Inspiration as an evil, unclean thing. They call it a foul spook.

Luther's Spiritual Martyrdom And Its Appeasement, Theo. Dierks

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther had entered the monastery in order to merit eternal life and was convinced that the life of a monk was the surest way in which to obtain the grace of God. Now, the way in which Luther sought to gain salvation was according to the Catholic doctrine of justification, with this difference, that as a monk he had taken upon himself the heaviest yoke of Christ and that he had given himself exclusively into the service of God.

General Synod Liberalism In The U. L. C. A., Theodore Graebner

Concordia Theological Monthly

The CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY has frequently expressed editorial amazement over the teachings which are permitted to represent the theology of the United Lutheran Church through pages of the Lutheran Church Quarterly, edited jointly by the faculties of the theological seminaries at Gettysburg and at Philadelphia. Particularly the book reviews have been permitted to express views which diverge considerably from the doctrine of the Lutheran Confessions. But it is rarely that a single issue of the Quarterly contains so much as the October issue of this year (1940) to discourage those who have been hoping for an upward trend in the …

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

Satan's paramour is the mistress of a thousand wiles. We cannot conclude this study of the evils of rationalism without studying the more subtle methods by which Satan would beguile us and lead us away from the truth of Christ and the certainty of His Word. If he cannot get us to falsify the Word, he will aim to keep us from applying the Word, from exercising our faith, from putting our sole reliance on the teaching of Scripture and the promise of the Gospel.

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

Rationalism is an evil thing, working untold harm. And harmonizing Scripture as practiced by Lutheran theologians is a form of rationalism. The harmonizers operate with the principles of rationalism. True, they do not apply them as widely as the gross rationalists. They restrict the harmonizing operation to selected portions of the Christian doctrine. But there they are engaged in the evil business of rationalism, in a wicked and harmful business.

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

"It will be seen from the above that our strictures of distinctive Reformed teachings can be summarized under the heads of rationalism and legalism, representing pernicious tendencies to which we all are prone and which seriously impair divine truth as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures." (Popular Symbolics, p. 223.) We all are prone to rationalistic thinking. We Lutherans, too, need to guard against setting reason above revelation. We need it as much as any. What we have set down in the preceding articles was not addressed so much to the vulgar rationalists and the Reformed rationalists as to …

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

There are more rationalists in the churches than go by that name. While the rationalists openly proclaim the sola ratio, the rule of natural reason, others market their wares under an alias. When the experience-theologians operate with the "enlightened reason" and the Roman Catholics make the church, or the Pope, their authority, they make natural reason a source and norm, the source and norm of theology. But that does not tell the whole story. Even among those who loudly proclaim the sola Scriptura there are many who have come under the sway of rationalism.

Why Preach?, John H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Preaching, if it is to serve its divine purpose, must have a very definite objective. This the preacher should not only know, but of this he should be conscious. What is the objective? Why preach?

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

There are more rationalists in the churches than go by that name. It is not a nice name. Rationalism is, as we have shown in the preceding articles, an ugly, wicked thing. It sets itself above Scripture, above God. Who would want to proclaim himself a rationalist? Our Liberals indeed are not ashamed of the name. But the great majority of theologians dislikes it. However, many of them, very many of them, are doing the very same thing the rationalists have been doing, and they do it because they like it. They fall into two groups. The first group, made …

The Great Reconciliation, E. W. Koehler

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Great Reconciliation is truly the core and center of the entire system of Christian doctrine. All other teachings of the Bible either lead up thereto, or they proceed therefrom. Thus the doctrine of the Law and of sin shows us the need of a reconciliation. The doctrine of grace and of the redemption through Christ shows us how this reconciliation was effected. The doctrine of the means of grace and of faith teaches us how this reconciliation is made known and offered to sinners and how the individual personally apprehends the same. The doctrine of the Church shows that …