CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Three Words in Our Worship ARTHUR CARL PIEPKORN
The Historical Background of "A Brief Statement" CARL S. MEYER
Homiletics
Theological Observer
Book Review
OL. XXXII July 1961 No.7 BOOK REVIE\V
All books reviewed in this periodical may be procured from or through Concordia Pub lishing House, 3558 South Jefferson Avenue. St. Louis 18, Missouri.
DIMENSIONS OF FAITH: CONTEMPO book brings excerpts from Rudolf Otto, RARY PROPHETIC PROTESTANT Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Nicholas Berdyaev THEOLOGY. Edited by William Kim under the heading, "The Dynamics of Cre mel and Geoffrey Clive. New York: ativity," and from Oscar Cullman, H. Rich Twayne Publishers, 1960. 507 pages. ard and Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Kroner, Cloth. $6.95. and Paul Tillich under the head of "The A decisive feature of "prophetic theology," Incarnation." For the parson or other person James Luther Adams asserts in his preface who prefers a firsthand acquaintance with to this anthology, is "its intention to expose a good cross section to somebody else's opin man's assistance, and particularly the re ions about contemporary theological trends
ligious man's afC'1C'T<'Jnrt=>, '-:Ji'" t-hr::. h;t"t-~ of this is a commendable introduction. "no-God," at the making of idols'" (pp.10 ARTHUR CARL PIEPKORN to 11), among which Adams includes Christianity as a historical phenomenon, the THE AGE OF MARTYRS. By Giuseppe Bible as a cultural creation, culture with all Ricciotti. Translated from the Italian its "riches," the domestication of the com by Anthony Bull. Milwaukee: The Bruce manding, judging, sustaining, and transform Publishing Company, 1959. viii and 305 ing power toward which history and culture pages. Cloth. $4.95. point outside of themselves, and everything This book deals with the martyrs in the else that is of the creatutely order. This reign of Diocletian and the period immedi stance is one of the criteria for the selection ately foHowing. It does not deal in any way of the readings in this volume. At the same with earlier Roman practice. It is important time, because "prophetic theology," as Adams to note this, since early persecution differed describes it, does "not look for simple una basically from that of the third and early nimity in the formulation or the understand fourth centuries. The author is careful not ing of the Christian message" (p. 12), it is to read back into any earlier persecutions engaged in a constant conversation about the data from the Diocletian period. His the meaning of Christian faith in thought discussion of the causes of the persecution and action. The present anthology exhibits is quite fair. He makes it clear that it is this accent also. The readings generally re difficult to claim that either N eoplatonism produce classic essays or excerpts. For exam or any nationalistic factors were all-im ple, in the first part, the acknowledged an portant influences. Seemingly it was more cestor of "prophetic theology," Kierkegaard, personality and party rivalries than anything is represented by two selections illustrating else. The author blames Galerius as the evil the unreasonableness of faith, Barth by se genius of Diocletian here. lections from his Epistle to the Romans, and The author is also quite fair in his treat Bultmann by his programmatic "New Testa ment of Constantine. He does not hark ment and Mythology." The remainder of the back to the discredited theory that Con- 443 444 BOOK REVIEW
stantine adopted Christianity merely for rea They followed a well-developed set of rules sons of state. He admits that Constantine's in their translations, and their final product understanding of the faith was rather limited has been recognized longer for its worth than and that he accepted the faith in the first any of them dared hope. Not that it was place because the Christian God was seem accepted immediately - there is no record ingly more powerful than the others, but that it was "authorized." "Badly as some of according to Ricciotti he was sincere. the committee could write on other occa The bulk of the book deals with the acts sions, not only was theirs the best of the and the passions of the Martyrs. The author's English Bibles; there is, in no modern lan use of documents is worthy of praise. He guage, a Bible worthy to be compared with deals with the documents in such a way it as literamre" (p. 169). So opines Paine; that footnotes are unnecessary. The reader only late in his account does he come to is given enough information that he may a recognition that there may be some faults well disagree with the author, and yet he in the translation. But he tells the story will admit that the author's eye is critical. superbly, along with a few minor inaccura The references at the rear of the book to the cies, in an account commended for reading sources for the acts and passions are helpful. in this 350th anniversary year of the "Au- The book is well written and could be thorized Version." CARL S. MEYER added to a church library so that the general reader is given an appreciation of what the THE PROPHETS OF ISRAEL. By Curt Christians of the past suffered to "carry KuhL Richmond, Va.: John Knox Press, their cross." WALTER W. OETTING 1960. vii and 199 pages. Cloth. $3.50. This translation of Israels Propheten adds THE LEARNED MEN. By Gustavns S. another volume to the variety of recent works Paine. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell on this subject. The writer's emphasis upon Co., 1959. xi and 212 pages. Cloth. the historical background to the various $4.74. prophetic personalities from Samuel to "Dutch" Thomson liked his liquor; George Daniel throws into relief the relevance of Abbott became the only Archbishop of the prophetic oracle for its immediate hear Canterbury who killed a man; John Bois ers, and its place in the world of the ancient had learned Hebrew at the age of five; John Near East. With this emphasis in mind, the Layfield had been in the West Indies; John reader will not find Kuhl's frequent use of Richardson was fat. These were some of literary criticism a stumbling block. A schol "the learned men," the men who perfected arly, concise introduction to all of the Old the King James Version, published in 1611. Testament prophets! N. HABEL There were perhaps 56 men altogether who had a direct hand in this translation. Miles FROM PATRIARCH TO PROPHET. By Smith, with Bishop Thomas Bilson, did the Allen Wehrli. Philadelphia: The Chris final editorial work on the project. Another tian Education Press, 1960. xi and 207 bishop, Lancelot Andrewes, was its guiding pages. Cloth. $3.00. genius; an archbishop, Richard Bancroft (the Recent efforts to make the message of the predecessor of George Abbott), was its offi Old Testament relevant to the problems of cial promoter. Except in their devotion to today are relatively few. We welcome the learning and to the Scriptures, these men- effort of this author to do just that. Repro 54 in number, or 56 - did not agree among ductions of tape recordings from his lectures themselves, for some of them were Puritans. on selected passages and personalities of the BOOK REVIEW 445
Old Testament form the basis for the book. people and will finally lead them to victory. The issues which faced Moses and the patri The weakness of this commentary is that it archs, in particular, are seen to coincide with presents no clear outline of the book and those before the believer today. One may does not lead to an appreciation of its literary not agree with the exegesis at every point; power. This weakness, however, is more than yet the material will prove helpful to Bible counterbalanced by its strength: simplicity, student and sermon writer alike. sanity, and soundness of hermeneutic prin NORMAN HABEL ciples and doctrinal content. An ordinary layman can follow this commentary with ORDEAL OF FAITH: THE CRISIS OF profit, as a prophylactic, too, against the CHURCHGOING AMERICA, 1865 TO fanciful interpretations of millennialist cults 1900. By Francis P. Weisenburger. New and dreamers. VICTOR BARTLING York: Philosophical Library, 1959. ix and 80 pages. Cloth. $6.00. REDEMPTIVE COUNSELING. By Dayton G. Van Deusen. Richmond, Va.: John Anticlericalism, Darwinism, Higher Criti Knox Press, 1960. 191 pages. Cloth. cism, the New Sociology, Liberalism were $3.50. some of the forces that influenced the thought and life of the churches in America in the Van Deusen is on the staff of the Division 35 or so years after the Civil War. \veisen of Welfare of the National Lutheran Council. burger of Ohio Stare University attempts to He contends that psychotherapy has a con synthesize these movements and to show tribution to make to the "redemptive mis their impact on the churches. He documents sion" of the church. At the same time he his generalizations with illustrations and in recognizes the limitations of psychotherapy stances combed from a vast array of sources, in its usefulness to the church. from the experiences of the known and In the first section the author states that lesser known of all denominations. The psychotherapy challenges the "church's re work will be useful to all those who know demptiveness," that is, the church could do how to distinguish and sift. a better job if it used some of the insights of CARL S. MEYER psychotherapy. In the second section the point is that the Christian mission and psy THE BOOK OF REVELATION: A SIMPLI chotherapy meet in the person. It is the per FIED COMMENTARY. By Harry Buis. son that must be transformed through per Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed sonal encounter. The principles laid down Publishing Company, 1960. 124 pages. in the forepart of the book are pulled to Paper. No price given. gether in the last section and applied to pas Using the text of the King James Version, toral counseling. the author gives a verse-by-verse commentary It is in the last part of the book that the on the last book of the Bible. He follows the author scores most heavily. Here he empha preterist-symbolical method of interpretation, sizes the way in which counseling can serve holding that practically the entire book, ex as an instrument through which the Holy cept the last two chapters, refers to the early Spirit works faith. The earlier sections of the church in its struggle with the persecuting book seem somewhat abstruse. The word "re Roman Empire; that the images and num demption" is defined according to Lutheran bers in the book are symbolical; that the doctrine, but then apparently used most often book tcaches the church of all ages that God in the meaning of sanctification. always uses His power in behalf of His KENNETH H. BREIMEIER 446 BOOK REVIEW
BOOKS RECEIVED (The mention of a book in this list acknowledges its receipt and does not preclude further discussion of its contentS in the Book Review section) Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and somewhat dated, but not without con and Romans. By Franz Cumont; trans. ]. B. tinuing significance. Baker. New York: Dover Publications, Psychotherapy and a Christian View of 1960. 115 pages. Paper. $1.35. An un Man. By David E. Roberts. New York: abridged republication of the 1911-12 Charles Scribner's Sons [l961}, c. 1950. xiv American Lectures on the History of Reli and 161 pages. Paper. $1.25. In this work gions, long out of print, by one of Europe's the late author- he died in 1955 -at most outstanding archaeologists and classi tempted to chart the course for a rapproche cists of the early 20th century. In the six ment, if not a reconciliation, between the lectures that compose the work he endeavors Christian doctrine of man and the secular to show "how oriental astrology and star anthropology of psychotherapy and related worship transformed the beliefs of the disciplines. The present edition is an unal Graeco-Latin world, what at different periods tered paperback reissue of the original hard was the ever-increasing strength of their in cover work. fluence, and by what means they established in the West a sidereal cult which was the Christianity and History. By H. Butter· highest phase of ancient paganism." field. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons [1961}, c. 1949/1950. vi and 146 pages. Messages on Prayer. By B. H. Carroll;
Itlustrations of the History of Medieval cluding chapter develops the last point by Thought and Learning. By Reginald Lane pointing up the thesis that "militant, revolu Poole. Second edition. New York: Dover tionary chiliasm did not disappear with the Publications, 1960. xiii and 327 pages. fall of the New Jerusalem at Munster" and Paper. $1.85. Poole first published his Itlus that the source of the great fanaticisms that trations in 1884, and in the modernized edi have convulsed the world in our day is still tion of 1920, here reproduced without altera "a boundless, millennia! promise made with tions, he made changes in the original script boundless, prophetlike conviction to a num "with a sparing hand," as he himself says. ber of rootless and desperate men in the It is a tribute to his solid work that the midst of a society where traditional norms book is still readable and useful. His pano and relationships are disintegrating." rama spans the 600 years from Claudius of (P.319) Turin to John Wyclif and covers most of Leibniz. By Herbert Wildon Carr. New the big names among the savants of the York: Dover Publications, 1960. 222 pages. West during that period - including Ago Paper. $1.35. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, bard of Lyons, John Scotus, Abelard, Gilbert the great philosopher of the Enlightenment, de la Porree, John of Salisbury, St. Thomas is not the easiest writer to follow or to un Aquinas, Marsilius of Padua, and William derstand, but Carr, professor of philosophy of Ockham. at the University of London and later fellow Flaming Fagots. By Rosalee Mills Ap in the University of Southern California's pleby. Nashville: Broadman Press [1960}, School of Philosophy, is widely regarded as c. 1943. 252 pages. Paper. $1.50. Sixteen having produced in this volume (an unal reflections by a woman missionary to Brazil, tered reprint of the original 1929 edition) reissued as a paperback. one of the most easily followed and stimulat The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolu ing guides to Leibniz' life, philosophy, in tionary Messianism in Medieval and Refor fluence, and contemporary relevance. mation Europe and Its Bearing on Modern Die Essener in der wissenschaftlichen Dis Totalitarian Movements. By Norman Cohn. kussion vom Ausgang des 18. bis zum Be New York: Harper and Brothers, 1961. xvi ginn des 20. Jahrhunderts: Eine wissen and 481 pages. Paper. $2.25. Eschewing schaftsgeschichtliche Studie. By Siegfried the themes of social revolt, sectarian heresy, Wagner. Berlin: Verlag Alfred Topelmann, and millenarian spiritualism in the Middle 1960. xi and 284 pages. Paper. Price not Ages, the author of this energetically dis given. cussed and impeccably documented study ad dressed himself in the original 1957 edition Music and Worship in the Church. By to "the process by which traditional beliefs Austin C. Lovelace and William C. Rice. about a future golden age or messianic king Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1960. 220 dom became, in certain situations of mass pages. Cloth. $4.00. disorientation and anxiety [during the Mid On the T'I"ial of Jesus. By Paul Winter. dle Ages}, the ideologies of [northern and Berlin: Walter de Gruyter and Co., 1961. central European} popular movements of a 216 pages. Cloth. DM 22.00. peculiarly anarchic kind" (p. v) . In this The Book of Proverbs With a Commen new paperback edition the basic structure of tary. By]. Terence Forestell. New York: the original has been retained. The chapter on "The Saints Against the Hosts of Anti Paulist Press, 1960. 96 pages. Paper. 75 christ" has been clarified, the chapter on the cents. Barbarossa myth has been shortened, and The Inextinguishable Blaze: Spiritual Re the parallels between the medieval move newal and Advance in the Eighteenth Cen ments and the Nazi and Communist revolu tury. By A. Skevington Wood. Grand Rap tionary fanaticisms of our time have been ids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., more deliberately sharpened. The new con- 1960. 256 pages. Cloth. $3.75. 448 BOOK REVIEW
Guide to the Bible: An Introduction to Family Story. By Philip F. McNairy. the Study of Holy Scripture. By A. Robert Greenwich, Conn.: Seabury Press, 1960. and A. Tricot; translated from the French v and 138 pages. Paper. Price not given. by Edward P. Arbez and Martin R. P. Mc Evangelism: The Church on Fire. By Rob Guire. Second edition. New York: Desclee ert L. Sumner. Chicago: Regular Baptist Co. Cloth. Vol. I: 1960, xxvi and 812 Press, 1960. 220 pages. Cloth. Price not pages, $8.00; Vol. II: 1955, xv and 622 given. pages, $6.00. Introduction to Group Dynamics. By Mal The Spain of Ferdinand and Isabella. By colm and Hulda F. Knowles. New York: Jean Hippolyte Mariejol; translated and edi Association Press, 1959. 95 pages. Cloth. ted by Benjamin Keen. New Brunswick, $2.50. N. J.: Rutgers University Press, 1961. xxvi Music as Metaphor: The Elements of Ex and 429 pages. Cloth. $7.50. pression. By Donald N. Ferguson. Minne Lonely God, Lonely Man: A Study in the apolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1960. Relation of Loneliness to Personal Develop xii and 198 pages. Cloth. $4.75. ment, With a Re-evaluation of Christian A Bibliography of Bible Study for Theo Tradition. By Dean Turner. New York: logical Students. Second edition. Princeton, Philosophical Library, 1960. 191 pages. N. J.: Princeton Theological Seminary, 1960. Cloth. $3.75. 107 pages. Paper. $1.00. Children and Religion. By Dora P. Chap Petrus: Junger - Apostel- Miirtyrer: Das lin. Revised edition. New York: Charies historische tl1Zd das theologische Petrusprob Scribner's Sons, 1961. xiii and 238 pages. lem. By Oscar Cullmann. Second edition" Cloth. $3.95. Zwingli Verlag: Zurich, Switzerland, 1960. Adolescence and Discipline: A Mental 287 pages. Paper. Sw. Fr. 24.00. Hygiene Primer. By Rudolph M. Witten Biblical Thought and the Secular Univer berg. New York: Association Press, 1959. sity. By George Arthur Buttrick. Baton 318 pages. Cloth. $4.95. Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, The Christian as Communicator. By Harry 1960. viii and 85 pages. Cloth. $2.50. A. DeWire. Philadelphia: Westminster Three Traditions of Moral Thought. By Press, 1960. 198 pages. Cloth. $4.50. Dorothea Krook. New York: Cambridge The Cross Through the Open Tomb. By University Press, 1959. xiii and 355 pages. Donald Grey Barnhouse. Grand Rapids: Cloth. $5.50. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1961. The Quest for Equality: The Constitution, 152 pages. Cloth. $3.00. Congress and the Supreme Court. By Robert Ethics and the Gospel. By T. W. Manson. J. Harris. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Uni New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1960. versity Press, 1960. xiv and 172 pages. 109 pages. Cloth. $2.75. Cloth. $4.00. Man as Churchman. By Norman Sykes. Retarded Children: God's Children. By London: Cambridge University Press, 1960. Sigurd D. Petersen. Philadelphia: Westmin xi and 203 pages. Cloth. $4.00. ster Press, 1960. 156 pages. Cloth. $3.00. Teaching the Catholic Catechism with Altogether Lovely: A Book for Teen-Age the Religion Workbook. VoL III: Life in Girls. By Charlene Johnson. Rock Island, Accordance with God's Commandments Ill.: Augustana Press, 1960. 112 pages. (Katechismusunterricht mit dem Werkheft, Cloth. $2.00. dritter T eil, Vom Leben nach den Geboten Jesus of Nazareth. By Gunther Born und von den Letzten Dingen). By Joseph kamm; translated from the German by Irene Goldbrunner; translated by Bernard Adkins. and Fraser McLuskey with James M. Robin New York: Herder and Herder, 1960. 122 son. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960. pages. Paper. Price not given. 239 pages. Cloth. $4.00.