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October-2003.Pdf CONCORDIA JOURNAL Volume 29 October 2003 Number 4 CONTENTS EDITORIALS Editor’s Note ........................................................................ 354 A Faculty Statement ............................................................. 356 Theological Potpourri ........................................................... 358 Theological Observers ............................................................ 363 ARTICLES The Beginnings of the Papacy in the Early Church Quentin F. Wesselschmidt ........................................................ 374 Antichrist?: The Lutheran Confessions on the Papacy Charles P. Arand .................................................................. 392 The Papacy in Perspective: Luther’s Reform and Rome Robert Rosin ........................................................................ 407 Vatican II’s Conception of the Papacy: A Lutheran Response Richard H. Warneck ............................................................. 427 Ut Unum Sint and What It Says about the Papacy: Description and Response Samuel H. Nafzger ............................................................... 447 Papacy as a Constitutive Element of Koinonia in Ut Unum Sint? Edward J. Callahan ............................................................... 463 HOMILETICAL HELPS .................................................................. 483 BOOK REVIEWS ............................................................................... 506 BOOKS RECEIVED ........................................................................... 518 INDEX ............................................................................................. 520 CONCORDIA JOURNAL/OCTOBER 2003 353 Editorial Editor’s Note On May 25, 1995, Pope John Paul II issued Ut Unum Sint, his encyc- lical letter in which he reaches out to non-Roman churches to enter into ecumenical dialogue for the sake of achieving the unity that Christ prayed for in His high priestly prayer in John 17:20-21. Since the papacy has been one of the major points of division between the Roman Catholic Church and other denominations from the sixteenth century, the pope seeks dia- logue on this topic as well as in other areas of disagreement. In light of this invitation, this issue of Concordia Journal is devoted to articles on the Roman papacy. The papacy and its claims of primacy are reviewed in his- torical and confessional terms to see whether there are any changes in Rome’s understanding of the papacy that might make it acceptable to Lutherans. In the first article, Dr. Quentin F. Wesselschmidt examines the devel- opment of the Roman church’s claims of papal primacy and Petrine succes- sion in the early centuries of the church’s history. When and why these claims developed, as well as how these claims were received or resisted by the churches outside of Rome, must be taken into account in any reconsid- eration of the papacy. In the second article, Dr. Charles P. Arand reexamines the view of the Lutheran reformers and the Lutheran Confessions that the pope is the antichrist. He investigates why and how that view may still be appropriate today and whether other issues are involved. One must consider the his- torical context of the Confessions and the concerns of their authors in any reappraisal of the pope being the antichrist. Two other factors that must be taken into account are eschatology and the two kinds of righteousness. In the third article, Dr. Robert Rosin looks at the papacy in light of the Lutheran Reformation and notes that the papacy was not the main target of Luther’s reform efforts, but it was an issue that could not be ignored. Any reexamination of the papacy must take into account post-Reformation Lutheranism, Tridentine thought, and nineteenth-century theologians’ views on Luther and the papacy. In the fourth article, Dr. Richard H. Warneck calls attention to the views of the papacy as reinforced by the Second Vatican Council. In spite of some of the liberalizing tendencies of Vatican II, the papacy remains the “single monolithic entity in Roman Catholicism.” Therefore, any dialogue with Rome must deal with the papacy. In the fifth article, Dr. Samuel H. Nafzger reviews the content of Ut Unum Sint and offers a Lutheran response. He suggests that before the issue of the papacy can be taken up, changes need to be made in the encyc- 354 lical and its understanding of the doctrine of the church. In the sixth article, Rev. Edward J. Callahan addresses the question of whether the role of the papacy in the ecumenical movement as envisioned by John Paul II in Ut Unum Sint makes the papacy acceptable to non- Catholic Christians. Even though the pope makes a strong case for unity among all Christians, Lutherans and will not find his understanding of unity in line with the unity for which we pray the Holy Spirit to grant to the church. John Paul II has been a very active and congenial pope with enough charisma to have made the papacy a household name and a subject of interest to non-Catholics. He is liked and respected well beyond his own denominational circles and has urged Christian positions regarding many contemporary social issues that win the applause of most traditional Chris- tians. Yet, the papacy must be considered in terms of its long history and contemporary Catholicism’s position on it. We hope that our readers will find these articles informative and beneficial. Quentin F. Wesselschmidt CONCORDIA JOURNAL/OCTOBER 2003 355 A Faculty Statement Unfinished Work The Yankee Stadium event of September 23, 2001, and the ensuing controversy in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod have raised a host of questions for Synod. Among them is the vital question concerning the future policy of Synod. How should Missouri Synod Lutherans relate to people of non-Christian religions? Should Missouri Synod pastors be encouraged to participate in inter-religious events or not? Why or why not? If so, how should they participate? What kinds of presence would be deemed God-pleasing and helpful? Although the Dispute Resolution Panel has rendered an official decision on the charges brought against Pastor David Benke, we do not believe that the issues raised by the event have been satisfactorily addressed. Furthermore, some conclusions have been drawn which may be confusing or misleading. In particular, we do not believe that the Synod has currently in place a well-articulated statement of theology and practice pertaining to participation or non-participation in various kinds of public events with representatives of non-Christian religions. Specifically, the CTCR document, “The Lutheran Understanding of Church Fellowship” with the response, which was commended by the 2001 Synodical convention (Resolution 3-07A), deals only with inter-Christian fellowship issues and does not have in view situations of religious pluralism such as that which took place at Yankee Stadium. The CTCR on February 18, 2003, has also expressed the same opinion: “Section V, B. does not explicitly address the issue of ‘offering a prayer by an LCMS pastor in a “civic event” in which prayers would also be offered by representatives of non-Christian religions.’”1 All of this is to say that the Synod still has unfinished work in determining how best to be church in a religiously pluralistic nation and world. We believe that the discussion can best take place in a dispassionate way among those who were not “combatants” during the recent controversy with a vested interest in determining winners and losers. We look forward to the results of the CTCR’s ongoing work regarding the issue of participation in civic events and the definition of civic event. Moreover, we as a faculty stand ready to assist the Synod in developing and articulating responsible Christian approaches to the challenges facing us in the changing religious landscape of America. In addition to past contributions made in the Concordia Journal and Theological Symposia, we at Concordia Seminary 1To see the CTCR response to the DRP questions, dated February 18, 2003, go to the following web site address: http://www.lcms.org/president/statements/ on_disputedecision.asp 356 have recently offered a collection of essays entitled “Witness and Worship in Pluralistic America.” We hope that others will contribute their insights as well. Consensus on such a complex issue comes only after much study, discussion, and debate, sometimes extending over the course of many years. Concordia Seminary Faculty CONCORDIA JOURNAL/OCTOBER 2003 357 Theological Potpourri Report on the ELCA’s Conference of Teaching Theologians This past August, I was invited to attend the 2003 Conference of Teaching Theologians of the ELCA, held in Milwaukee immediately after that church body’s national convention in the same city. The attendees at this conference comprised essentially theologians from the ELCA in teaching positions at various academic institutions, including seminaries, colleges and universities of the denomination, and non-affiliated institutions, both public and private alike. In addition, several bishops were present, and a representative from a Reformed body and I were invited as guests to observe (the Reformed observer was not able to be present). I represented the Concordia Journal at this event, and I am pleased to say that my days there were time well spent, indeed—especially since the topic, “The Promise and Challenges of a Lutheran Hermeneutic,” is something near and dear to my heart. The conference format was not novel: plenary presentations and small group
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