Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals Into Confessional Lutheran Thought
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Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 9-23-2013 Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought Matthew Richard Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Richard, Matthew, "Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 138. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/138 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY STUDIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, Missouri Advisor DR. ROBERT KOLB DATE Reader DR. GERHARD H. BODE, JR. DATE Reader DR. DAVID MAXWELL DATE Director, Doctor of Ministry Program DATE DR. WALLY BECKER CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................................... vi TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... vii PREFACE ................................................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... xi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xiii 1. THE BECOMING LUTHERAN PROJECT INTRODUCED ......................................... 1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 The Problem Identified ................................................................................................. 3 The Purpose Identified .................................................................................................. 5 The Process ................................................................................................................... 6 Project Parameters ........................................................................................................ 7 The Content of Upcoming Chapters ........................................................................... 13 2. THE BECOMING LUTHERAN PROJECT IN THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE .......................................................................................................... 14 What is Epistemology? ............................................................................................... 14 The Need of the Word as the Quintessential Source of Knowledge .......................... 15 The Message of the Cross in the Midst of Other Epistemological Frameworks ....................................................................................................... 17 Formal and Material Principle as Sources of Knowledge .......................................... 20 Why Sources of Knowledge Are Significant.............................................................. 21 Worldview Collisions ................................................................................................. 24 The Epistemological Crisis ......................................................................................... 28 Epistemological Transition and Resolution ................................................................ 33 The Implications of Epistemology and Worldview upon Linguistics ........................ 35 The Implications of Epistemology and Worldview upon Emotions .......................... 39 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 40 3. THE BECOMING LUTHERAN PROJECT IN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE .......................................................................................................... 42 Attempting to Define American Evangelicalism ........................................................ 42 A Brief Theological Excursus .................................................................................... 54 American Evangelical Research Participants Define Themselves ............................. 58 Noting the Growing Divide between American Evangelicalism and Its Protestant Roots ................................................................................................. 59 Literature Review: Journeying into Confessional Lutheranism ................................. 66 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 71 4. THE BECOMING LUTHERAN PROJECT DEVELOPED ......................................... 73 The Design of the Study ............................................................................................. 73 Research Tools and Methodology .............................................................................. 74 Implementation of the Project .................................................................................... 75 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 78 5. THE BECOMING LUTHERAN PROJECT EVALUATED ........................................ 80 Sociological and Theological Synopsis of Participants .............................................. 80 Motives for the Journey .............................................................................................. 83 General Impressions of the Journey ........................................................................... 84 Analysis of the Quantitative Findings ........................................................................ 85 Analysis of the Qualitative Findings .......................................................................... 93 Suggestions to Pastors and Journeying Evangelicals ............................................... 106 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 108 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................... 109 Contributions to Ministry ......................................................................................... 109 Contributions to Personal and Professional Growth ................................................. 110 Recommendations..................................................................................................... 112 Summary ................................................................................................................... 113 APPENDIX ONE: BECOMING LUTHERAN SURVEY #1 (QUANTITATIVE) ......... 115 APPENDIX TWO: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS SUMMARY ................................... 125 APPENDIX THREE: BECOMING LUTHERAN SURVEY #2 (QUALITATIVE) ....... 132 APPENDIX FOUR: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS SUMMARY .................................... 137 APPENDIX FIVE: BECOMING LUTHERAN SURVEY #3 (ADVICE) ....................... 143 APPENDIX SIX: BECOMING LUTHERAN CATECHESIS AID ................................. 145 APPENDIX SEVEN: BECOMING A LITURGICAL LUTHERAN ANALYSIS ...........169 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 178 Church History.......................................................................................................... 178 Contemporary Theological Culture .......................................................................... 178 Epistemology and Worldview .................................................................................. 179 Evangelicalism .......................................................................................................... 180 Exegesis .................................................................................................................... 181 Linguistics and Emotions ......................................................................................... 181 Personal Contacts...................................................................................................... 182 Theological Foundation ............................................................................................ 182 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page CHART 5.1 IMPACT OF MOVEMENTS UPON PARTICIPANTS ......................................... 80 CHART 5.2 DENOMINATIONAL BACKGROUND OF PARTICIPANTS ............................. 81 CHART 5.3 JOURNEY TIMING OF PARTICIPANTS ............................................................. 82 CHART 5.4 QUANTITATIVE RESPONSES ON WORLDVIEW BY PARTICIPANTS