Enter Your Title Here in All Capital Letters

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Enter Your Title Here in All Capital Letters ―STRENGTHENING THE FAITH OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD‖: PIETISM, PRINT, AND PRAYER IN THE MAKING OF A WORLD EVANGELICAL HERO, GEORGE MÜLLER OF BRISTOL (1805-1898) by DARIN DUANE LENZ B.A., California State University, Bakersfield, 1997 M.A., Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, 2000 M.A., Villanova University, 2003 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2010 Abstract George Müller of Bristol (1805-1898) was widely celebrated in the nineteenth century as the founder of the Ashley Down Orphan Homes in Bristol, England. He was a German immigrant to Great Britain who was at the vanguard of evangelical philanthropic care of children. The object of his charitable work, orphans, influenced the establishment of Christian orphanages in Great Britain, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. However, what brought Müller widespread public acclaim was his assertion that he supported his orphan homes solely by relying on faith and prayer. According to Müller, he prayed to God for the material needs of the orphans and he believed, in faith, that those needs were supplied by God, without resort to direct solicitation, through donations given to him. He employed his method as a means to strengthen the faith of his fellow Christians and published an ongoing chronicle of his answered prayers that served as evidence. Müller‘s method of financial support brought him to the forefront of public debate in the nineteenth century about the efficacy of prayer and the supernatural claims of Christianity. His use of prayer to provide for the orphans made his name a ―household word the world round.‖ This dissertation is a study of Müller‘s influence on evangelicals that analyzes Müller‘s enduring legacy as a hero of the faith among evangelicals around the world. For evangelicals Müller was an exemplary Christian—a Protestant saint—who embodied a simple but pure form of biblical piety. To explore his influence from the nineteenth century through the twentieth century, this study, as a social biography, investigates how evangelicals remember individuals and how that memory, in this case Müller, influenced the practice of prayer in evangelical piety. The dissertation affirms a link between evangelicals and eighteenth-century German Pietism, while also showing that evangelicals used publications to celebrate and to informally canonize individuals esteemed for their piety. The dissertation, ultimately, is concerned with how evangelicals identified heroes of the faith and why these heroes were and are widely used as models for edification and for emulation in everyday life. ―STRENGTHENING THE FAITH OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD‖: PIETISM, PRINT, AND PRAYER IN THE MAKING OF A WORLD EVANGELICAL HERO, GEORGE MÜLLER OF BRISTOL (1805-1898) by DARIN DUANE LENZ B.A., California State University, Bakersfield, 1997 M.A., Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, 2000 M.A., Villanova University, 2003 A DISSERTATION submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPY Department of History College of Arts and Sciences KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2010 Approved by: Major Professor Robert D. Linder Copyright DARIN DUANE LENZ 2010 Abstract George Müller of Bristol (1805-1898) was widely celebrated in the nineteenth century as the founder of the Ashley Down Orphan Homes in Bristol, England. He was a German immigrant to Great Britain who was at the vanguard of evangelical philanthropic care of children. The object of his charitable work, orphans, influenced the establishment of Christian orphanages in Great Britain, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. However, what brought Müller widespread public acclaim was his assertion that he supported his orphan homes solely by relying on faith and prayer. According to Müller, he prayed to God for the material needs of the orphans and he believed, in faith, that those needs were supplied by God, without resort to direct solicitation, through donations given to him. He employed his method as a means to strengthen the faith of his fellow Christians and published an ongoing chronicle of his answered prayers that served as evidence. Müller‘s method of financial support brought him to the forefront of public debate in the nineteenth century about the efficacy of prayer and the supernatural claims of Christianity. His use of prayer to provide for the orphans made his name a ―household word the world round.‖ This dissertation is a study of Müller‘s influence on evangelicals that analyzes Müller‘s enduring legacy as a hero of the faith among evangelicals around the world. For evangelicals Müller was an exemplary Christian—a Protestant saint—who embodied a simple but pure form of biblical piety. To explore his influence from the nineteenth century through the twentieth century, this study, as a social biography, investigates how evangelicals remember individuals and how that memory, in this case Müller, influenced the practice of prayer in evangelical piety. The dissertation affirms a link between evangelicals and eighteenth-century German Pietism, while also showing that evangelicals used publications to celebrate and to informally canonize individuals esteemed for their piety. The dissertation, ultimately, is concerned with how evangelicals identified heroes of the faith and why these heroes were and are widely used as models for edification and for emulation in everyday life. Table of Contents Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………...…….ix Dedication……………………………………………………………………………...…...……xi CHAPTER 1 - Introduction: George Müller and Evangelical Christianity………………...…….1 CHAPTER 2 - Confronting Hagiography: A Literature Review……………………….…..…...33 CHAPTER 3 - Pietism in the Making of George Müller……………………………….…..…...81 CHAPTER 4 - Chronicle of a Dissenter………………………………………………....……..141 CHAPTER 5 - "Strengthen Them in Faith"…………………….…………………….……..….221 CHAPTER 6 - Establishing Transatlantic Legitimacy………………………………….…...…269 CHAPTER 7 - Celebrated Around the World………………………………………….……....337 CHAPTER 8 - Evangelical Iconography: Remembering a Hero of the Faith……….……...…403 CHAPTER 9 - Conclusion: "Eager to be Imitators of His Ways"……………………………..484 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………501 Appendix A - 1883 Photograph of George Müller…………………………………….……….572 Appendix B - 1895 Photograph of George Müller……………………………………….…….573 Appendix C - Half-penny Postcard of Ashley Down Orphan Home No. 1…………...….……574 viii Acknowledgements My research efforts would not have been successful if it were not individuals from around the world who helped me in this daunting venture. First, I would like to thank Professor Robert D. Linder who has served as a model of scholarship and devotion to the craft of history. Second, I would like to recognize the late Professor Gary B. McGee, who first introduced me to the history of Christianity and encouraged this study. Third, Professor Seth Koven, now at Rutgers University, originally suggested that I write a paper on George Müller while working on my M.A. at Villanova University. At the time, researching Müller was simply a very engaging way to expand my knowledge of evangelical history in Great Britain; I had no idea that this preliminary research would someday serve as the foundation for this dissertation. So many people have shared their ideas and knowledge about Müller that it is impossible to thank them all individually. However, I would like to thank several scholars who directed me to additional reading, resources, and, in some cases, shared their research: Professor Stephan Holthaus, Dr. Darrell Paproth, Dr. Timothy C. F. Stunt, Professor John M. McCulloh, and Dr. Tim Grass. I am also grateful to Julian Marsh, former Executive Director of the Müller Foundation, and the staff of the Müller House in Bristol, England, for their hospitality. Finally, I would to thank the members of my doctoral committee—Professor Robert D. Linder, Professor John M. McCulloh, Professor David A. Graff, Professor Lou Falkner Williams, and Professor Laurie M. Bagby—for their insight, advice, and criticism that improved this dissertation. A major research grant awarded by the Institute on Military and Twentieth Century Studies was greatly appreciated, as were the Florence M. Hamscher Award and the Kenneth S. Jones Travel Award supported by their respective families and awarded by the Department of ix History at Kansas State University. A Faculty Study Grant awarded by the Northwest University Faculty Development Committee and additional financial support provided by Northwest University Board of Trustees were instrumental for additional travel to archives in Great Britain and Australia. Thanks also to my colleagues at Northwest University, especially the History Department Chair, Professor LeRoy Johnson, as well as the Northwest University Provost, Dr. James Heugel, Profesor Martha Diede, Professor Brad Embry, Professor Doo Jung Jin, and Professor Suzan Kobashigawa for their help and support. I would also like to thank ―The Old Gang‖—Alan Bearman, Keith Bates, Liam Atchison, Julie Scott, Scott Pickard, Cheryl Johnson, and Preston Goering—who made life as a doctoral student studying the history of Christianity at KSU a life changing experience. Thanks also to K-State alumni Todd and Anna Thompson who provided a hospitable glimpse into the world of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. I would also be remiss
Recommended publications
  • C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\AVA600.Wpd
    AVBC VIDEO LIBRARY VIDEO CATALOG and GUIDE Revised to: October 31, 2008 GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES [A600>A699] A) GEOGRAPHY OF CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES [A600>A649] 1) World-wide N/A See Biography section for biographies of Christians with world-wide or [A700, C700] international missions or ministries : for example: Nicolaus Zinzendorf 2) Asia (China, Mongolia, etc) N/A See Biography section for biographies of Christian missionaries in Asia (China, Mongolia, etc) , for example: [A700, C700 ] Hudson Taylor 1832-1905 English China Eric Liddell 1902-1945 Scottish China Gladys Aylward 1902-1970 English China Jackie Pullinger 1944- English China Nora Lam 20C Chinese China Hanneke van Dam 20C Dutch Mongolia 3) Asia (India) N/A See Biography section for biographies of Christian missionaries in Asia (India, Tibet, Nepal, Indonesia, etc) , for example: [A700, C700 ] William Carey 1761-1834 English India Ludwig Nommensen 1834-1918 Danish Indonesia Amy Carmichael 1867-1951 Irish India Sadhu Sundar Singh 1889-1929 Sikh Indian India, Tibet, Nepal Mother Teresa 1910-1997 Albanian India Chawnga & Ruchunga Pudaite1948- Indian India 4) Africa “Rwanda living forgiveness”:aftermath of genocide - Rwanda , Africa,1994-2008 [A635a ] See Biography section for biographies of Christian missionaries in Africa , for example: [A700, C700 ] David Livingstone 1813-1873 Scottish Various areas Dr Helen Roseveare 1925- English Belgian Congo/Zaire Judy Mbugua 1947- Kenya Kenya, PACWA Rolland & Heidi Baker 20C US Mozambique Paul Rusesabagina 20C Rwanda Rwanda
    [Show full text]
  • CHRONOLOGY of BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY by Dr
    THE AGES DIGITAL LIBRARY HISTORY A CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY by Dr. R.C. Wetzel B o o k s F o r Th e A g e s AGES Software • Albany, OR USA Version 1.0 © 1997 2 A CHRONOLOGY OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY Dr. R. C. Wetzel AUTHOR’S APOLOGY The following chronology is an accumulation of research done off and on for the past thirty years. It began with the simple idea of trying to put a date on the major events set forth in the Bible so that a person can get a general birds-eye view of those events in their relation one to another. Then another idea was incorporated of showing “secular” events that happened at the same time as the “Biblical” events, so the reader can associate these events. Sometimes events in the “Biblical” world had an impact on the “secular” world, and vice-versa. 3 By the time I finished Revelation, I was already entering the “AD” period and figured, “Why stop now?” So I continued to follow Christianity in its growth and development, in the same format. This is not intended by any means to be an exhaustive account: who can compile a 6,000 year history of humanity into 200+ pages? Nor will I guarantee the accuracy of the dates used. Even the best authorities disagree on some of the dates of those ancient happenings. But, whether this is used for study or research, or read through as a novel, it will give a discerning person an idea of what it is all about.
    [Show full text]
  • Is There a Judeo-Christian Tradition?
    Is there a Judeo-Christian Tradition? Perspectives on Jewish Texts and Contexts Edited by Vivian Liska Editorial Board Robert Alter, Steven E. Aschheim, Richard I. Cohen, Mark H. Gelber, Moshe Halbertal, Geoffrey Hartman, Moshe Idel, Samuel Moyn, Ada Rapoport-Albert, Alvin Rosenfeld, David Ruderman, Bernd Witte Volume 4 Is there a Judeo-Christian Tradition? A European Perspective Edited by Emmanuel Nathan Anya Topolski Volume inspired by the international workshop “Is there a Judeo-Christian tradition?” as part of the UCSIA/IJS Chair for Jewish-Christian Relations, organized by the Institute of Jewish Studies of the University of Antwerp and the University Centre Saint Ignatius Antwerp (UCSIA). An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libra- ries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access. More information about the initiative can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. ISBN 978-3-11-041647-3 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-041659-6 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-041667-1 ISSN 2199-6962 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed
    [Show full text]
  • Mccormick Missionaries and the Shaping of Korean Evangelical Presbyterianism, 1888-1939
    McCormick Missionaries and the Shaping of Korean Evangelical Presbyterianism, 1888-1939 JAEKEUN LEE Master of Theology by Research The University of Edinburgh 2010 I declare that, I, Jaekeun Lee, have composed this thesis, that it is entirely my own work, and that it has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. 2 Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................4 Introduction.................................................................................................................. 5 I. The Second Great Awakening and the New Evangelical Ethos: New School Presbyterianism.......................................................................................................... 11 1. The Second Great Awakening: The Birth of Evangelical Presbyterianism in America.............................................................................................................. 11 2. The Evangelical Shift: New School Presbyterianism .................................... 19 II. The Growth of Revivalism and the Missionary Enthusiasm in the American Presbyterian Church: Charles Finney and Arthur Pierson ......................................... 26 1. Charles Finney and the New Measures.......................................................... 27 2. Evangelical Presbyterian Missionary Impulse: Arthur T. Pierson and Premillennialism ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Timeline of Great Missionaries
    Timeline of Great Missionaries (and a few other well-known historical and church figures and events) Prepared by Doug Nichols, Action International Ministries August 12, 2008 Dates Name Ministry/Place of Ministry 70-155/160 Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna 354-430 Aurelius Augustine Bishop of Hippo (Africa) 1235-1315 Raymon Lull Scholar and missionary (North Africa) 1320-1384 John Wyclif Morning Star of Reformation 1373-1475 John Hus Reformer 1483-1546 Martin Luther Reformation (Germany) 1494-1536 William Tyndale Bible Translator (England) 1509-1564 John Calvin Theologian/Reformation 1513-1573 John Knox Scottish Reformer 1517 Ninety-Five Theses (nailed) Martin Luther 1605-1690 John Eliot To North American Indians 1615-1691 Richard Baxter Puritan Pastor (England) 1628-1688 John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress (England) 1662-1714 Matthew Henry Pastor and Bible Commentator (England) 1700-1769 Nicholaus Ludwig Zinzendorf Moravian Church Founder 1703-1758 Jonathan Edwards Theologian (America) 1703-1791 John Wesley Methodist Founder (England) 1714-1770 George Whitefield Preacher of Great Awakening 1718-1747 David Brainerd To North American Indians 1725-1760 The Great Awakening 1759-1833 William Wilberforce Abolition (England) 1761-1834 William Carey Pioneer Missionary to India 1766-1838 Christmas Evans Wales 1768-1837 Joshua Marshman Bible Translation, founded boarding schools (India) 1769-1823 William Ward Leader of the British Baptist mission (India) 1773-1828 Rev. George Liele Jamaica – One of first American (African American) missionaries 1780-1845
    [Show full text]
  • Millennialism, Rapture and “Left Behind” Literature. Analysing a Major Cultural Phenomenon in Recent Times
    start page: 163 Stellenbosch Theological Journal 2019, Vol 5, No 1, 163–190 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17570/stj.2019.v5n1.a09 Online ISSN 2413-9467 | Print ISSN 2413-9459 2019 © Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust Millennialism, rapture and “Left Behind” literature. Analysing a major cultural phenomenon in recent times De Villers, Pieter GR University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa [email protected] Abstract This article represents a research overview of the nature, historical roots, social contexts and growth of millennialism as a remarkable religious and cultural phenomenon in modern times. It firstly investigates the notions of eschatology, millennialism and rapture that characterize millennialism. It then analyses how and why millennialism that seems to have been a marginal phenomenon, became prominent in the United States through the evangelistic activities of Darby, initially an unknown pastor of a minuscule faith community from England and later a household name in the global religious discourse. It analyses how millennialism grew to play a key role in the religious, social and political discourse of the twentieth century. It finally analyses how Darby’s ideas are illuminated when they are placed within the context of modern England in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century. In a conclusion some key challenges of the place and role of millennialism as a movement that reasserts itself continuously, are spelled out in the light of this history. Keywords Eschatology; millennialism; chiliasm; rapture; dispensationalism; J.N. Darby; Joseph Mede; Johann Heinrich Alsted; “Left Behind” literature. 1. Eschatology and millennialism Christianity is essentially an eschatological movement that proclaims the fulfilment of the divine promises in Hebrew Scriptures in the earthly ministry of Christ, but it also harbours the expectation of an ultimate fulfilment of Christ’s second coming with the new world of God that will replace the existing evil dispensation.
    [Show full text]
  • "Voluntary Martyrdom" and the Martyrs of Lyons
    Abilene Christian University Digital Commons @ ACU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Electronic Theses and Dissertations Summer 8-2016 Zealous until Death: "Voluntary Martyrdom" and the Martyrs of Lyons Matthew R. Anderson Abilene Christian University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd Part of the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Matthew R., "Zealous until Death: "Voluntary Martyrdom" and the Martyrs of Lyons" (2016). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 35. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ ACU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ ACU. ABSTRACT For decades, many scholars have been uncomfortable with the idea that some early Christians were eager to die. This led to the creation of the category “voluntary martyrdom” by which modern historians attempted to understand those martyrs who provoked their own arrest and/or death in some fashion. Scholars then connected this form of martyrdom with an early Christian movement called the New Prophecy, which came to be known as Montanism. Thus, scholars have scoured martyr accounts in an attempt to identify volunteers and, in some cases, label them Montanists. The Letter from the Churches of Vienna and Lyons and the martyrs it depicts did not escape such scrutiny. I contend that the martyrs in that account who have been accused of heresy are not only innocent of heresy but also should not be considered volunteers. This study surveys the role of the language of zeal and enthusiasm in the account of the martyrs of Lyons.
    [Show full text]
  • C. John Weborg, “Seeking an Interpretive Discrimen in The
    Seeking an Interpretive Discrimen in the Evangelical Covenant Church C. JOHN WEBORG he intent of this paper, voiced from the perspective of a theo- logian in the Covenant Church, is to focus on early Mission TFriends in the context of their history, especially as to how theological formation was taking place. Their Lutheran worship, bib- lical and catechetical instruction, and engagement with Pietism and Revivalism both clarified and, at the same time, made the formation of an interpretive discrimen a complex process. A discrimen, borrow- ing from David Kelsey, is a “configuration of criteria that are in some way organically related,” whereas a norm “is assumed to be absolute or by its very nature to exclude the acceptance of other theological norms.”1 The first part of this configuration of criteria lies in the Lutheran heritage of the Mission Friends. THE MISSION FRIENDS LIVED WITH A LUTHERAN MENTALITY BUT NOT A LUTHERAN METHODOLOGY By mentality I mean appeals to something like an ecclesiastical family identity, a body of writings used at various levels of authority to authorize, defend, explain, or exposit an idea or action, and to use words that nested in a specific tradition. The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories dates the word “mentality” to the seventeenth century and notes its meaning as a “mental process.”2 The Mission Friends were not biblicistic, despite Waldenström’s question “Where is it written?” While seeking to be biblical, they employed a range of sources for their thought processes, none more valuable than Luther. This mentality worked itself out in the following three ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy
    Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy How do democracies form and what makes them die? Daniel Ziblatt revisits this timely and classic question in a wide-ranging historical narrative that traces the evolution of modern political democracy in Europe from its modest beginnings in 1830s Britain to Adolf Hitler’s 1933 seizure of power in Weimar Germany. Based on rich historical and quantitative evidence, the book offers a major reinterpretation of European history and the question of how stable political democracy is achieved. The barriers to inclusive political rule, Ziblatt finds, were not inevitably overcome by unstoppable tides of socioeconomic change, a simple triumph of a growing middle class, or even by working class collective action. Instead, political democracy’s fate surprisingly hinged on how conservative political parties – the historical defenders of power, wealth, and privilege – recast themselves and coped with the rise of their own radical right. With striking modern parallels, the book has vital implications for today’s new and old democracies under siege. Daniel Ziblatt is Professor of Government at Harvard University where he is also a resident fellow of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. He is also currently Fernand Braudel Senior Fellow at the European University Institute. His first book, Structuring the State: The Formation of Italy and Germany and the Puzzle of Federalism (2006) received several prizes from the American Political Science Association. He has written extensively on the emergence of democracy in European political history, publishing in journals such as American Political Science Review, Journal of Economic History, and World Politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Susan J. Pearson Department of History Northwestern University 1881 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208 EDUCATION Ph.D. University
    Susan J. Pearson Department of History Northwestern University 1881 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208 EDUCATION Ph.D. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of History, 2004 M.A. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of History, 1999 B.A. Oberlin College, Women’s Studies, summa cum laude, 1996 EMPLOYMENT Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of History, Northwestern University, 2015-2018 Associate Professor, Department of History, Northwestern University, September 2012-Present Assistant Professor, Department of History, Northwestern University, September 2004-August 2012 COURSES TAUGHT United States History to 1865 Nineteenth Century United States Cultural History United States Women’s History to 1865 United States Intellectual History Gilded Age America American Childhood: A History Women’s History and Wikipedia Human-Animal Relations in Historical Perspective Graduate Seminar in American History: the Nineteenth Century HONORS, FELLOWSHIPS AND PRIZES Distinguished Lecturer, Organization of American Historians, 2016-2019 Fellow, University of Connecticut Humanities Institute, 2018-2019 (declined) Fellow, Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Northwestern University, 2018-2019 (declined) Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies, 2014-2015 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, 2012-2013 Kluge Fellow, Library of Congress, 2012-2013 (declined) Merle Curti Award in Intellectual History, Organization of American Historians, 2012 (awarded
    [Show full text]
  • Pray for Missionary Kids! Did You Know That 372 Children Are Listed in the Missionary Prayer Handbook? They Each Face Unique Circumstances and Appreciate Your Prayers
    ALLAN WILKS I’ll Love You Forever “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35) n his 1986 classic children’s book, Love You Forever, author life, was deeply comforted and energized by his knowledge of IRobert Munsch simply and tenderly tells of a mother’s uncon- the ironclad durability of the Lord’s love. He asks his Roman ditional love for her son throughout his life.It is one of the best- readers the question “Who shall separate us from the love of selling children’s books of all time, and no wonder—few can Christ?”(Romans 8:35) He goes on to answer his own question read it without an emotional response.We are irresistibly drawn by listing the direst things he can think of, based upon his own to the ideal maternal love that endures all manner of childish life experience: “tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, behavior and adult separation, always returning at the end of nakedness, danger, sword.” each day to the promise of forever-love. If I ask myself the same question, my list will surely be differ- The climax of the story (spoiler alert!) comes when the son ent than Paul’s, but the answer to the question must be the visits his mother near the end of her life and repeats back to same—”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors her her oft-repeated promise to him. This perfectly imagined through Him who loved us.”(Romans 8:37) There is simply noth- scene of returned love reminds us of the Lord Jesus on the ing that can sever the fierce bond of the love of my Savior for cross,seeing His sobbing,heartbroken mother as she gazed on me, forged in the furnace of the cross.
    [Show full text]
  • 500Th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation
    500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LUTHERAN REFORMATION L LU ICA TH EL ER G A N N A S V Y E N E O H D T LUTHERAN SYNOD QUARTERLY VOLUME 57 • NUMBERS 2 & 3 JUNE & SEPTEMBER 2017 The journal of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary ISSN: 0360-9685 LUTHERAN SYNOD QUARTERLY VOLUME 57 • NUMBERS 2 & 3 JUNE & SEPTEMBER 2017 The journal of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary LUTHERAN SYNOD QUARTERLY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF........................................................... Gaylin R. Schmeling BOOK REVIEW EDITOR ......................................................... Michael K. Smith LAYOUT EDITOR ................................................................. Daniel J. Hartwig PRINTER ......................................................... Books of the Way of the Lord The Lutheran Synod Quarterly (ISSN: 0360-9685) is edited by the faculty of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary 6 Browns Court Mankato, Minnesota 56001 The Lutheran Synod Quarterly is a continuation of the Clergy Bulletin (1941–1960). The purpose of the Lutheran Synod Quarterly, as was the purpose of the Clergy Bulletin, is to provide a testimony of the theological position of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and also to promote the academic growth of her clergy roster by providing scholarly articles, rooted in the inerrancy of the Holy Scriptures and the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Lutheran Synod Quarterly is published in March and December with a combined June and September issue. Subscription rates are $25.00 U.S. per year for domestic subscriptions and $35.00 U.S. per year for international subscriptions. All subscriptions and editorial correspondence should be sent to the following address: Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary Attn: Lutheran Synod Quarterly 6 Browns Ct Mankato MN 56001 Back issues of the Lutheran Synod Quarterly from the past two years are available at a cost of $10.00 per issue.
    [Show full text]