CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY

The Power of God's Word ROBERT PREUS

Deisidaimonia, a Footnote to Acts 17: 22 H. ARMIN MOELLERING

The Psychological Disciplines in Theological Education PAUL W. PRUYSER

Brief Studies Homiletics Theological Observer Book Review

VOL. XXXIV August 1963 No.8 THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER

BRIEF ITEMS FROM churches of this country and those of Sweden, THE NATIONAL LUTHERAN COUNCIL Norway, Denmark, and Finland. "LIGHT TIME" CONTINUES TO DRAW Presiding here was the organization's WARM RESPONSE chairman, Dr. Conrad Bonnevie-Svendsen of Oslo, chairman of the Relief Committee of New York. - Television stations and the Church of Norway and a member of the viewers are continuing to show enthusiastic Lutheran World Federation's Commission on response for "Light Time," the National Lu­ Stewardship and Congregational Life. theran Council's television show for children. Host to the 1963 sessions was Bishop Of the 125 stations presenting the quarter­ Friedrich-Wilhelm Krummacher, head of the hour series, approximately half are now re­ Evangelical Church of Pomerania, chairman running programs telecast previously, it was of the East German Evangelical Bishops' reported by Mrs. Helen Stockton of the Conference, and a member of the LWF NLCs Radio-TV department. In addition, Executive Committee. she said, there are indications that nearly all Among other prominent particip«nts were the stations still on a first-showing basis will Bishop Niklot Beste of Schwerin, head of rerun the programs. the Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg; Bishop A total of 104 "Light Time" episodes have Emeritus John Cullberg of Vasteras, Sweden; been filmed, providing a complete two years Bishop Halfdan Hogsbro of Lolland-Falster, of scheduling, Mrs. Stockton said. The series Denmark; and Dr. Yrjo Salakka, pastor of is offered free to individual viewing markets. the Meilahti church in Helsinki. Viewer response to the series, which has been heralded as one of the most successful GERMAN EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY in the religious program field, also continues ROSTER SHOWS HUGE GAINS to be "very encouraging," Mrs. Stockton said. Hamburg, Germany.-German Evangeli­ She reported that in the New York market, cal overseas missionary personnel have in­ where "Light Time" is shown each Sunday creased from 180 to 1,155 since the end of at 8:30 A.M., about 1,500 cards and letters World War II, according to a 1963 year­ were received from viewers in a three-month book published here. period. Reaction has been comparatively It reported that the number - which in­ good in many other areas, she added, with cludes doctors, nurses, and teachers as well letters coming from adults as well as chil­ as pastors - had more than doubled since dren of many ages. 1952, when there were 499 German Evan­ gelical missionaries abroad. NORTH EUROPEAN CHURCHMEN German Protestant missionary fields in­ MEET IN EAST GERJI;IANY clude India, Indonesia, South Africa, Ethio­ Greifswald, East Germany. - Scandina­ pia, Egypt, Japan, and New Guinea. Medical vian churchmen and theologians met with work is especially stressed in German mis­ East German counterparts here in May for sions. the annual sessions of the Nordic-German Before 1958 mission work was left en­ Convention. tirely to missionary societies. In that year, The convention is an informal association however, the Lutheran Church of Lubeck, which has been holding meetings since 1950 Germany, sent a clergyman and a doctor to to promote ties between the Evangelical India. 493 494 THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER

Since then several regional churches have general missionary enterprise, as well as assumed responsibility for segments of the missionaries to the Jews and laymen in daily mission work, either by creating permanent contact with their Jewish neighbors," ac­ missionary posts within their own organiza­ cording to an authorizing action taken by tions or by assuming financial sponsorship of the LWF Commission on World Mission. individual missionary societies. The commission acted at a meeting last In order to coordinate mission forces and September in Neuendettelsau, Germany, institutions within the Evangelical Church in after hearing recommendations from a con­ Germany (EKD), its synod in March estab­ ference committee on Jewish missions. The lished an Evangelical Working Committee committee called upon CWM "to help the for World Mission that will work under the Lutheran churches and missions to see their auspices of the EKD Council and the Ger­ special responsibility in this field and to man Evangelical Missionary Council, which help them rethink both their understanding represents the mission societies. of Christian witness as well as their attitude With headquarters in Hamburg, the new toward the Jewish people." agency will coordinate and promote such This, the committee said, involves: central mission institutions as the Missionary 1. "The need for individual Christians Academy at Hamburg University, the Ger­ and theologians to enter into dialog with man Institute for Protestant Medical Mis­ Jews about that which we have in common sions in Tiibingen, and the Society for and about that in which we differ; Missionary Science. 2. "The need for a reexamination of our In addition the committee will be respon­ theological conception of Israel past and sible for the establishment of chairs for present, and of our Lutheran understanding teaching about Christianity at Asian and of the Old Testament and its use and inter­ African universities, and the distribution of pretation in worship; Bible translations and other religious publi­ 3. "The need for a study of our specific­ cations throughout the two continents. ally Lutheran theological emphases (such as the distinction between Law and Gospel, LWF PLANS CONSULTATION faith and works) in relation to our view of ON CHURCH AND JEWS historic and contemporary Judaism; Geneva. - An international consultation 4. "The need for an honest and penetrat­ on "The Church and the Jewish People," ing examination of the attitude of Lutherans organized by the Lutheran World Federa­ to Jews since the time of the Reformation; tion's Department of World Mission, will 5. "The need to confront our churches as be held in Germany from April 26 to a whole with their responsibility towards May 1, 1964, it was announced at LWF the Jews and not let them feel that Jewish headquarters here. missions are a hobby of a few self-appointed Dr. Arne Sovik, director of LWF/WM, individuals; said the consultation would take place in the 6. "The need to reevaluate the content Loccum Evangelical Academy near Hannover and character of the Christian witness as it and would have as its chairman the Abbot relates to Israel." of Loccum and head of the Lutheran Church of Hannover, Bishop Hanns Lilje, immedi­ LUTHERANS IN ECUADOR ate past president of the federation. FORM NATIONAL FEDERATION Invited will be theologians, church rep­ Guayaquil, Ecuador. - Three Lutheran resentatives, and "persons involved in the groups in this country have joined to form THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER 495 a federation. Two are large international ference, which has headquarters in New congregations organized by pastors serving York. under the Committee on Latin America of Largest loan approved by HHFA's Com­ the Lutheran W orId Federation, and the munity Facilities Administration (CFA) of third is a mission of the W orId Mission the 10 Lutheran projects was for $2,356,800 Prayer League, an independent North Amer­ and went to First Lutheran Developments, ican society. Inc., San Diego, Calif. The sponsoring or­ Started in 1952, the WMPL work centers ganization will build a 14-story, 202-unit in Cuenca, while the LWF-related congrega­ apartment building to be known as Luther tions, both formed in the past decade, are Tower. It will be adjacent to First Lutheran located at Quito and Guayaquil. On the Church, a congregation of the Lutheran basis of the constitution which the three Church in America, in downtown San Diego. groups have drafted, they hope to have Largest mortgage to a Lutheran group a federation that will be accorded a recog­ approved by HHFA's Federal Housing Ad­ nized status by the LWF. ministration (FHA) was for $4,904,000 and went to Lutheran Senior Citizens Foun­ Washington, D. C. - Lutheran retirement dation, Miami, Fla. Included in this project, homes have received more than $34 million which is known as East Ridge, are 320 through programs of the Federal Govern­ living units. East Ridge is sponsored by ment. According to figures made available a federation of Lutheran congregations hold­ by the Housing and Home Finance Agency ing membership in the Florida-Georgia Dis­ here, 10 Lutheran projects for senior citizens trict of The Lutheran Church - Missouri have received direct government loans total­ Synod. ing $7,987,784 since 1961, when this type of financial aid became available. This low­ The Housing and Home Finance Agency interest money is for 748 living units. In is responsible for the principal Federal ac­ tivities and program concerned with housing addition agency officials said that they have and community development. Nonpublic or either committed or are in the process of private housing expansion is carried on approving mortgage insurance totaling through two of HHFA's five units, the CFA $26,457,890 for 24 housing projects identi­ and FHA, which administer funds and in­ fied as Lutheran, which will provide 2,299 surance programs to provide homes and units for the elderly. Since 1956 the Federal apartments for senior citizens. Government has insured mortgages for mul­ The Community Facilities Administration tiple dwellings to be used by senior citizens. has a direct loan program which nonprofit Although identified as Lutheran, some of corporations may utilize for construction of the 34 projects have no official connection housing for persons 62 years of age or older. with Lutheran church bodies or congrega­ The Federal Housing Administration insures tions. However, figures have been included private mortgage loans for the construction or in these totals if the project had (1) the purchase and rehabilitation of rental housing terms "Luther" or "Lutheran" in its title, projects of eight or more units for elderly ( 2) the terms "Luther" or "Lutheran" in the persons. sponsoring organization's name, or (3) the Sponsors that qualify for a Federal loan sponsoring agency or institution listed in the pay CFA a current interest rate of 31;2 %. 1963 Lutheran Health and Welfare Direc­ Those who obtain funds through local lend­ tory. The annual directory is published by ing institutions to construct multiple living the National Lutheran Social Welfare Con- units for the elderly and who qualify for the 496 THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER

FHA program must obtain the private loan local initiative and local action. "Private at an interest rate not to exceed 5 Y.4 %. developers and religious and labor groups Added to this is an FHA mortgage insurance have built retirement villages, mainly with premium of Y:2 % of the outstanding loan housing purchased by the occupants and balance. mainly in warmer parts of the country. Reli­ A report just released by the President's gious groups have stepped up the building Council on Aging said that during the year of residential facilities for the aged and have ending June 30 the Federal Government introduced the residence club or large apart­ will spend or administer $17,000,000,000 ment-type building." for the nearly 18 million people 65 or over. The report emphasized that a suitable The report, entitled "The Older Ameri­ place to live - a house, an apartment, can," notes that an adequate home for an whatever it may be - is a necessity for the older person is often quite different from older American who wants to live a useful what would be adequate for a younger per­ and independent life, just as it is for a son. Among other things the report said that younger person. older people have smaller incomes and usually are in poorer health. TESTIMONIAL DINNER GIVEN Problems of the older American "have MISSOURI SYNOD'S PR HEAD come dangerously close to making him a B1'onxville, N. Y. - Dr. Oswald C. J. second-class citizen," the special Presidential Hoffmann, who is leaving the post of public council reported. relations director of The Lutheran Church­ A recent foundation-financed study of Missouri Synod to devote full time to the quality of housing of persons receiving So­ Lutheran Hour radio program, was honored cial Security payments showed, the report here on June 3. stated, that: Some 200 persons attended a worship - Forty-five percent of all aged living in service at Village Lutheran Church and households were classified as being in need a testimonial dinner at Concordia Collegiate of better accommodations, based on the Institute, where Dr. Hoffmann served as pro­ quality of the housing or the living arrange­ fessor and public relations director for eight ments with relatives. years prior to assuming his present position. Dr. Hoffmann, who has been director of - Eighty percent were living in houses at public relations for the Missouri Synod ever least 30 years old, and 40 percent in houses since the department was organized in 1948, at least 51 years old. will begin his work as full-time Lutheran - The aged in poorest health, by and Hour speaker on July 1. For the past eight large, occupied the poorest housing. years he has been speaker on the worldwide "The Older American" points out that broadcast in addition to his public relations "despite the unpleasant view these facts duties. conjure, the outlook for improvement is Among those who paid tribute to Dr. bright. For in no area of Federal housing Hoffmann was Dr. John W. Behnken of programs has progress during the past two Fort Wayne, Ind., who headed the Missouri years been more dramatic than in housing Synod for 27 years up to 1962 and is now for the elderly." its Honorary President. The progress, it was noted, has been based Other Lutheran leaders who delivered tes­ on cooperation between private groups and timonials were Dr. Paul C. Empie, executive governmental agencies with emphasis on director of the National Lutheran Council; THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER 497 the Rev. Theodore Wittrock, executive sec­ during the summer. He is scheduled to make retary of the American Lutheran Publicity a month-long trip to Japan in August to Bureau; Dr. Albert E. Meyer, president of lecture at retreats for U. S. Air Force chap­ Concordia Collegiate Institute; Dr. Alfred lains. He will also visit Lutheran Hour W. Trinklein, pastor of St. Matthew Lu­ installations in the Far East. theran Church in New York City, where Started in 1930, the Lutheran Hour is Dr. Hoffmann has been preaching associate; broadcast by some 1,200 stations in this Mr. Elmer Kraemer, publicity director of the country and 129 stations abroad and is heard Lutheran Hour; and Dr. Adolf F. Meyer, by an estimated 30,000,000 persons in 43 chairman of the Missouri Synod's Board for languages. Public Relations. REP. WALTER, A LUTHERAN, DIES; Testimonials were also given by Dr. Claud SERVED 30 YEARS D. Nelson, of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; Dr. Herbert S. Mekeel, Washington, D. C.-Congressman Francis past president of the National Association of E. WaIter, a member of St. John's Lutheran Evangelicals; Dr. Robert T. Taylor, an exec­ Church, Easton, Pa., was buried in Arlington utive secretary of the American Bible Society; National Cemetery here. Miss Lillian Block, managing editor of Reli­ Mr. Walter, a Democrat who held a Con­ gious News Service; and Miss Pamela llott, gressional seat for 30 years, died May 31 of in charge of religious programming for the leukemia, cancer of the blood. Columbia Broadcasting System. A veteran of W odd Wars I and II, he was The Rev. Norman Temme, associate direc­ buried with full military honors from the tor of public relations for the Missouri Fort Myer chapel near the National Ceme­ Synod, gave the invocation. Master of cere­ tery. Mr. Walter attained the rank of Lieu­ monies was Mr. Roy C. Frank, a member tenant Commander in the Navy. of the Synod's Board for Public Relations. The Rev. John F. Steinbruck of Easton, Dr. Hoffmann and his family will move pastor of the Congressman's home congrega­ from New York City to St. Louis sometime tion, conducted the chapel funeral service.