BETHANY SEMINARY GRADUATION SERVICE June 16, 1991

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "BEHOLD! THE LAMB OF GOD, WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. "

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for having graciously granted us a necessary Savior in the person of your own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are also especially grateful for the means of grace by which alone you distribute to us the blessings of your Son. In this hour we implore you to bless the graduates of our seminary who desire to be your humble servants in the office of the public ministry. Let them find direction for their life of service in your word of truth, and uphold and comfort them by means of the same Gospel they are privileged to proclaim to others. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen Fellow redeemed candidates of theology from Bethany Lutheran Seminary, together with assembled friends, grace is yours, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today we again offer thanksgiving to our Lord that we are able to send forth into the world additional workers approved for a ministry that is to be characterized by Biblical, confessional Lutheranism. The number is not impressive by worldly standards, but we know that the Lord has His own way of counting, and that isn't always in big numbers.

Because the fields are ready for harvest, the Lord has instructed us to pray Him to send forth laborers into the harvest. As surely as we have wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord.'' done that, we have also sought to maintain Bethany (John 1: 19-23) Lutheran Theological Seminary as a school of the prophets to equip men for a ministry in conformity John knew that he was but a representative of with Biblical directives. and -for one whose shoelaces he was not worthy to untie. And this was not said in false modesty If you present candidates of theology are to but in full awareness that, despite the signifi- enter this field of labor with confidence, you cance of his role, he was (in the words of the must not fall victim to the identity crisis that Psalmist) "not able to redeem his brother nor has plagued so many men of the cloth. On the give to God a ransom for him." (Ps. 49: 7) basis of our brief text--and its context--we shall The Apostle John in the prologue of his Gospel likewise identifies the Baptist properly when he A THREEFOLD IDENTIFICATION THAT IS NECESSARY writes: "~ewas not that light, but was sent to FOR A BLESSED MINISTRY bear witness of that light .I1 To understand the limitations of one's role is often an important You must identify ingredient of true success. I) yourselves 2) your people On the one hand, people may think so poorly of 3) your primary message the incumbent of the office of the public ministry that by casting aspersions at his person they I. John the Bpatist was the remarkable son granted demean the office. On the other hand, they at to Zacharias and Elizabeth in their advanced years. times may think so highly of the office that they He had gained considerable notoriety from the cir- tend to give false adulation to the incumbent of cumstances surrounding his birth as well as from the office. The Apostle Paul experienced the his life style. As his public life developed, it false enthusiasm that gripped the people of Lystra appeared that he might have been able to select and moved them to say of Paul and Barnabas, "The for himself a role quite different from the one gods have come down to us in the likeness of men." for which he had been prepared. (Acts 14:ll) Paul also experienced and deplored the party spirit which arose in the church at But not only had the Lord given John the Bap- Corinth. He knew the folly of pointing people to tist a special assignment, He had also provided himself, and therefore he asks almost mockingly: him the grace to find his personal satisfaction in "Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized the role of service to which he had been called. in the name of Paul?" (I or. 1: 3 And in his There is no hesitation on his part, then, in pass- second epistle to the same church he declares: ing up the personal plaudits of men, for in the "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus face of great acclaim that was being urged on his the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus1 person he did not hesitate to respond: "I am not sake." (TI Cor. 4: 5) He doesn't change his tune the Christ--nor Elias--nor that prophet." He was when writing to the Ephesian Christians, for to content to be "the voice of one crying in the

-2- At the very end of our brief verse it is re- them he says: "unto me, who am less than the vealed of what sort the people are among whom you least of all saints, is this grace given, that will labor. There John speaks of "the sin of the I should preach among the Gentiles the un- world." No matter what the difference in earthly searchable riches of Christ." (Eph. 3:8) status or fortune of the people to whom you will minister, you are to remember that the law of God And should you or your family or your friends has "concluded all under sin, " (Gal. 3 : 22) When think that you are not receiving your just dues our text speaks of this human corruption it in the office of the public ministry and that you employs the singular form of the noun--sin, should expect to play a greater role, remember "the sin of the world." how the Forerunner of Christ responded when his own disciples grew jealous of Christ's growing We are more accustomed, perhaps, to speaking popularity. John the Baptist replied: "~ewho of sin in the plural--SINS--and this, too, is very has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices Scriptural, for we in our natural state of spiri- tual corruption do commit many sins day in and greatly because of the gridegroomts voice; this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase. day out, sins that are a violation of God's will but I must decrease." When the best man at a for us, sins that need to be atoned for. But we -- -- commit these acts of sin (in thought, word, and wedding thinks he is the bridegroom- -- well, look for trouble, even tragedy. deed) because we are sinful, and they are there- fore but a manifestation of our sinfulness.

You can therefore do nothing- better than to accept your humble--and yet exalted--role as a When the poet Isaac Watts says, "One common messenger of the Lord of hosts, and that is "to sin infects us all," he is but repeating what the Apostle Paul asserts when he says that "in Adam speak as the oracles of ~od." (I Peter 4:ll) You will often have reason to be reminded that we all die." (I Cor. 15:22) The sin of Adam has frail mortals have this great treasure in vessels been imputed to the whole human race. That is of clay, but that is so in order that the power why we have been led to confess in our liturgy: "We are by nature sinful and unclean." That may be of God and not of us. For if the people to whom you minister are to be benefited, it is sinfulness, that sin is enough to condemn us. not you who are to be glorified, but your Father Some of those to whom you minister will already in heaven. And if you in faith willingly and gladly accept this identification, you can expect have recognized the fact of their sinfulness and to hear someday from your Lord and Master: "Well will come readily confessing their sins, as some done, good and faithful servant...enter into the of the people came to John the Baptist. To all he preached, "~epent,for the kingdom of heaven is joy of your Lord. " (Mt . 25: 21) at hand." And he asked especially the self- 11. But because your task is to proclaim a message righteous fault finders, "Who has warned you to to others, you must have a necessary identificatio flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits also of these people. worthy of repentance." (Mt. 3:7,8) In an age when people are quite easily led to upon Christ, the Lamb of Cod." think that they may establish their own moral code, there is again need for you, in the spirit This is the one and only Agnus Dei, the Lamb of John the Baptist, to confront the present-day of God, of whom the prophet Isaiah gretold, Herods and firmly assert: "It is not lawful for "~urely,he has borne our griefs and carried our you to have your brother's wife." (Mt. 14:4) sorrows." Is. 53: 4) Of this Lamb of God the With John the Baptist you are to proclaim that Apostle St. John has written in his first epistle: "the axe is laid to the root of the trees. There- "We is the propitiation for our sins, and not for fore every tree which does not bear good fruit is ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.: cut down and thrown into the fire." (Mt. 3: 10) (I John 2: 2) But even though your assignment includes the This was the message of all the prophets and ongoing need so to preach the law "that every apostles, a message that moved St. Peter to ex- mouth may be stopped and all the world become claim "you were not redeemed with corruptible guilty before ~od,"(Kom. 3: 19) you are to under- things, like silver or gold but with the precious stand that this kind of preaching is an alien work ... blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and which you are to perform only that you might without spot." (I Peter 1: 18,19) better exalt Him at whose bidding you have come. For the final identification of our text concerns This is the truth that moved the Apostle Paul to declare to the Corinthians: "I determined not 111. The ultimate message you are to bring to a to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ sinful world. Despite John the Baptist's classic and Ilim crucified." (I Cor. 2: 2) This is the preaching of the law, he is better known for the alone-saving Gospel of which you through your call picture painted by our text, the portrait of a into the public ministry are made stewards. messenger pointing to the Christ as the Agnus Dei tollit peccatum mundi, "the Lamb of God that When we now send you forth, it is in confidence takes away the sin of the world." This brief that your years of preparation for the office of utterance sums up the whole purpose of John the the public ministry have by the grace of Cod led Baptist's mission, and it identifies for you the you to the necessary identification of yourselves, ultimate word that you are called to proclaim, your people, and your message. If you prove the Gospel of free forgiveness of sins of the faithful in this kind of ministry, your people grace of Christ. will join in blessing you as well as in praising the God of their salvation. With the introductory word "Behold," John To Him alone be glory! intends this to be a dramatic proclamation: "~ake note, you who must of necessity despair in your Amen sins; just see what God has provided!'' Dr. Martin Luther, who in the days of the Reformation arose -- J. B. Madson in the spirit of John the Baptist, once said: nature and in the Scriptures. Reu declares a ANTHROPOLOGY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF decided opposition to the notion that humankind JOWANN MICHAEL REU evolved from some sort of primordial mixture of natural forces and elements. Man is a creature of God, Reu says, and as such he is finite and limited as compared to his Creator, even before The nature and end of man--what are they? the fall into sin. He believes man to be bipar- One of ~merica'sforemost Lutheran theologians tite (body-soul) rather than tripartite (body- of the 20th century, Johann Michael Reu, dealt soul-spirit), possessing a physical material with this question throughout his life as scholar, component of his nature identical with the dust teacher, Sunday school currictilum writer, and of the ground, and an immaterial soul or spirit church historian. Some of Reu's insights into which transcends any "physiological function" what human nature is and how it develops reflect that may be ascribed to unseen forces of the an awareness of the developmental psychology of person' s consciousness. The imago Dei Reu J. F. Herbart and G. Stanley Hall, whose ideas understands to consist in two things: a real were current in educational cricles of Reu's day. self-determining personality that mirrors (Reu: Others reflect his peculiarly German post-World "is similar to") God's personhood, and the perfect War I orientation to history and social upheaval, willing and carrying out of that which pleases most remarkably reflected in Reu's repeated God. He notes: writings (oft forgotten today) against the Jews. Talcen together with Reu's commitment to Holy .. .we may say that the image of God in man Scripture as normative for the teaching and life consists in his personality, that is, in of the church, an examination of his anthropology the fact that, like God, man is a being reveals both faithfulness to the Word as well as having cognition and will. As a person, man a number of areas where Reu ventured outside the is able to know himself, the world, and God. Scriptures to define and explain human nature. He is capable of self-determination with The purpose of this study is to detail Reu's reference to his environment. Consequently, anthropology from his classroom notes and texts there exists for him no external, inevitable and also from the pages of the Kirchliche Zeit- compulsion, so far as his person is concerned. schrift, the official theological periodical of The nature-side of his being is indeed sub- the Iowa Synod which Reu edited from 1904-43. ject to external force (~identwn),but never his personality. He is capable of self- A survey of ~eu'sdogmatics lectures reveals determination also with reference to his own that he holds what could be termed a traditional nature. He cannot speak of a necessity Christian anthropo i ogy. As such, the term (necessnriwn) being forced upon him by his "anthropology" denotes not so much the study of own natural impulses and desires; they merely human origins and human cultures to understand present the material in reference to which he the nature of man, as it does in the common secu- must exercise his self-determination, and lar use of the term, but rather it indicates a because of his freedom he is also accountable for his actions. He is capable of self- focus on the nature of man as revealed by Cod in such investigation, but they belong to determination, finally, also in his rela- the world of invisible things that cannot tion to God. He is able to decide against be apprehended with our natural senses. God, and in the state of innocence he was Faith is the eye with which we see the able also to decide for Him. As unfree, things of that invisible world, placed therefore, as man is in the nature-side of before us by means of the Word, it is a his being, so free is he is his personality.3 conviction concerning the things held It is man's creation by God as a personal being, forth by Scripture not to be shaken, even Reu believes, which gives him the capacity to where the evidences of the world and of know himself, to enter into relationship with natural experience seem to contradict. the Creator, and also to know the status and con- tent of the world that surrounds him.4 Reu is a Such faith can be viewed from the standpoint realist at times in his ontological assumptions, either of ~od'sgift to man, or as a special and his comments in his "~ogmatics" and elsewhere capacity or organ of man created by the Holy bear out the truth of this statement. Spirit with which he appropriates the proffered forgiveness of sins. Reu consistently affirms Through the sin of Adam--whom Reu believes was the inability of humankind to approach God, to an actual historical event--both man's earthy and know God, or to please God outside of a miracu- his spiritual components were affected, he holds, lous divine revelation of ~od'spersonality in It was the communion of creature with Creator that Jesus Christ. His anthropology leaves no place was disrupted by man's disobedience, and that is for the will or efforts of man in even the properly termed the death of both his body and slightest degree in the process of conversion. 10 soul.5 Humankind in the state of sin is totally For example, Reu in his h he Course of Theology cut off from knowing God, Reu believes, although Itself" describes the object of Christian theology he does see God active and present in the world as "beyond human reason, [one that] cannot be to sustain it despite its sinfulness. Communion found nor appropriated by it....it is religion between God and man has been restored only through based upon supernatural revelation and aiming at Jesus Christ and his active and passive obedience a supernatural goal, the communion with ~od."l1 to the will of God in offering Himself in man's And in his explanation of Romans 1:17 he remarks: place to pay for the sinfulness of all people. Paul implies hereby not only that [right- Only the Holy Spirit can bring this message of eousness] is something having existence reconciliation with God into the human heart by outside of man but also that it is previ- His creation of saving faith, Reu maintains. 6 ously unknown to him, something for which Faith is in no part a work of man to him.7 Of the he naturally has no perspective sense and object of such saving faith Reu writes: which he cannot therefore know or grasp. The things upon which faith relies, then, The Gospel must unveil it for him, spread do not belong to the sphere of his visible it out before him in all its wonder and world with its laws of cause and effect, glory. 12 they are not things which can be investi- gated, seen, understood, and known after of the divine Spirit and the personal But likewise it is true that Reu explains the reaction to it, is what we call conscience, presence of a natural law among the Gentiles who the self-consciousness of man concerning do not know God (Rom. 2:14-15) by saying that "we his relation to the Spirit of God dwelling need only remember that the Spirit of God, as the in him since his creation. It is the Scriptures attest, dwells in all men. The result reflection or precipitation of this inter- of this Spirit's activity is the natural moral action in our consciousness. 15 law. Since this Spirit of God dwells in the heart of a11 Gentiles, it is their own fault if Reu postulates three functions of the conscience-- they are not led thereby to higher moral levels, obligatory, judicial, and executive. The first for it simply means that they have not permitted of these, the obligatory, comprises the element the Spirit to work its will in them."13 This of recognized justness of the moral demand that statement is best understood in light of Reu's Reu believes is inherent in the working of the assertion in the "Dogmatics" that he understands conscience. By this function Reu means that the fall into sin to have destroyed humankind's whereby the conscience witnesses to a norm and "moral content of the image of God," but that the requires obedience to it. "This sense of the human personality, as the "substantial form of inevitability of the demand of conscience as one the image of ~od"remains as man's possession of objective, unqualified authority is also a even in the fallen state. l4 It also can be under- direct and immediate one," he points out, l6 The stood through an examination of Reu's doctrine of judicial function of the conscience consists in the conscience, in which he unifies the three its vigorously carrying out the decision of the aspects of intellect, will, and feelings found will in a contemplated moral action. It is this in his educational anthropology into a single consciousness of one's personal responsibility entity. Reu defines the human conscience as for a deed or thought and the determination of guilt which goes along with this consciousness .,.the consciousness of one's own moral that Reu believes engages the person's intellect action in relation to God. But experience for the first time. "While the obligatory teaches us that we must supplement this function of consciences makes [sic] use of the definition by adding that this conscious- will, the judicial employs the intellect," Reu ness is an immediate one. It does not notes.17 And the third function of conscience, result by way of reflection; it does not the executive, engages the human feelings to pro- arise from other thoughts; its appearance duce either peace or unrest concerning the judgment is sudden and spontaneous. The prevailing which has been made. As Reu explains it, contents of the mind are only reflected by it. . . .all living creatures, man in particu- The execution becomes evident in the fact lar, live only by the Spirit of God that is that the judgment of conscience is always in them, and ...man, on the other hand, is accompanied either by a sense of duty well not simply driven by this immanent Spirit done, which in turn brings peace and happy of God but reacts to it in a way that contentment ..., or by a consciousness of preserves his self-determination. The re- duty left undone, and this in turn causes sultant of these two forces, the immanence unrest and painful uneasiness. 18 Because the universal testimony of human ex- re-generation, that is, the present sub- perience shows the absolute authority which the stance of man is not destroyed, the result conscience exercises in the realm of moral obli- of the first creation is not annihilated, gation, Reu is of the opinion that it is neither but man as he is is reborn, in which act the product of a long period of social evolution, that part of him which is of God is pre- nor that it is merely the result of custom or served and merely purified thoroughly of convention. He understands it to be the subjec- the depravity which had permeated it tive consciousness and reaction to the universal entirely ....Even in his sinful state man divine norm of what is good or bad. l9 retains his personality, which includes a capacitas passiva for regeneration. There It is ~eu'scontention that the creation of remains in the natural man a point of con- saving faith in Christ is not an idealistic tact for the Holy Spirit working through transformation or simply an alteration of con- Word and sacrament since he, though des- sciousness. He distinguishes between faith and poiled of his capacity of knowing and will- knowledge, not according to the means of their ing what is good in God's sight, still entrance into the soul (i.e., through regular retains his capacity to know and to will 21 earthly means apprehended by the five senses), as such. nor according to their propositionality, but rather by means of their essence. Reu writes: Despite these generic claims for the divine image inhering in all persons, it should be noted For faith is not like knowledge, which that a measure of anthropological and cultural once we have it is retained by the memory superiority manages to creep into Reu's descrip- whether we desire it or not, whether we tion of the linguistic capabilities of the New make an effort to retain it or not, so Guinea islanders and into his explanation of why, long as the powers of memory and reason "probably wisely," church authorities there had function normally. Faith is not something not yet published an edition of the Augsburg we possess once and for all time, so that Confession in their language. "The Confession we can draw upon it and use it any time after all presupposes a higher culture and a we desire. Faith is the application of a better developed language than found there," power which God must always first give to Reu remarks.z2 It is interesting to note in man anew before he can use it, and which contrast to this position that the "rude vessel" ceases to exist in the very moment when of the German language is not similarly held to man refuses to let God bestow it upon him. 20 be inca able of expressing difficult spiritual Much more than other conservative Lutheran dogma- truths. 33 Reu holds that each of the various ticians, Reu stresses the continuity of the human racial and ethnic groups of humanity can be dis- personality and being through the change wrought tinguished by different traits which its character in the soul by conversion. He writes: and language manifests. 24 He endorses white-black racial equality, however, and is pleased to point However, although an actual generation out the gains made by blacks in entering educa- takes place, it appears in the form of a 25 tional institutions and the professions. mental capacities. He compares the brain of Suggested Elements of Reu's Anthropology the infant to "delicate clay,"28 and ventures and Developmental Theory to say that the child's store of sense percep- tions and concepts with which he will enter the The ubiquitous term "gradual unfolding" appears next stage of childhood will be as rich or as in Reu's account of human anthropology, as he uses impoverished as the quality and quantity of sense it to explain the three different developmental impressions which enter the soul at this stage periods he hypothesizes for all people. Each of from the outside world. Reu is impressed with these stages--infancy, childhood, and adolescence-- the marked development of the memory during Reu divides into an early and a late period, each infancy, and he urges educators to combine stories of which has definite behavioral characteristics of explanation with pictorial representations-- that display themselves in the person's capacities as well as with stanzas of poetry or song--to for thinking, feeling, and willing. Although more firmly esconce the information in the child's acknowledging that the time limits he points for world of concept masses. 29 each stage may vary in any individual case, Reu sets the limits of infancy at six years of age; Another trait of the infancy period which Reu childhood from six to twelve or thirteen years; believes is especially fertile for the future and of adolescence from thirteen to eighteen or educational development of the child is his pro- twenty-one years. It is important for under- clivity for fantasy and for the construction of standing Reu's anthropology and his educational make-believe worlds. Here is where Reu sees a theory to survey the most important characteristics particular advantage to narration and visual he assigns to each of these stages. present ations3* in furnishing new concepts to the intellectual store of the soul--even more when Believing that "the infant becomes a subject of one considers that the child's liking of stories instruction only to a very limited degree," ~eu's at this age is the vehicle through which his theoretical treatment of this time of life is the interest can be apprehended and the gateway least encountered among his various educational through which his fund of concepts can be apper- writings. 26 The most important development in ceived by the soul. 31 Reu believes the period of the child during this time is the emotionally infancy is predominantly characterized by merely based impulse to imitate others. Reu believes-- sensuous expressions of the child's volitional so much so that he observes that "There is hardly life, but he does see the initial manifestations anything that compares in importance with the for- of such intellect-influenced motivations as the mation of good habits in early childhood."27 social sense and moral feelings occurring during While the very young child is able to manifest infancy. Their development through formal educa- only the most rudimentary sense perception, tion, however, he understands to be reserved emotions which are purely sensuous, and mere mainly for the following stage of development, directionless impulses in the area of volition, that of childhood. 32 The key volitional educa- Reu holds that the development of the child's tional tool Reu recommends be employed in infancy motor skills during the second year of life gives is good habit development. This is to make use of impetus to the enlargement of a11 three types of relationships in a concrete manner, Reu believes the child's innate interest in imitation that --hence the extraordinarily important pedagogical Reu believes is especially strong during the device to be employed during childhood is narra- first years of life. External rules of conduct tion, Teaching in story format allows the or maxims of thought are not effective educators teacher to paint vivid word pictures--Reu often during infancy. Reu states, "~tthis early stage, uses the expression "miniature-painting" to the chief factor of training is the moral and describe this paramount feature inherent in religious environment, the moral and reli ious narration--which satisfy as nothing else can the atmosphere in which the child grows up. f3 It is youngster's hunger for concrete description. 35 Reu's belief that the tenor of the home's moral When such concrete images are offered to children atmosphere and the parents' attitudes toward in conceptual dress with which they are familiar, moral good and evil are the primary influence despite their limited vocabulary and their incom- on all aspects of the child's character during plete concept masses, the teacher skilled in infancy--the intellectual and volitional aswell narrative can count on positive educative results, as the moral. Reu believes.36 Narration is also called for as the premier method of instruction at the level of Reu prefers to divide the period of childhood early childhood because of the continuing activity into two distinct phases in his discussions of and growth of the children's capacity to construct the physical and mental changes associated with new realities through fantasy. It is Reu's human development in each. For the initial stage understanding that in early childhood the child's of childhood (ages six to nine), Reu sees the capacity to fantasize is closely combined with his arrival of the first ability of the child to power and desire to imitate people in his immediate benefit from formal education. It is his belief environment, He says that that during this initial stage the brain reaches nearly its full size, and that the incomplete As a matter of fact, the impulse of imitation development of the child's muscles and nerves must is at this stage of development very closely be taken into account in planning its formal edu- linked with the pronounced play of the child's cation. Here Reu recommends short periods of phantasy--another instance corroborating the instruction interspersed with numerous recess demand to influence the soul of the child periods, with instruction alternating between chiefly by narratives. Living persons, re- intellectual subjects such as counting and read- peatedly presented to the phantasy, leave ing with the more technical or manual subjects their traces in the soul; matters which ever like singing or drawing. The goal of religious and again have delighted the phantasy, are instruction during this initial period should be engraved upon the soul ....The feelings being to train children in worship (prayer and offering), pleasurably excited, the will is aroused to to train them in instruction (using Bible stories, imitation: the child would become similar stories from nature, stories from child life, to the person causing such pleasurable and short verses and Bible passages), and to experiences. 37 train them in discipline. 34 The young child's Finally, Reu is of the opinion that the child's overwhelming desire is to see objects or ideas or The real pedagogical strength the older child has emotional life can also be developed by attention during this period is the ability to memorize, as to a careful cultivation of the capacity of Reu sees it. i is brain cells are still soft so fantasy in the first stage of childhood.38 The that the impressions are deeper than those of the most important of the emotions to be cultivated adult, whose brain cells permit only feeble impres- during this period is the feeling of sympathy, sion~."~~From the ages of eleven to fourteen, according to Reu, as does the use of ancillary Reu believes the soul's capacity for retaining verbal passages and songs for memorization to information in the memory is at its height .46 support the sense impressions cultivated through This is the period during which the most impor- narration and demon~tration.~~Such cultivation tant concepts in life should be taught, Reu is especially important to Reu at the early asserts, and the only time when mastery of a childhood stage. Even though he seldom uses the foreign language is initiated. Memory work is term "circle of thought," Reu nevertheless important to Reu only to the degree its meanin believes that the sum of the young child's con- has been explained to the learners beforehand. $7 cepts, and the arrangements of these concepts, If properly introduced and explained before it is are organized into a unity which is often incom- 40 assigned, Reu believes the material to be memo- plete as well as incorrect. rized is made easier to learn because pupil inter- est in it has been stimulated, and because allied The second phase of the childhood period Reu concepts already in the soul rise to the threshold characterizes as consisting of rapid growth of of consciousness to assist in its assimilation. the nervous tissues and the soul's greatly en- The realities of world geography and history, as hanced capabilities for absorbing and classifying these are propounded by means of heroic biographi- inf~rrnation.~~The period of abstract concept cal accounts of specific individuals rather than formation has not yet arrived, so Reu believes of whole nations, are the realities which absorb that ideas still need to be presented to the and fascinate the fantasy of the young at this learner in as concrete a manner as possible. stage, Reu believes. This period is also the time During the Primary stage (ages 6-8) Reu recommends of formation of the first real friendships of life, a four-part program in religious instruction that as well as the time of the intensification of the includes laying a foundation of religious termi- emotions--the ethical emotions in particular. nology and behavior, telling the Bible story, Late childhood in addition is the time most oppor- discussion of the story, and discipline. 42 tune for the formation of good habits, according to ~eu.~~He makes much of the effects of the The period of late childhood sees the first child's developing sexuality upon his character drawing of conclusions by the learner, Reu in general and on his emotions in particular, with believes, although this is done in a fragmentary girls at this age in his view more talented than way. This is the time of "initial critical boys at coordination of bodily movements, hand- activityff of the intellect, during which a logical writings, and recitation, while boys he sees as attempt is made to connect cause with effect in stronger, more stubborn, and more inclined than the perception of the young. 43 It is thus the girls to physical activity .49 This second stage time when discussion of the Bible story must be cultivated to the fullest, Reu believes .44 of the childhood period is the time when Reu be- logically, and an awareness of their special lieves that each person's sense of individuality emotional need to trust authorities while at the becomes fixed to the point of being an indispens- same time trying them and reaching beyond their able educational factor the teacher has to take direct supervision to freedom of thought and into consideration at all times in planning action, Reu does not elaborate any additional curriculum or in teaching lessons. ways in which the intellectual, emotional, or volitional lives of young people either can or The final stage of the child's development is should be influenced. He does recommend that the period of adoleseence, which Reu says extends both early and late adolescent periods be char- from age thirteen to the twenty-first or twenty- acterized by membership in groups of young second year for the female, and from age fourteen peoples' societies so as to provide a construc- to twenty-three or twenty-four for the male.50 tive outlet for a social impulse and emotional It is only during this period that certain parts responsiveness which Reu believes to be extraor- of the brain begin to function, according to Reu, dinarily developed during this phase of life. and the brain tissue "becomes denser and promotes a slow growth of the cranium."51 This growth of The topic of how Reu evaluated the Nazis is a the brain tissue Reu believes is responsible for whole subcategory of his thinking, and cannot be the greater and developing ability in youth to probed in an adequate manner here. However, it think logically. The need for educators to tap is worth noting how German church/state issues this capacity for logical thinking is the chief during the 1930s provide a background against educational feature of the intellectual life of which to view one aspect of his anthropological the adolescent, Reu holds. But this need is thinking. Although theoretically Reu viewed the coupled with the need for sympathetic understand- Jewish people as equal in every respect to anyone ing of the unpredictable emotional states of else in mental capacity and cultural heritage, in youth which cause them at times to demonstrate his treatment of the situation of Germany Reu extreme idealism and to believe themselves capable reveals a decided prejudice against the Jews. 53 of reforming the whole world, and which cause them For instance, Reu's much-criticized article pub- to criticize authority mercilessly; and which at lished in 1937 in the national weekly mass- times cause them to despair at their lack of circulation periodical The Lutheran lists as one knowledge and power over even their own lives. of the ignominious features of the pre-1933 The emotions in both sexes are characterized at Social-Democrat party in Germany the fact that it this stage by a penchant for dreams and for the was "so much under the influence of the Jews ."54 mysterious, Reu says, with the boys continuing to Here is the way Reu links Jewish and Communist enjoy most the accounts of heroes who demonstrate influence in the same article: their strength. Late adolescence is the time of The Communists--governed by Jewish leaders life when the most profound development of the and assisted by Jewish money, who had be- religious life is possible, according to ~eu.52 come more and more dominating and before Beyond counseling a general awareness of the 1933 were at the point where they could intellectual capacity of adolescents to think dare to rule the country, to sell it to on the Quellen,s7 then causes Reu to continue Russia and to destroy what was left of 5 article in this fashion: good order, schools and churches and hi: 55 religion--they were gone [by 19351 . The Jews in Germany in 1925 were numbered at 565,000 over against 62,410,619 non- A rather candid and even remarkable assessment Jews. Nevertheless they dominated the of the National Socialist miscegenation laws press and the output of books. The number also appears in this article. Any attempt to of Jewish lawyers, doctors, and teachers describe Reu's position would not do justice to was in no proportion to the number of Jew- his own prose, so it is reproduced here: ish people; they really flooded all higher The new marriage laws are stricter than callings. The banks were entirely in Jew- before, but many insane asylums would have ish hands; in the country, especially in fewer patients and the number of unhappy South Germany, they were feared by the men and women would be smaller if they had peasants as a pest because in the most been introduced and enforced long ago all scrupulous way they knew how to get hold over the world. Including the prohibitions of the peasants' property. During the concerning the marriage between Jews and years of inflation they poured in masses non-Jews? Not in all their severity, from all countries, America included, and although I personally believe that as a like vampires they sucked the life blood rule it is better for every family not to out of the German people, bought up block be mixed up with the Jews, Traits fostered after block of the large cities for almost for centuries are not removed by the turn nothing--I was over there in those years of the hand, and the Jews with whom we have and know whereof 1 am speaking--the whole to deal are, as a nation, still under the country seemed to be given over forever to divine curse. Our press, mainly under the Jews. A Judaization set in as never Jewish influence, has created in our coun- before in any other country. Add to this, try a hostile attitude against Germany, that by press, literature, theatre and and what is termed 'persecution of the ~ews' other means of seduction the Jews were the has been one of its most successful means principal promoters of all forms of immo- of rousing the passions. Now I admit from rality, that they were the power behind the start, in many individual cases the laws the reigning Social-Democrats, and some of against the Jews have been carried out in a them even the leaders in the Communist cruel way that can never be justified, and party ready to overthrow all in order to the laws themselves go too far. But if you build upon the ruins of the remains of an were acquainted with some indisputable organized nation the reign of the bolshe- facts and would keep them in mind, you would vism of Soviet Russia. These facts explain, be slower and more just in your judgment. 56 and in a measure even justify, the laws The memory of these "indisputable facts," many based against the Jews. There are still thousands of Jews in Berlin alone, who will not be upon ~eu'sown firsthand observations while he was molested as long as the live according to in Germany in the early 1920s to do research work the laws of the state. 58 Reu had a special dislike of the motion pic- These extraordinary characterizations of Jewish ture industry, as is evidenced from his comments people as pests, bloodsucking vampires, and in the Kirchliche Zeitschrift which see it pri- libertines is hard to square with Reu's stated marily as a corrupting influence in the hands of view in other parts of his literary corpus that the immoral Jewish moguls who own or manage it. 63 all men continue to bear the stamp of God's But his prejudice against the Jewish people is image by virtue of their inherent rational powers present in other places too, making it a virtually and in their consciences. 59 Even more remarkable certain conclusion that the words expressed above is the fact that such words would have been pub- were not written in an isolated moment of vitu- lished--and without editorial comment at that-- perat ion. 64 Reu's article "Luther and the Jews," in a Christian periodical. 60 Perhaps a part of which was published in the Kirchliche Zeitschrift, the reason for their publication is the fact that a detailed historical treatment of the meaning of Reu in the late 1930s was at the height of his Luther's position expressed in his 1543 treatise career, had published all of his major works, and "Von den Juden und ihren Lggen," is a dispassion- was commonly acknowledged as one of the leading ate analysis conducted in accordance with canons spokesmen for American Lutheranism at home and of historical scholarship. 65 However, the pub- abroad. Without doubt he was the one American lished version as well as the original manuscript closest to the German church situation before of this article which is preserved in the Wartburg and during the National Socialist takeover, so Seminary Archives clearly demonstrate that Reu his opinions and information sources were looked regarded the Jews in a different light than any upon as credible for that reason alone. other racial or ethnic group. The article's final paragraph is given here just as it appears Richard R. Salzmann offers additional clari- in the manuscript, with the original concluding fication of ~eu'santi-Semitism in his 1965 sentence italicized for emphasis: criti ue of his grandfather's editorial posi- tion." He notes that the article published in It is an entirely different question whether 1937 was actually a revision of one which had the antisemitism of our day can rightly appeared a full two years earlier in the Kirch- appeal to Luther. This is impossible be- liche Zeitschrift following Reu's return from cause the antisemitism of today is not moved Europe and the last meeting of the Lutheran by the difference in religion which was de- World Convention. Hitler's public opposition cisive for Luther nor is there today any- to the Jews eighteen to twenty months after his where a country in which the Christian reli- assumption of power was not the pogrom which gion is the only one recognized by the law. followed the Kristallnacht assault of 1938. He who wants to apply Luther's advice [to And of course Reu never knew about the death burn the ~ews'books and synagogues and camps because he died before their existence demolish their homes] today must first of became public knowledge in the United States. all recognize that there is no bridge be- Salzmann also shows in his article that Reu tween the religion of our present Jewry and totally rejected the "nation and race" anthropol- Christendom; furthermore, he must be filled ogy and ecclesiology of National Socialism from with that energy and depth of faith which the very beginning. 62 lived in Luther; and he would have to drive out many not belonging to the Jews; all the Jews even in the realm of the church to be a others can only wonder how Luther, this debatable issue indicates that his theological man of God, could write as he did, and anthropology is not self-consistent. The present place him into the darkness of past research did not reveal any other racial or cul- centuries. ClrhQkh~nkheh~ ttaom /in tural group which Reu singles out for similar ,the Chhinaun Chukch don UM avLtinema2hm treatment, although his special hatred and loath- bcaed on nocioLagicd duc,t~ we dun ' k ing of professing atheists is apparent throughout need Ra decide hehe. 66 the decades he writes the "Kirchliche Chronik" column. 68 A clear and definite statement of Reu's attitude of anti-Semitic prejudice is found in his edi- torial comments from February 1937. Summarv

Wir Weisen an unserem Teil diese ErklSrung For the most part, Reu's anthropology rests zurcck, nicht nur, weil sie unhaltbare upon the Scripture base he so much prized as a historische Urteile enth%lt, sondern vor Lutheran theologian of the first rank who taught allen Dingen weil side jede Form des Anti- and defended the doctrine of verbal inspiration. semitismus als unvereinbar 'mit den Lohren And yet it is easy to discern the influence of der Bibel und den Lehren der protesstant- the Erlangen school in Reu's anthropology in his ischen Kirchen und auch als unvereinbar ideas concerning development stages of the human mit unseren Ueberlieferungen von Freiheit soul and ability of the unregenerate soul to und ~erechtigkeit'hinstellt und ihn einfach reflect the image of God. For example, F. H. R. mit '~udenhass' identifiziert. Wir haben mit von Frank, the great Erlangen systematician jetien 'fremden ~ereinigungen'nie BerGhrung whom Reu admired, maintained the existence of a behabt, wissen auch dass die gegenw'artige moral will and also a quality of "homogeneousness" antisemitische Bewegung in Deutschland im between knower and known in every human being Einzelfall vielfach grausam wirkt und auf which in their essence are the same in the regen- einem verkehrten Rassenurteil ruht, und sind erate and the unregenerate. Reu does not go this stets ein Freund der Judenmission gewesen. far in his own anthropology, though his still Aber jede Form von Antisemitismus fcr un- speaking of a remnant of the divine image in man biblisch und flir unvereinbar mit unseren in terms of the latent potential he has to re- amerikanischen Ueberlieferungen zu erklzren, ceive and understand the Word of God seems like ist Torheit. Man kann Antisemit sein und a daring assertion to some conservative exegetes. zue selben Zeit die Christenpflicht, die Reu always tempered his imago Dei doctrine with wir den Juden gegenzber haben (einschliess- anti-Pelagian guarantees, however, and he never lich der Missionspflicht), voll und ganz maintains that the revelation God provides for anerkennen und zu Gben versuchen. 1st es Himself to those outside of Christ is anything Judenhass, was jene 'fremden Vereinigungen' close to what is required for a true knowledge pflegen und schsren, so wissen vir uns of God. Although Frank goes beyond Reu in his davon naturlich vb'llig geschieden. 67 understanding of concept formation in that he The fact that Reu considers discrimination against recognizes the difference inherent in a percep- Notes tion which is produced in the consciousness depending on its position in space and in time-- he points given here are based on the dis- i,e., that the person as subject and as object cussion given in J. M. Reu, "~ogmatics," pp. 81-90, of the same perception cannot render an identical J. M. Reu Collection, Dubuque. experience of that perception--Reu is not con- cerned with the existential question of fusing 2"~olyWrit raises man absolutely above the subjective with objective knowledge. Reu's basis level of the animal, placing him in close prox- for guaranteeing both concepts formed from mun- imity to God. It names man's specific distinction dane and from religious experience is not the and his really essential mark when declaring that regenerate ego in its various manifestations and his body was formed by God's own hand and that God functions, but rather the enscripturated word breathed the breath of life into him in such external to the ego. This different basis is unparalleled manner that man became the image of why all dogmatical constructs and meanings are God." Reu, "Dogmatics," p. 85. Cf . also J. M. merely tentative to Frank, and why they are Reu and Paul H. Buehring, Christian Ethics firmly established and have their own necessity (Columbus: Lutheran Book Concern, 1935) 66, where as truth to Reu. Reu comments: "Man was created as a dual being having both a natural and a personal side, and it ~eu'sliterary calumnies against the Jews are is this fact that makes him capable of moral a blot on what otherwise is an exemplary career action." of scholarship and service to the church. From the deferences quoted above, it appears that Reu 3~euand Beuhring, Ethics, 65. did not consider the Jews or certain other races capable of designation of human beings--at least 4"~his, then, was man's twofold moral task: not in their capacity to become fully human the one, to gain an ever increasing knowledge through the regenerating power of God the Holy of nature within and around him and by such Spirit. We may shake our heads at this failure knowledge an increasing dominion over it; the of character and confession, but Reu's position second, an ever deeper penetration into the gives us cause to reexamine our own prejudices mysteries of God's infinite being together with and misbelief in a new light of humility. If one a continued voluntary subjection under God's will of the most influential figures in American as a means of attaining supreme happiness; and Lutheranism had an inconsistent anthropology, both of these simultaneously, neither of them so may we. And against the forces of theological excluding the other .I1 Ibid., 69. modernism and denial, one today would do well to take up Reu's confession of the imago Dei restored 5~heessence of sin Reu understands not as act in Jesus Christ--a point on which Reu is uncom- but as attitude of will and heart. He remarks promising. Anything less than the indwelling that"...the essence of sin is selfishness, or more Spirit of God to forgive sin and life to heaven is exactly, the desire of the human will to seek for him an inadequate, incomplete view of man. satisfaction in something besides and outside of God, the highest good, and therefore in opposi- Romans," p. 18, J. M. Reu Collection, Dubuque. tion to the norm of God.... We define sin, then, How absolute a discrepancy there is in Reu's as the lust for self-satisfaction in opposition thinking between the divine and human knowledge to God as the highest good and the absolute norm, of righteousness can be seen from his criticism whether this lust crops out externally in words of Luther at this point: "Luther's translation and deeds, or gains merely the inner consent of 'Aus Glauben in Glauben' is based on the idea the will, or remains dormant and latent in the that different stages of Christian faith are depth of the heart." Ibid., 93, 95. The involved here and can be reconciled neither with "immediate and unavoidable consequence" of sin is the context nor with the prepositions used here." guilt, Reu believes. Cf. ibid,, 109. Ibid.

'~f.Reu, "~ogmatics," p. 123. 13~eu,"~omans," pp. 32-33.

'AS an example of Reu's teaching on the 14~eu,"Dogmatics," p. 139. Cf. p. 141, where qualities and incommensurability of the Christian Reu writes: "The real nature of God remains pistis, see his "Exegetische Studie zu 1. Joh. 5, totally unknown to natural man." And in describ- 4-10," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 65 "1n regeneration ing Luther's sanctification experience, Reu man remains entirely passive. This excludes every writes in this way of the complete disparity of kind of semipelagianism and synergism ...." natural and spiritual capacity to know divine things which exists even in the life of the 8~euand Buehring, Ethics, 137. regenerate: is own experience, that had been brought about by the Holy Ghost, and the ever new '~eu speaks of faith as a created organ of apprehension of divine truth, which is something mankind in the Ethics, 131. entirely different from a mere psychological intuition, leads on from light to new light and 1°"~ccording to the Scriptures it is God only becomes a precious guide to the correct under- and alone who leads to the faith--not merely a standing of Scripture." J. M. Reu, Luther's head faith, but the faith of the heart, the saving German Bible: An Historical Presentation Together faith--in which the heart despairs of its own with a Collection of Sources (Columbus: Lutheran powers, and trusts only in the grace of God in Book Concern, 1934), 259. In commenting on the Christ Jesus." J. R. Reu, How to Teach in the doctrine of original sin at the 1923 Lutheran Sunday School, A Teacher Training Course (Colum- World Convention, Reu said that in his under- bus: Lutheran Book Concern, 1939), 157. standing an "absolute recognition" of this doc- trine is needed in the contemporary church which "J. M. Reu, he Course of Theology Itself," would teach "the complete inability of the natural p. 64; part 2 of "Introduction to Theology, man to accomplish anything that is truly good, of "Johann Michael Reu Collection, Wartburg Seminary his inclination to all that is evil, of his being Archives, Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. subject to divine wrath and judgment, even from birth." Reu also comments that he believes the doctrine of original sin to be "a basic fact of 125. M. Reu, h he Epistle of Paul to the Scripture and of our own experience, the denial or modification of which makes impossible the understanding of the Gospel and of the Reforma- tion." J. M. Reu, discussion of "The Confessions 181bid., 77. But that this judgment of con- --The Indispensable Foundations of the Lutheran science is totally inadequate for embodying or church," by A. Joergensen, and of "The Confes- replacing the terrores conscientia required in sions as the Indispensable Foundations of the genuine repentance, Reu notes by saying that the Lutheran Church," by S. J. Sebelius, in The conscience "does not save natural man from his Lutheran World Convention: The Minutes, Addresses state of corruption, especially since it is and Discussions of the Conference at Eisenach, itself depraved and since it may err or sleep." Germany, August 19th to 26th, 1923 (Philadelphia: Rather, for Reu the conscience is a positive bene- United Lutheran Publication House, 1925), 88. fit toward the engendering of spiritual life Reu's position on the variegated nature of the because it "never permits man to escape from God circumstances surrounding conversion are also completely however greatly he may desire to flee shown in his opinion that "~odworks in many ways from him, It keeps on witnessing that he has on the souls of men," that people possess "varied been created for God and that he will find rest kinds of temperaments," and that they have a only in God." Reu, "Dogmatics," pp. 143-144. "totally dissimilar capacity for self-examination" --all of which may help or hinder the "gradual 19~euand Buehring, Ethics, 78-79. unfolding of the inner life" which Reu took to be the norm for Christian experience. Cf. J. M. Reu, "Die Zersetzung des Bekenntnisses durch den ~ietismus," Kirchliche Zeitschrif t 60 (November 1936):646. Cf. in addition Reu and Beuhring, Ethics, 34, 82, and especially Reu's description 22~.M. Reu, The Augsburg Confession: A of the imago Dei on p. 114: "[Man] is in a state Collection of Sources with An Historical Intro- of complete spiritual death. However, one com- duction (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, forting fact remains: depraved and corrupted as 1930), 213. Except for this single case, Reu his nature is, man has not lost the capacity of commends the confession's translation into such being renewed to a moral life. In accordance with diverse dialects as Tamil and Swahili and Japa- the divine plan of salvation even his sinful nese without making any such disparaging remarks depravation could not rob him of his personality, about ethnic cultural or intellectual capabilities. that formal capacity to know and to will, that remnant of the image of God in him, which includes 23~euremarks in his treatment of Luther's also the fact of his conscience, and thus man publication of the book Ein deutsch TheoZogia still retains the capacity of being redeemed and written by a German mystic that ere were reli- sanctified (capacitas passiua)." gious thoughts, full of exalted inwardness, clothed in German speech. It had often been said 15Reu and Buehring, Ethics, 75, 79. (p. 70) that the German language was too rude a Landes, " Kirchliche Zeitschrift 65 (May 1941) : vessel to contain the full treasures of religious 310-311. feeling, but here we encounter a theology addressed to the inner life clothed in the most 26~.M. Reu, Catechetics, or Theory and Prac- alluring and winning German. It can easily be tise of Religious Instruction, 3d ed. (Chicago: shown that these writings enriched and deepened Wartburg Publishing House, 1931), 242; id., Luther's German." Reu, Luther's German Bible, How to Teach in the Sunday School, 331-340, 142-143. But in fairness to Reu, his descrip- tion of the Germanic race as a whole should be 27~eu,Catechetics, 249. Reu also sounds this given here as well. He speaks in one place of very modern note concerning in utero education: the German people in this way:" ...the hunger for "AS far as we are concerned, we are certain--and honor and influence and the curse of aping all modern psychology corroborates rather than invali- things foreign ...clings to the average German dates this view--that the mother may exert pre- more than to any other race...." J. M, Reu, natal influence upon her child, that the mental "Warum gehen der lutherischen Kirche soviele and spiritual atmosphere in which the mother moves Glieder verloren?" Kirchliche Zeitschrift 46 during the period of gestation does not leave the (April 1922): 233. child without a trace .I1 Ibid., 245-246.

24'1~heRomantic races, e .g., want to see and 28~eu,Catechetics, 244. This same image in visualize, while the Germanic wish to understand expanded form also appears in Reu's article and to find ultimate causes. The language of "HOW to Teach Beginners" from 1929. Here Reu the Oriental is figurative and abounds in imagi- says that "The brain cells are exceedingly recep- nation, while that of the Occidental is compara- tive, more than at any later period in life, they tively dry and cold. The warmth and depth of are impressionable like soft clay, and when the soul in the German people finds expression in same impression is made again and again, day by the German language as adequately as the commer- day, or at least Sunday after Sunday, the brain and through the brain, in a mysterious way, the cial spirit of the Anglo-Saxon- does in his terse soul receives a lasting impression, not seldom and concise ~nglish." Reu and Buehring , Ethics, 63. indelible for a whole life-time." J. M. Reu, "HOW to Teach Beginners," Lutheran Herald, 12 2511~sist erfreulich zu sehen, dass die January 1929, 21. Gleichberechtigung der Neger unseres Landes allm~hlichaufhart, eine blosse Phrase zu sein, 29~sReu explains it, "The more frequently und anfzngt, eine ~ealitztzu werden," J.M. Reu, the ideas are brought into the light of conscious- "~ieNegerfrage," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 60 ness, the quicker they will from then on be in a (July 1936): 416-417. Reu also points out that state of readiness; the more securely the soul "Man darf aber auch...nicht vergessen, dass die possesses them, the more easily it can make use Negerrasse einige sehr tcchtige Gelehrte hervorge- of them." J. M. Reu "GrundsStze zur Herstellung- bracht hat." J. M. Reu, "~e~erbevclkerungunseres von Sonntags-schul-Literatur," Kirchliche Zeit- schrift 35 (April-May 1911): 188-189. the Christian home as an agency of religious 30n~searly as the third year the child may instruction on pp. 389-391 and 405-406 of this be impressed by the aid of pictures, with the volume. permanent presence of God than which there is no stronger foundation for the moral and religious 34~sgiven by Reu in How to Teach in the life." Reu, Catechetics, 246. Reu also points Sunday School, 341,348. Reu suggested a four- out that among the 117 pictures Luther included part Sunday morning program of religious instruc- in the 1534 edition of his Bible translation were tion for Beginners: opening exercises, circle those of the tabernacle and of Solomon's build- talk, telling of the new story, and closing ings. Reu, ~uther'sGerman Bible, 224. Cf. in exercises. Ibid., 354. addition ~eu-'sdiscussion of phantasy or imagi- nation in Reu, How to Teach in the Sunday School, 35"~ollowing the example of the miniature 91-93. painter, he will limn most carefully individual features, thus securing life-likeness for the 31~twould appear that Reu has what could be whole: this is what the child craves; and only termed a naive overconfidence in the ability of thus clear [inltuition becomes possible." Reu, children to construct accurate mental pictures "The Place of Biblical History in the Curriculum of scenes and events they have never experienced of Lutheran Schools," p. 39. And in the manu- except through narration. As just one example script of a talk on Luther's Small Catechism, of this view, Reu remarks that "~utwherever Reu defines the concept in this manner: "Observe realities are placed before it, especially in what we in German call the 'Kleinmalerei,' that geography and history, the phantasy, wherever is, the vivid miniature wordpainting in the the aid of charts and pictures is afforded, builds explanation of the First Article: mir Leib und for itself a rather correct image of distant Seele, Augen, Ohren und alle Glieder, Vernunft scenes and times, especially if it be stirred by und alle Sinne gegeben hat und noch erhaltY1and vivid descriptions. The child at this stage again 'dazu Kleider und Schuh, Essen und Trinken, [i.e., ages 9-12] also requires concrete descrip- Haus und Hof, Weib und Kind, Acker, Vieh und alle tions; but these should tally with reality, time, Gueter.' Each stroke of the brush in the hand of place, and sequents [sic]- of events being accu- this masterpainter makes God greater before the rately given." J. M. Reu, "The Place of Biblical eye of the child." J. M. Reu, "Why Luther's History in the Curriculum of Lutheran Schools," Catechism Is So Dear to My Heart," pp. 8-9. p. 42, J. M. Reu Collection, Dubuque. Cf. Reu, J. M. Reu Collection, Dubuque. See also Reu's How to Teach in the Sunday School, 215. reference to "word-painting" in J. M. Reu, "The Peculiar Characteristic of Luther's Catechism," 32~eudoes mention the educational possibili- Lutheran Church Review 24 (July 1905): 438. ties of "infant schools" conducted by deacon- This article also appeared in German under the esses, and differentiates them from the same title "Die Eigenart- des Katechismus Luthers und type of schools proposed by Froebel, in Cate- was sich daraus fiir seine schulm2ssige Behandlung chetics, 391. ergibt ,If Kirchliche Zeitschrif t 30 (Number 5, 1906): 208-223. Cf. J. M. Reu, Homiletics: 33~bid., 246. Compare also his comments on creed. See J. M. Reu, "Preface to the First A Manual of The Theory and Practice of Preaching, German Edition of the Wartburg Lesson Helps," trans. Albert Steinhaeuser, 4th ed. (Chicago: Wartburg Lesson Hel-ps for Lutheran Sunday Schools, Wartburg Publishing House, 1934), 194; id,, Junior De~artment,vol. 2 (Chicago: Wartburg Dr. ~ariinLuther's Small Catechism: A History Publishing House, 1918), vi. Important here also of Its Origin, Its Distribution and Its Use, is Reu's view that Luther's explanations are not A jubilee offering, with eighteen plates difficult to memorize because of their "artful (Chicago: Wartburg Publishing House, 1929) 148; alliterations" and their rhythm. He says in this id., Catechetics, 479. regard that: "Besides these phrases with their artful alliterations, so well adapted for memo- 36 Reu finds that narration also plays an rizing, we have expressions [in the catechism] important part in Luther's translation of the which gather into striking combinations that Bible into German, as the sound of the words which is related in thought, as 'love and trust,' demonstrates to him that Luther judged the cor- 'love and esteem,' 'help and befriend,' 'improve rectness of a translation "rather from its effect and protect,' 'property and living,' heaven and on the hearer than on the reader,.." Reu, earth,' 'life and death,' 'liveth and reigneth,' Luther's German Bible, 262. 'thank and praise,' goodness and mercy, teach and live, forgive and do good, prevail and gain 37~eu,Catechetics, 251. the victory. Wherever he can he uses the verb instead of the noun, because it is easier to be 38~eudistinguishes between "constructing" understood, Above all recall the hymnlike fantasy operative in the years of early child- rhythm, this foremost musical element in speech hood, and "abstracting" fantasy which comes to that helps to fasten the precious contents in the fore in the adolescent years. Cf. Reu, memory and heart." Reu, "Why Luther's Catechism How to Teach in the Sunday School, 378. Is So Dear to My Heart," pp. 9-10. Additional information on Reu's understanding of Luther's 39Reu is careful to limit the amount of sensitivity to the limited vocabulary of the memory material given to children younger than common man shown in his use of verbs instead of age six. He believes anything assigned to be nouns and his practice of placing the verb so memorized during this period must at any rate be close as possible to its subject to facilitate illustrated and explained before it is assigned. the grasping of the main idea of the sentence Reu, Catechetics, 252. But it is also worth are found in Reu, Luther's German Bible, 262, noting that Reu believes it entirely possible 277-283. and to be recommended as the standard practice that children between the ages of eight and ten 40~sshown by Reu's cautionary word to memorize as part of their Sunday School work the teachers about student lying during the ages full Biblical texts of the Ten Commandments, the previous to age nine: "Against mendacity he will Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the words proceed with great earnestness, but because of of institution of the ~ord'sSupper and baptism, the presence in these years of many incorrect as well as Luther's explanations in the Small concepts of the imagination, he must be warned Catechism for all the commandments and for the Reu, "Grundsatze fur die Ausarbeitung eines that not every objective untruth is necessarily ausgelegten ~atechismus," Kirchliche Zeitschrif t a lie and deserving to be treated as such." 26 (Number 1, 1902): 35. Reu selected fewer Reu, Catechetics, 254. than 250 Bible memory verses in the Wartburg Lesson Helps. Cf. Reu, How to Teach in the 41~euprovides detailed data on the physio- Sunday School, 88. logical changes which take place in children at this stage of development in Reu, How to Teach 47~euoffers his own childhood experience as in the Sunday School, 376-377, 412-413. proof of the validity of this principle. He says of the pastor who gave him confirmation 42~bid.,381-391. Reu provides the specific instruction that "~ealways assigned two pages parts of a weekly program of religious education of ~uchrucker'scatechism for memorization; it in the Sunday School for these pupils on pp. 391- made no difference whether the oral explanation 394. had already progressed that far or whether it had perhaps led to far other results. That is 43~eu,Catechetics, 257. Reu terms the first of course acting sen~elessly,~'Reu, "Grund- part of this last period of childhood the Junior satze fur die Ausarbeitung eines ausgelegten phase, and gives its physiological manifestations Katechismus," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 26 (Number and a proposed outline of instructional procedure 1, 1902): 34. He believes that even the long for this age group in Reu, How to Teach in the periods in some of ~uther'sexplanations can be Sunday SC~OOL,411, 418-430. memorized without special difficulty if their memorization is not insisted upon at too young 44~eu,How to Teach in the Sunday School, an age, and if the teacher gives an adequate 486-487. introduction to the class about their "archi- tectural and conspicuous construction." Cf. 45~eu,Catechetics, 255. Reu also refers to J. M. Reu, he Significance of Luther's Small the later stage of childhood as "the great period Catechism," Lutheran Church Review 33 (April of learning." Ibid., 259. Cf. Reu, How to Teach 1914): 319; id., ~uther'sGerman Bible, 280. in the Sunday School, 355. In this last reference Reu remarks: "When Luther has to deal with long, occasionally very long, 46~nhis book for Sunday School teachers periods, especially in the Epistles of St. Paul, Reu states that the capacity for memorization he seldom divides them into a number of inde- reaches its zenith between the years of nine to pendent sentences, but he uses all sorts of aids twelve; cf. Reu, How to Teach in the Sunday to make them clear." School, 87, 414. Regardless of the pupil's age, however, Reu cautions about overburdening children 48~euin the Catechetics uses a physical with memory work, and himself chooses to have it image to describe his conception of what habits learned thoroughly rather than to increase its are for the soul. He remarks that "Thoughts extent. For example, Reu believed an expounded that are repeatedly entertained, frequently recur- catechism should contain no more than 300 Bible rent emotions, decisions of the will formed time passages which students would commit to memory. the older group he proposes a more thorough and again, the moral acts thus resulting--all introduction to the Bible and the study of whole these leave in the soul impressions or grooves, Biblical books, as well as topics of current as it were, along which the subsequent activi- interest from church/world affairs. Ibid., 484, ties of the soul run almost automatically; and 531-532. it becomes increasingly difficult for the child to think, feel, and will in any other direction." 53~elsonmentions that Reu professed an Reu, Catechetics, 258. admiration for Hitler and his program through his editorial comments in the Kirchliche Zeit- 49~enderdifficulties and their effects on schrift up until 1939, when "Reu was finally the personality are specific and clear-cut for disillusioned with Nazism." E. Clifford Nelson, Reu: "the difference between the young man and Lutheranism in North America 1914-1970 (Minne- the young woman is found principally in this apolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1972), 123. that in the latter the emotions rather than Reu initially favored the National Socialist reason will develop into the dominant force, program during the early years of Hitler's rule a difference which is bound to remain despite because he believed it unified the German people some foolish tendencies in the 'woman movement' and gave them a national consciousness and pur- which appear to set in the opposite direction." pose to a degree they had never before known, Ibid., 268. and also because the Nazis moved to suppress some of the aberrant social and moral excres- 50~euBelieves a "gap" occurs in adolescent cences which characterized the life of the intel- development at the age of sixteen in girls, and ligentsia during the waning days of the Weimar at age seventeen or eighteen in boys, after Republic. However, Reu never approved of the which persons need to be given more social and Nazi "soil and blood1' arguments, nor of their academic freedom to make their own decisions. handling of the German church situation. Lbid., 270. Reu gives physiological character- istics of this age group on pp. 263-270 of the 54~.M. Reu, "The Present Church Situation Catechetics, and also in How to Teach in the in Germany," The Lutheran, 1 September 1937, 4. Sunday School, 457-475, 525-531. He also divides it into two distinct periods: early adolescence (ages 13-16) and later adolescence (ages 17-21 or 24). Cf. Reu, How to Teach in the Sunday School, 524. 57~.M. Reu, Quellen zue Geschichte des 51~eu,Catechetics, 263. kirchlichen Unterrichts in der evangelischen Kirche Deutschlands zwischen 1530 und 1600. 52~eu,How to Teach in the Sunday School, GDtersloh: C. Bertelsmann, 1904-35. According 474. He recommends a four-part curriculum for to a newspaper account written from a manuscript younger adolescents consisting of history of provided by Reu himself, he spent the summers salvation, Bib1 ical isogogics, worship and of 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1922, 1923, and 1929 liturgical forms, and church history, while for and Nazi anti-Semitism by other authors published doing research in Germany and surrounding coun-, in The Lutheran, the Lutheran Witness, and the tries. "Dubuque Educator Outlines Conditions Lutheran Companion in this same time period. Cf. in Germany," Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald, Frederick K. Wentz, "From Luther to Hitler'???: 8 December 1935, n.p.; J. M, Reu Collection, A look at American Lutheranism of the 1930's Dubuque. suggests a link between Theological Fault-- Political Failure," The National Lutheran, 58~eu,"The Present Church Situation in February 1965, 5-7. Germany," 5. On another occasion Reu remarks that among the good things the National Social- 61~ichardR. Salzmann, "Lutheran Theology and ists have accomplished for Germany is the fact Political Action, Part I--How Reu Viewed the that "a distribution of opportunity and influence Nazis," The National Lutheran, November 1965, in keeping with the percentage of population, 9-11, 18. namely the relocation of the non-German elements, especially the Jews, was realized." J. M. Reu, 62~alzmannoffers as evidence Reu's December he Place of the Lutheran Church in the Third 1937 editorial comment in the Kirchliche Zeit- Reich," Kircfiliche Zeitschrift 58 (May 1934): Schrift where Reu writes: "many of the gruesome 275. dealings of the Third Reich over against the Jews have been justified by a false reference to 59"~gain, the consequence of brotherly love ~uther'swriting," and another dating from Sep- is charity in general (I1 Pet. 1: 7) including tember 1939 in which Reu criticises a Nazi-run the whole wide circle of those not yet members "Institute for Research on Jewish Influence in of the Kingdom. To be sure, he who believes Christian Churches" as "another anti-Christian in God (Ps. 139:21, 22); but since he is also attack" and as "an unwarranted extension of the aware that they have been created in God's miserable Nazi anti-Semitism...." Reu; quoted image, that they are lost without Christ, that in Salzmann, ibid., 10. ~eu'smost extensive Christ has redeemed them, and that it is the article detailing the attempts of the "German ath her's will that they should become God's Christian" movement to reintroduce the pagan children and the ~hristian'sbrethren in the Germanic deities and to destroy all organized faith, he is constrained to include them also forms of genuine Protestant Christianity in the in his love." Reu and Beuhring, Ethics, 150. process is "Wer sind die 'Deutschen ~hristen'?" Cf. also Reuls comment on p. 230 of this volume Kirchliche Zeitschrift 57 (October 1933): 592- that the Christian's love "makes no distinctions 602; 57 (December 1933): 720-739. This article between individuals, it does not stop with is especially valuable because besides ~eu's nationality or any external differences, but it own evaluations of various aspects of the movement recognizes in every member of the human race a it contains numerous quotations from the movement's being like himself created by God and still leaders. Cf. in addition Reu, "Aus dem Kampf urn bearing a remnant of God's image." das Bekenntnis in der Kirsch Deutschlands," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 58 (September 1934): 6%entz documents other such lapses in re- 513-533. gard to editorial treatment of both Nazi theology

- 46 - 63~eu'sview of the movies is an extremely Jewish control over the picture industry using caustic one. For example, he refers to them in words such as these: "Die jGdischen und sonst his homiletics text as "sumptuous motion pictures nightchrislichen und vielleicht 'christlichen' with their vivid appeal and questionable motives (Mr, Hays!) Geldmagnaten, die hinter dem ganzen [which] blunt the power of discrimination in Skandalwesen stehen. . . ." Reu, he Motion Picture Menace," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 58 (July 1934): moral and religious matters ....I1 Reu, Homiletics, 123. But he specifically Links the moral degrada- 444. On Reu's attitude toward films in general, tion of the motion picture industry to the Jews. $ see the articles reprinted by Reu, along with his For example, after presenting a reprinted news occasional editorial comments, in J. M. Reu, "~er I erzieht unser heranwachsendes Geschlecht?", release from the Editorial Council of the Reli- gious Press detailing how many movies in 1938 Kirchliche Zeitschrift 43 (September 1919): 445- depicted such moral aberrations as rape, incest, 446; id., "Missbrauch des ~ino,"---Kirchliche murder, and adultery in their plots, Reu observes: --Zeitschrift 47 (February 1923): 157-158; id,, "Und diese Theater werden wschentlich von 70 "~ovingPicture--the greatest religious menace Millionen besucht, worunter 28 Millionen unter in America," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 49 (April 20 Kahren sind! Hat die Kontrolle schon wieder 1925: 229-233; id., he Menace of the Movies," aufgeh'ijrt? Die Mehrzahl dieser Theater wird von Kirchliche Zeitschrift 43 (April 1930): 309-311; Juden betrieben, die man zue Zeit so sehr liebt id. , "~infiihrungdeGprechenden Wandelbilder und von denen man nicht genug in die hEchsten in die Kirche," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 54 Regierungsstellen bringen kann!" J. M. Reu, (April 1930): 318-319; id., "Allegemeines," -Kirchliche Zeitschrift-- 54 (May 1930): 370-373. "~bszsneLiteratur," ---Kirchliche Zeitschrift 63 (March 1939): 179. And in a 1931 article concern- ing efforts of the motion picture industry to 64~f.in addition Reu's characterization of enlist the help of the public schools in using "the money-mad Jews of our day" in J. M. Reu, feature films as educational tools, Reu comments: review of Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, by Louis S. Bauman, In Kirchliche Zeit- as jGdische und sonstige Kapital, das hinter der ganzen Filmindustrie steht, will unsere schrift 67 (September 1943): 522-523; id., Kinder so erziehen, dass ihnen der Besuch dieser "~ewishActivities in our Country," Kirchliche Theater eine Gewohnheit und dann ein Bedzrfnis Zeitschrift 67 (August 1943): 476-477; id., wird, ja dass man ihn als ein notwendiges ~teck "~ntisemitismusin Amerika," Kirchliche Zeit- schrift 62 (May 1938): 310-311; id., review of der Erziehung ansieht. 1st das erst erreicht, -- dann werden sie auch immer weniger empfindlich, The Jewish Problem, by Julius Hahn and Henry wenn FragwGrdiges und direkt Unsittliches darge- I Mueller, In Kirchliche Zeitschrift 52 (November stellt wird. Wir machen auf diese Bewegung aug- 1927) : 682. Reu was also-of the opinion that merksam, damit man sich bei Zeiten an seine 2 Jews were behind the printing and sale of sala- ~chulverwaltungwendet und sich solche Kooperation cious literature in the United States. Cf. Reu, zwischen Schule and Filmindustrie verbittet." "The Motion Picture Menace," 444. Reu, "A New Plan to Bring Children into Movie ~heaters,"Kirchliche Zeitschrift 55 (September 65~ora treatment of Reu's belief concerning 1931): 544-545. In a similar vein, Reu speaks of the conversion of the Jews en masse prior to the

- 49 - - 48 - end of the world, see his citation of Luther's ------Kirchliche Zeitschrift 57 (October 1933): 625- exposition of Romans 11:25 in J. M. Reu, 626; id., "~iekgnnen es nicht lassen!", "Luther und die Frage nach der allgemeinen Kirchliche Zeitschrift 58 (November 1934): 688; ------* ------* Judenbekehrung em ~nde,"Kirchliche Zeitschrift id., "Die Vereinigten Staaten eine weithin 63 (May 1939): 273-275. heidnische Nation," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 60 (February 1936): 115-116; id., "Zur Frage nach 66~.M. Reu, "Luther and the Jews," p. 25, der religib'sen Stellung unserer College-Jugend," J. M. Reu Collection, Dubuque. Italics do not Kirchliche Zeitschrift 62 (February 1938): 115- appear in the original. Cf. Reu "Luther and -- --- 117: id., "Amerikas ~elbstmord."----- Kirchliche - -- - the Jews, " Kirchliche Zeitschrif t 61 (October ~eitschrift65 (September 1941j : 576. 1941): 610. ----

67~.M. Reu, "~tellungnahmegegen den Anti- semitismus," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 61 (February Pastor Paul I. Johnson 1937) : 120-121.

68~f.the reprinted articles, along with Reu's own comments in J. M. Reu, "Angriffe auf die Religion in unseren Schulen," Kirchliche Zeit- schrift 47 (August 1923): 522-523; id., "Der Kampf um den christlichen Charakter der Kirche unseres Landes," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 47 (December 1923) : 764-767; id., "Die Verheid- nischung unser ~niversitztenund Colleges," -Kirchliche Zeitschrift 49 (May 1925): 311-313; id., "~erAtheismus organisiert sich," Kirch- --liche Zeitschrift 51 (October 1927): 633-636; id., "The Inter-Church Theistic Alliance," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 51 (December 1927): 764- 765; id., "Die propaganda des Atheismus in unserem Land," Kirchliche Zeitschrift 53 (February 1929): 124-126; id., "Strange Bed Fellows," Kirchliche Zeitschrif- t 56 (February 1932) : 119-15 ; id., "Are College Students Godless?", Kirchliche Zeit- schrif t 56 (September 1932) : 555-556; id., i "A Conversation about God ,I1 Kirchliche Zeitschrif t 56 (October 1932) : 630-635; id., "College Students and God," --Kirchliche Zeitschrift 57 (October 1933): 623-624; id., "Atheism and the Depression," so in order "to eat the Lord's Supper. "'John COMMUNION FREQUENCY IN THE Gerhard observes that it is "clear from Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:20, 33, that when the Christians EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD: A RE-EVALUATION did gather at one place, they were accustomed to celebrate the Eucharist," and he concludes that, "Because it has been accepted as a practice in For the past several years the pastors of the the Christian church that in the public assem- Evangelical Lutheran Synod have been engaged in a blies of the church after the preaching and wide-ranging discussion on the topic of the Lord's hearing of the Word this Sacrament is celebrated, Supper. Several senior pastors of the synod have therefore, this custom must not be departed from told the present writer that during this time without urgent necessity. "3 their understanding of the Sacrament has been greatly enhanced, and that a careful analysis of The frequent celebration of the Lord's Supper the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions has did indeed continue in the Christian church in led them to re-evaluate their views and correct the generations that followed the apostles. The some previously held misconceptions. The synod testimony of Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis (who has come to a renewed appreciation of the effi- died in 403), is cited in the Apology of the cacy of Christ's Word in the Supper and of the Augsburg Confession: truly evangelical character of the Sacrament. This renewal of Sacramental theology should not, Epiphanius writes that in Asia Minor however, be limited to the "theoretical" realm. there were no daily Masses but Communion A willingness to re-evaluate our doctrine of the was celebrated three times a week, and Lord's Supper should be accompanied by a willing- that this practice came from the apostles. ness to re-evaluate our Sacramental practice. He says, "Assemblies for Communion were On the question of the frequency of the Lord's appointed by the apostles to be held on Supper in our congregations, such a re-evaluation the fourth day, on Sabbath eve, and on may once again result in the correction of some the Lord ' s Day. 114 previously held misconceptions. In the western church the Eucharist as instituted It is probably fair to assume that most by Christ was gradually disfigured during the cotigregations in the synod currently celebrate Middle Ages by the development of the "sacrifice the Sacrament of the Altar either once or twice of the Mass." When the true use of the Sacrament per month. It must be admitted, however, that became unclear to the people, they became less this was not the practice of the apostolic inclined to partake of the Sacrament and were church. St. Luke writes in the Acts of the content instead to "hear" Mass on Sunday mornings Apostles, "On the first day of the week when we and at other times during the week. The problem gathered for the breaking of the bread, Paul was acute enough for the Fourth Lateran Council, preached to them."l In his First Epistle to the in 1215, to compel the faithful to receive Corinthians, St. Paul simply assumes that when Communion at least once per year, they do during Easter. Christians "come together as a church," The Lutheran reformers responded to these problems not by abolishing the weekly Mass, but by restor- Luther D. Reed is undoubtedly correct in his ing it to its proper use. summary of the views of Martin Luther (and the other Lutheran reformers) on this issue: The Lutherans repudiated all notions of the Mass as a propitiatory sacrifice for the living Believing with all his soul in the and the dead, and they rejected private daily "given-ness" of the gospel, Luther Masses as contrary to the institution of Christ. attached an almost sacramental author- However, they wholeheartedly embraced what they ity to the uttered work which pro- saw as the ----true Mass, which included both the claimed ~od'swill and mercy. At the public proclamation of the Gospel and the public same time veneration for the Sacrament administration of the Supper of the Lord as He as the seal of forgiveness and a means ordained it: of grace in which "~hristand his saints come unto thee," kept him in accord with We are perfectly willing for the Mass the historic church in concluding the to be understood as a daily sacrifice, chief service of every Lord's Day and provided this means the whole Mass, the festival with the Lord's Supper. The ceremony and also the proclamation of custom which became general in Lutheran the Gospel, faith, prayer, and thanks- churches two centuries later of reducing giving. Taken together, these are the the Sunday morning service to a preaching daily sacrifice of the New Testament; service and only infrequently celebrating the ceremony was instituted because of Holy Communion, as in the Zwinglian and them and ought not be separated from Calvinistic churches, must not be laid them. Therefore Paul says (I Cor.l1:26), at ~uther'sdoor. He would be stirred "As often as you eat this bread and drink to indignation by the infrequent obser- the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death.115 vance of the Sacrament in many Lutheran churches today. 7 The reformers clearly believed that the proper celebration of the Sacrament should be a normal The weekly observance of the ~ord'sSupper and regular component of a congregation's worship in the Lutheran congregations of the sixteenth life, and that it should be made available to the and seventeenth centuries did not mean that people, at the very least, on a weekly basis: every parishioner was automatically expected to commune every Sunday. Reed reminds us that ....we do not abolish the Mass but reli- "~utherhimself, according to Veit ~ietrich's giously keep and defend it. In our reminiscences, used to receive the Sacrament churches Mass is celebrated every Sunday every fourteen days or at least every three and on other festivals, when the sacra- weeks, " but not every single sunday. 8 However, ment is offered to those who wish for it it --did mean that those who wished to partake of after they have been examined and ab- the ~ord'sSupper on any given Sunday, and who solved. We keep traditional liturgical were properly prepared to do so, were always forms, such as the order of the lessons, able to receive the Blessed Sacrament of their prayers, vestments, etc. Savior's body and blood. There are so many hindrances and temp- tations of the devil and the world that Many people do hold to the misconception we often grow weary and faint, at times that weekly Communion is a distinctive "Roman even stumble. --The Lord's Supper is ~atholic"usage and that monthly Communion or ---.. given------as a daily food and sustenance--- so something similar is the Christian norm. The that our faith may refresh and strengthen truth of the matter is that a less-than-weekly itself and not weaken in the struggle but observance of the Sacrament was an unprecedented grow continually stronger. For the new Zwinglian innovation in sixteenth-century Switz- life should be one that continually erland which was then adopted by the Calvinists develops and progresses. Meanwhile, it as well. This ecclesiastical novelty did even- must suffer much opposition. The devil tually become entrenched in the institutional is a furious enemy; when he sees that we Lutheran Church, but long after the Reformation, resist him and attack the old man, and during a period of theological weakness and when he cannot rout us by force, he confusion that had been brought on by the des- sneaks and skulks about everywhere, try- tructive influences of "Pietism" and "Ration- ing all kinds of tricks, and does not alism." Both of these movements militated stop until he has finally worn us out so against the "means of grace" theology of the that we either renounce our faith or Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and yield hand and foot and become indifferent they accordingly relegated the Lord's Supper to or impatient. For such times, when our a secondary, supplementary status, as in the hearts feel too sorely pressed, this Zwinglian model. This was an obvious departure comfort of the ~ord'sSupper is given to from the historic Lutheran understanding, and from the example of all of Christian antiquity. bring us new strength and refre~hment.~ Luther makes it very clear that "no one should Ulrich Zwingli's abandonment of weekly under any circumstances be coerced or compelled" Communion was a logical consequence of his to receive the Sacrament, lo since this would be abandonment of Biblical Sacramental theology the same kind of unevangelical legalism imposed and his redefinition of the Sacrament as a on Christian consciences by the Fourth Lateran merely symbolic "memorial. " The Lutherans at Council. However, he also gives this admonition the time of the Reformation had an entirely different conception of the Sacrament, which to his fellow pastors: led them to follow an entirely different kind We should so preach that, of their own of Sacramental piety. Luther writes in the Large Catechism: accord and without any law, the people will desire the sacrament and, as it were, compel us pastors to administer While it is true that through Baptism we are first born anew, our human flesh it to them. This can be done by telling them: It is to be feared that anyone and blood have not lost their old skin. who does not desire to receive the sacra- ment at least three or four times a year despises the sacrament and is no Evangelical Lutheran Synod do not currently offer Christian, just as he is no Christian the Sacrament "every Lord's Day" is, historically who does not hear and believe the speaking, an indication of the residual effects Gospel. Christ did not say, "Omit of "~ietism"and "~ationalism" on our liturgical this," or "~espisethis," but he said, practice, even though we have rejected the the- "Do this, as often as you drink it," ology of those movements. The Confessional etc. Surely he wishes that this be Revival of the nineteenth century (of which we done and not that it be omitted and are heirs) truly did return to the forgotten despised. "DO this," he said. theology of Reformation-era Lutheranism, but it He who doc not highly esteem the did not return to all of the edifying practices sacrament suggests thereby that he has that had been built on that theology and that no sin, no flesh, no devil, no world, had been a natural part of the Church's life no death, no hell. This is to say, he before its ~ietist/~ationalistcorruption. believes in none of these, although he This is especially evident in the fact that, is deeply immersed in them and is held with few exceptions, weekly Communion was not captive by the devil. On the other restored in the orthodox Lutheran congregations hand, he suggests that he needs no of that time.13 Kurt E. Marquart is among the grace, no life, no paradise, no heaven, conservative Lutherans of today who believe that no Christ, no God, nothing good at all. this was a mistake, and his advice to the theo- For if he believed that he was involved logical descendants of Walther, Koren, and Honecke in so much that is evil and was in need is that this mistake should now be corrected: of so much that is good, he would not neglect the sacrament in which aid is the most urgent liturgical need is not afforded against such evil and in which ... for this or that ceremonial detail; what such good is bestowed. It is not neces- is needed is the restoration of the sary to compel him by any law to receive Lutheran understanding of the close bond the sacrament, for he will hasten to it between sermon and sacrament. he sacra- of his own accord, he will feel con- ment and the sermon belong together," strained to receive it, he will insist wrote Sasse, "and it is always a sign of that you administer it to him. 11 the decay of the church if one is empha- sized at the expense of the other." This This kind of preaching, accompanied by sound cate- is clearly not a question of tinkering chesis and the proper use of confession and abso- with fussy bits and pieces of the litur- lution, bore postive fruit in the devotional life gical machinery, but one of regaining a of the people. The sixteenth-century Lutherans sense of the organic whole. 14 were indeed glad to be able to make the claim that "Every Lord's Day many in our churches use ...there is a variety-principle built the Lord's Supper.. ."12 into the liturgy, and that is the rhythm of the church-year. The basic units of The fact that most congregations of the this gentle, natural rhythm are the week and the year. This cycle is ...broken by Since the time of the Reformation Luther- the false off-on or even off-off-off-on ans have used a ----liturgical form of worship. staccato of "Communion sundays" and We inherited that form from the early "non-Communion Sundays." The proper church and have continued to use it, with change from Sunday to Sunday should be only one notable interruption, ever since. in the specific meaning and application Liturgical worship is built around the of the Sacrament, not in having or not liturgy--not a liturgy but --the liturgy of having it. The Eucharist is the whole the western Christian church. That liturgy Gospel in action. This one Gospel, like includes each worship day two Means of a precious diamond, has many facets or Grace (Word and Sacrament), two functions aspects, of which one or two are espe- of faith (receiving from God and giving to cially highlighted in each sunday's or God) and two opportunities for review festival's Gospel pericope. And through (a weekly review of the Ordinary and an whatever concrete facet the full Gospel annual review in the Proper). 16 is celebrated on a given day, that is the We dare not fail to notice that Lutheran specific meaning, or the mode of applica- Pietists disavowed liturgical form pre- tion of the Sacrament on that day. The cisely because they did not want to empha- Sacrament is always the full Gospel-gift, size the objective truths of the gospel. or course. But on Christmas Day we receive For the same reason the Evangelicals have it under the aspect of the Lord's Nativity, never adopted the liturgy, church l~earand on Epiphany in celebration of His Baptism, the regular use of the Sacrament. on Laetare Sunday as the Divine Bread of Life revealed in the miraculous feeding of The historic custom of celebrating the Lord's the multitude, and so on. In other words, Supper each Sunday is, strictly speaking, an the Sacrament, like the Gospel itself, "adiaphoron," since Jesus did not specifically must never be seen as some one narrow command it. The Confessional teaching that God aspect or some unvarying, "standard ration" did not ordain Sunday as a new "sabbath" or in the feast that is Christianity. It is obligatory day of worship naturally implies that rather the whole reality, under many wonder- there is no special mandate from God for an ful aspects, each especially observed and every-Sunday observance of the Sacrament. l8 We celebrated mercies of God. We have here the Kaleidoscope of God, which, at each must nevertheless acknowledge that weekly Com- weekly or seasonal tilt, exhibits the munion --was the accepted practice of the apostles, same generosity of ever new and exciting the ancient orthodox Fathers, and the Lutheran configurations. l5 reformers, and we must also acknowledge that there were, and are, weighty theological and pastoral James P. Tiefel, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran reasons for this practice. Seminary, issues a similar call from within our sister-synod: The author's congregation has adopted what might be called (for lack of a better term) a "high Massllow Mass" approach to the weekly administration of the Sacrament of the Altar. all you that labor and are heavy laden, On the second and fourth Sundays of the month I will give you rest." Through the and on major festivals, we celebrate the Lord's Sacrament of His body and blood He gives Supper according to the full "Page 15" Communion us the strength to face all the problems service in The Lutheran Hymnal. On the first, and troubles of life and to do a11 things third, and fifth Sundays of the month, we follow through Him. Come to this refreshing the "Page 5" service, after which those who wish repast. Here is the nourishment, the to remain for the Sacrament gather in the sanc- heavenly manna we need all the way through tuary for a brief, spoken service of Holy Com- the journey of life. 20 munion. This spoken service follows the basic outline of the traditional Communion rite and is Rev. David Jay Webber usually attended by about 20 communicants. In this way the Sacrament is made available to those who desire it, regardless of which Sunday of the month it may be. However, this has been done in such a way that the members who may not -Endnotes be "ready" for a thoroughgoing transition to weekly Communion in the main public service are 1. Acts 20:7, New American Bible (copyright not unnecessarily disturbed by a too-rapid 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine). change in their previous custom. 2. I Corinthians 11:18,20, New King James Version (copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). The restoration of weekly Communion has been warmly welcomed by many in our congregation. 3. Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser, and Those who sense a special need for the Sacrament John Gerhard, Harmoniae Quatuor Evangefitrarum on what would otherwise have beenal'non-Communion" (1652), 11, p. 1085; quoted in Kurt Marquart, Sunday are now abie to receive the comfort of "~iturgicalCommonplaces," ------Concordia Theological ~hrist'sSupper. Those who desire to commune Quarterly 42:4 (October 1978), pp. 336-37. more often than once or twice per month, and who 4. Apology XXIV:8, in The Book of Concord, are "truly worthy and well prepared" through translated and edited by Theodore G. Tappert faith in Christ's words of forgiveness, l9 are (Fortress Press, 1959), p. 250. The quotation now given the opportunity to receive the Sacra- is from Heresies, 111. ment every Sunday. The members of our church are continuing to grow in their appreciation of 5. Apology XXIV:35, Tappert p. 256. the great blessings which Jesus offers to us 6. Apology XXIV:~, Tappert p. 249. when He invites us to this Sacred Meal. As Gaylin R. Schmeling reminds us, 7. Luther D. Reed, The Lutheran-- Liturgy (revised edition) (Muhlenberg Press, 1947), pp. in every difficulty and problem of life 79-80. On p. 244 Reed makes the following the Lord Jesus says, "Come to My Table observation: "Some orders recognized that on certain days in toms and villages there might be no communicants. Permission was given in (unpublished manuscript, 1989), p. 12. Emphases this event to conclude the Service with appro- in original. priate prayers and the Benediction. This 17. "Fostering the Devotional Life that exceptional provision later became the regular Leads to Spiritual Renewal," p. 16. use. In the beginning, however, it was part of a plan to maintain the historic order of the 18. Cf. Augsburg Confession XXVIII:53-60. Mass and to encourage the faithful to communi- 19. Small Catechism VI:lO, Tappert p. 352. cate." See also Michael Krentz, "How Can the Liturgy Aid the Church's Mission?" Lutheran 20. Gaylin Schmeling, "The Theology of the Synod Quarterly XXX: 1 (March 1991), pp. 53-54. ~ord'sSupper," Lutheran- Synod Quarterly XXVIII:4 (December 1988), p. 61. 8. The Lutheran Liturgy, p. 227. See also Apology XI:3-5. 9. Large Catechism V:23-27, Tappert p. 449. Emphasis added. LO. Large Catechism V:42, Tappert p. 451. 11. Small Catechism, Preface: 22-23, Tappert p. 341. Emphasis in original. 12. Apology XV:40, Tappert p. 220. 13. The shortage of Lutheran pastors in nineteenth-century America did, of course, make the restoration of weekly Communion impossible in some congregations since it would have been improper for a lay reader to administer the Sacrament in the absence of a regularly-ordained minister (cf. Augsburg Confession XIV). However, weekly Communion --could have been restored in the churches that were regularly served by a called pastor, but there were very few cases in which it was. 14. "Liturgical Commonplaces," pp . 337-38. The Hermann Sasse quotation is from This Is My Body (Augsburg Publishing House, 1959), p. 2.

15. "Liturgical Commonplaces, " pp. 343-44. 16. James P. Tiefel, "Fostering the Devo- tional Life that Leads to Spiritual Renewal" the signers included the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. This FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF was public testimony that they believed themselves ORTHODOX LUTHERANISM to be in the continuity of the Christian Church of past ages.

There are three foundational principles on The basic Lutheran confession is the Augsburg These three which orthodox Lutheranism is based. Confession of 1530. It was presented by the principles are known as the confessional principle, Elector of Saxony and other German princes to the formal principle, and the material principle. Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, as The confessional principle involves subscription a summary of the doctrines being taught in their to the doctrinal content of the confessional territories, and to give the reasons why certain writings contained in the Book of Concord of 1580. rites had been abolished among them. The primary Orthodox Lutherans subscribe to these documents author of the Augsburg Confession was Philip because they believe they are in full agreement Melanchton. The work is not original with him, The with the teachings of the Holy Scripture. but is based largely on earlier Lutheran docu- formal principle of Lutheran theology is that the ments, including some of the writings of Luther. Bible alone is the source of all doctrine in the The first twenty-one articles of the confession church. The material principle is the doctrine deal with the doctrines of God, man, redemption, of justification by grace through faith in Jesus justification, means of grace, new obedience, Christ. the church, the sacraments, the public ministry, church rites, the government, the last things, Lutherans are bound together by the confes- free will, the cause of sin, good works and the sional principle which has to do with the confes- worship of saints. The remaining seven articles sional documents of the Lutheran Church in the treat of abuses which had been corrected, includ- sixteenth century. These confessions, or symbols, ing the Lord's Supper under one element, the make up the Book of Concord of 1580. All major celibacy of priests, the mass as a sacrifice Lutheran bodies in Lutheranism subscribe, at and monastic views. 3 Regarding the adopt ion of least partially, to the Lutheran confessions. the Augsburg Confession, Bente wrote, "June 25, There is, however, no uniformity among them as to 1 1530, is properly regarded as the birthday of the degree or binding nature of such subscription. the Lutheran Church. From this day on she stands before all the world as a body united by a public The documents contained in the Book of Concord confession and separate from the Roman Ch~rch."~ are the three Ecumenical Creeds of Christendon, Luther, who had stood alone at the beginning, now the Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augs- was surrounded by numerous others who were not burg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, the two afraid to place their name on his Confession, the Formula of Concord. Catechisms of Luther and although they knew it might cost them goods and blood, life and limb.5 When the Lutheran symbolical writings were brought together into the Book of Concord in 1580, The Apology of the Augsburg Confession was published in April, 1531. This document was also Concerning the Power and Primacy of the Pope. from the pen of Melanchton. It was written in This was drafted by Melanchton. In this tract response to the Catholic Confutation of the Augs- Melanchton rejected the theory of the Pope's burg Confession. The theological advisors of the "divine right" to wield the temporal and Emperor had prepared the Confutation. They claimed spiritual swords. 9 it refuted all the major points of the Augsburg Confession. On the basis of the Confutation the Also included in the Book of Concord are the Emperor demanded that the Lutherans cease and two Catechisms by Luther, his Large Catechism desist from their preaching and practice. In the and his Small Catechism. Both were published Apology Melanchton showed that the Catholic Con- in 1529. Both are expositions of the chief futation failed to refute the Augsburg Confession. parts of the Christian faith--the Ten Command- He contended that the Catholics and Lutherans had ments, the Apostles Creed, the Lord's Prayer, basically different theologies. According to the Sacrament of Baptism, and the Sacrament of Melanchton, the Catholics had a theology of the the Lord's Supper. The Small Catechism is pri- Law, teaching that man must seek his salvation by marily a book of instruction, while the Large his own good life. On the other hand, the Lutheran Catechism is chiefly a collection of catechetical theology was that of the Gospel, teaching that a sermons preached by Luther at Wittenberg. lo person is justified only by grace through faith in Jesus ~hrist.~ The final document in the Book of Concord is the Formula of Concord. It is a doctrinal summary The Smalcald Articles were written as a result in answer to various controversies with groups of an announcement by Pope Paul 111 that he and individuals both inside and outside the intended to convene a Council in 1537 for the Lutheran Church. These controversies had dis- "extirpation of the. . .Lutheran heresy ."7 The turbed German Lutheranism from 1548 to 1578. Lutherans met at Smalcald to prepare themselves Schmauk said concerning the writing of the for the Council. At the request of Elector John, Formula of Concord, "The Augsburg Confession was Luther prepared the Smalcald Articles for presen- but a beginning. Though in it all other Protes- tation to the assembled theologians at this meet- tants had been excluded from participation, and inge8 In the first part of these articles, Luther the Evangelical Church of Luther had given its treated the doctrine of the Trinity and the two final answer to the old world-order and to Rome, natures of Christ. In the second part he dis- the Church of the Augsburg Confession had not as cussed Christ and faith, the mass and invocation yet given any answer to the antithesis in Protes- of saints, chapters and monasteries and the papacy. tantism itself."ll In the introduction to the In the third part he dealt with sin, law, repent- Formula of Concord Scripture is confessed as the ance, the Gospel, Baptism, the Sacrament of the only rule of faith and practice, and the Lutheran Altar, the keys, confession, excommunication, confessions previously adopted are accepted. The ordination and vocation, the marriage of priests, various articles of the Formula reject exaggera- the church, how man is justified before God, good tions on original sin, reject synergism, and up- works, monastic vows, and human traditions. hold grace alone, emphasize the forensic character Appended to the articles by Luther was the Tract of justification, treat of faith producing good works, distinguish between Law and Gospel, deal of the Augsburg Confession and the Smalcald with the Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Articles are from the early period of the Lord's Supper, elaborate on the personal union Lutheran Reformation. The lengthy Formula of and attributes of Christ, show that the whole Concord is the result of a long period of theo- Christ descended to hell to proclaim His victory, logical controversy in Germany. Because the deal with church ceremonies, reject the doctrine Lutheran Churches in the Scandinavian countries of reprobation, teach an election of grace and were not directly involved in the German con- reject heresies. l2 Bente says that the promoters flicts they never decided to adopt or reject and authors of the Formula of Concord had as the Formula of Concord or to bind themselves to their declared purpose the restoration of Lutheran the decisions of the German church as to what doctrine. He states, "And in deciding the con- degree of confessional subscription determines troversial questions, they certainly did most true and orthodox Lutheranism. Ordinarily the faithfully adhere to Luther's teaching. The churches of Scandinavia accepted formally only Formula is an exact, clear, consistent, and the Ecumenical Creeds, the Au sburg Confession, guarded statement of original Lutheranism, puri- and Luther's Small Catechism. f7 fied of all foreign elements... Surely Luther would not have nesitated to endorse each and all Lutherans also differ among themselves as to of its articles or doctrinal statements."l3 On the manner of subscription to the confessions. June 24, 1580, the Formula of Concord was pub- lished as the last of the Lutheran Symbols in the Some Lutherans understand their subscription Book of Concord. l4 to bind them to the doctrinal content of the confessions because this content is drawn from The Book of Concord was signed by three the Bible.'* This form of subscription is known electors, two bishops, eighteen princes, twenty- as quia subscription. four counts, four barons, thirty-eight cities, and about eight thousand clergy in 1577 and 1578.15 Others subscribe to the confessions only insofar as they believe them to conform to the Some Lutherans have subscribed to the entire Scriptures. l9 This kind of subscription is called quatenus subscription. Quatenus subscrib- content of the Book of Concord. Others (e.g., -- -pa-- some Lutherans in the Norwegian-Danish tradition) ers do not always feel bound by the confessions. have subscribed to only one or several of the Some among them have accepted the confessions as documents contained therein. l6 Historically, having only historical value. They accept the this was due to conditions and situations in confessions on valid answers to problems faced the various countries in which Lutheranism when they were written. However, they suggest developed. that the church of today may have to give dif- ferent answers to contemporary problems. 20 There are really two periods reflected in the Ralph W. Loew has said, "These confessions, or documents contained in the Book of Concord. The statements of faith, are historic and unifying Catechisms, the Augsburg Confession, the Apology but not treated as infallible, binding docu- ments. !12' He goes so far as to say, "1f Lutherans require others to adapt the form of contained in the Confessions, but because it the statements of faith which have been the is the doctrine of ~cri~ture."3~ continuing heritage of the Lutheran group, the I1 23 are untrue to their own confession of faith. Pieper says that several Latin terms have been used to show the relationship "between Orthodox Lutherans have insisted on a quia Holy Scripture and the Symbols of the orthodox subscription to all of the confessions in the chur~h."3~These terms are norma and --norma Book of Concord. J. L. Neve wrote, "A Creed --normata, norma primaria and secundaria. The should be subscribed to with a quia.1'23 He terms say that the Confessions are anorm, but further remarks, "A congregation has a right to not absolutely by themselves. They are a de- know where its minister stands. '124 A quia sub- rived norm (secunda quid) because the doctrines scription does not bind the subscriber to retain in the Confession are taken from the Bible. all the circumstances, terms, illustrations, and Two other terms describe the purpose of the arguments that are used in the Symbols. However, confessional docurnenta. Scripture is called the doctrinal content or the substance of the the ----norma decisions, or the deciding norm. doctrine must be retained just as it is recorded The Symbols are referred to as the --norma in Scripture and not insofar as private judgment --discretionis, or distinguishing norm. The Scrip- thinks it may agree with scripture. 25 Seventeenth tures also decide which doctrines are true, and century theologian John C. Dannhauer said that in which are false. 33 Chemnitz declared that, he the quatenus sense "my man could subcribe to Symbols are not something alongside or contrary ' the Koran also."26 Neve said much the same thing, to Scripture but are the very marrow of stating that with merely a quantenus we could even Scripture. tt3 .fl subscribe to the decrees of the (Catholic) Council of rent. 27 John P. Meyer writes, "A quatenus In early American Lutheranism church confer- subscription is no subscription.'128 He quotes ences and synods did not emphasize confessional Johann Georg Walch as follows, "whoever has taken loyalty. The confessions were often omitted in an oath with a condition is able to grant himself constitutions. H. M. Muhlenberg tried to rally a license to desert the doctrine presented in the Lutherans around the Augsburg Confession and confessions without fear whenever it please him."29 other Lutheran Symbols. After his death a trend Pieper states that quatenus subscription annuls the away from the confessions was influenced by Symbols as a Confession of faith.30 He writes, Rationalism. In the nineteenth century some he symbols, or Confessions, of the orthodox favored the abandonment of the confessions .35 Church are simply its affirmation of the Scrip- This was the prevailing spirit in the General tural doctrine...This...truth--that the Lutheran Synod which was organized in 1821. The General Church does not set up in its Symbols a second Synod became an umbrella body for most of the norm alongside of Scripture--is evidenced by its Lutheran groups in the country at the time, insistence on the quia form of subscription. It binds its teachers to the doctrine contained in John Tietjen wrote that the Tennessee Confer- the Confession not because it is doctrine ence of the North Carolina Synod objected to the General Synod on theological grounds. They When pastors are ordained into the holy minis- the Lutheran confessional writings as norms for try in the orthodox bodies of the now defunct teaching, it was not a properly Lutheran body."36 Synodical Conference (Missouri Synod, Wisconsin The Tennessee Synod, which grew out of the Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Synod and several Tennessee Conference, became the first American smaller related bodies), they accept the three group to insist on a strict confessionalism.37 ecumenical creeds as faithful testimonies to the Members of the Henkel family, who were prominent truth of the Holy Scriptures. They subscribe to in the founding and early days of this synod, the unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true expo- translated and published the first English sition of the Word of God and a correct exhibition edition of the Book of Concord .38 of the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. They also state their belief that the remaining In 1844 C. F. W. Walther of St. Louis began confessions in the Book of Concord are also in publication of a periodical titled "~erLutheraner." agreement with this one Scriptural faith.4* He was motivated in his efforts by his deep inter- est in re-establishing Lutheran orthodoxy. His The formal principle of Lutheran theology is writings prepared the way for the formation of the that the Scripture alone is the source of all doc- Missouri Synod in 1847. The confessional section trine in the church. The supreme and absolute of the constitution of the Missouri Synod reads, authority of God's Word is a fundamental principle in part, he Synod, and every member of the of the ~eformation.~~The Formula of Concord says, Synod, accepts without reservation: 1. The "We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testa- the written Word of God and the only rule and ments are the only rule and norm according to norm of faith and of practice; 2. All the Sym- which all doctrines and teachers alike must be bolical Books of The Evangelical Lutheran Church appraised and judged" (Ep. 1: 1) .44 The writers as a true and unadulterated statement and exposi- of the Formula then cite two Scripture verses in tion of the Word of God.. ."39 Then the constitu- support of this position. They quote the tion lists the titles of all the documents con- Psalmist, "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a tained in the Book of Concord. F. E. Mayer says, light to my path" (Ps. 119:105). They also adduce any believed that the strict adherence to all the words of St. Paul, "~venif an angel from the Lutheran Confessions bordered on symbollatry heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and a return to the 17th-century dogmaticians that which we preached to you, let him be accur- could produce only a repristination theology and sed" (Gal. 1:8). For orthodox Lutherans the they predicted the early doom of this new synod.1140 authority of Scripture is sole and absolute.45 Contrary to such expectations the synod grew and expanded very rapidly. This was largely because The Missouri Synod authors of Popular Sym- the practical seminary at Springfield, Ill., pre- bolic~say that the theology of the Lutheran pared consecrated men quickly to minister to the Church is "~chriftheologie." They say that "Her German Lutheran immigrants on the frontier to theologians are content to labor exclusively in supplement the supply of candidates prepared at the scripture."46 Adolph Hoenecke of the the theoretical St. Louis, Mo. seminary. 41 Wisconsin Synod wrote, "It is the work of theol- article of the divine character of the Bible, ogy to learn, establish, confirm, and vindicate because their interest was centered primarily in the divine truth from scripture."47 a Christo-centric approach to the Scriptures. In the Lutheran view the main thought of the According to Robert Preus, "Lutheran ortho- entire Scripture is that we should believe that doxy teaches that the authority of Scripture is through faith in Jesus Christ we have a gracious due to its divine origin."48 Orthodox Lutherans God. Mayer writes, "In Lutheran theology the view the Scripture as the inspired, infallible believer does not accept the absolute authority and inerrant Word of God. This position is in of the Scriptures as an a priori truth, but agreement with the view of the Lutheran reformers because he has learned to know Christ as his in the sixteenth century. Pieper remarks that divine Savior; has experienced the power of His the Symbols of the Lutheran Church presuppose Word in the Scriptures upon their heart; and verbal inspiration as an unquestionably estab- relies implicity on ~hrist'sown statement con- lished doctrine. He says that this is because cerning the divine character of the Scriptures. they use "Scripture" and "Word of the Holy Ghost" It is, therefore, proper to say that the formal as synonomyous terms. 49 principle of Lutheran theology is entirely Chris- tological."52 The Lutheran position of Scripture While the formal principle of Lutheran theology alone implies the divine authority, efficacy, is that Scripture alone is the source of all doc- perfection or sufficiency, and perspicuity of the trine in the church, the curious fact is that in Bible, but above a11 else Jesus Christ is the the confessional documents of the Lutheran Church center of its message. Spitz wrote, "For Luther there is no specific article settin forth the there is no sola Scriptura without sola ~hristus."~~ Lutheran attitude toward the bible.?^ There are plausible reasons for this omission. The material principle of Lutheranism is the doctrine of justification by grace through Jesus The sixteenth century saw no need for such an Christ. Lutherans view this doctrine as the most article because the Catholic Church of their day important doctrine of ~cri~ture.54 had never questioned the divine inspiration and In a recent document released by the Missouri Synod's Commis- authority of the Biblical writings. When they sion on Theology and Church Relations the authors engaged in controversy with their Catholic oppo- say, "Lutherans believe and teach that justifica- nents, they could correctly assume that both they tion by faith is the central doctrine of the and their opponents accepted the Bible as God's Christian faith, the doctrine on which the church Word. The several documents of the Book of Con- stands or falls and therefore by which the church cord take for granted the absolute authority of is built and preserved."55 Scripture. This thought of Scriptural authority When Lutherans speak of justification as the material principle of runs like a red thread throughout the confessions theology, they are saying that for them a11 of the Lutheran Church.51 theological thinking must begin at this article, center in it, and culminate in it.56 The Formula The early Lutheran writings have no special of Concord quotes Luther as saying, "Where this single article remains pure, Christendom will remain pure, in beautiful harmony, and without any schisms. But where it does not remain pure, ENDNOTES it is impossible to repel any error or heretical spiritt' (SD 111: 6) .57 Again Luther said, his '~al~hA. Bohlmann, Principles of Biblical article is the head and cornerstone of the Interpretation in the Lutheran Confessions Church, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1968), 9. preserves, and protects the Church; without it the Church of God cannot subsist one hour ."58 2~.L. Neve, Churches and Sects of Christendom Mayer made the same point another way saying, rev. ed. (Clair, NE: Lutheran Publishing House, "The doctrine of justification is, as it were, 1952), 132. the strand on which all the pearls of Christian revelation are strung .'159 The central position 3~.E. Mayer, The Religious Bodies of America given to the doctrine of justification in ortho- (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1954) dox Lutheranism has affected their approach to 135-136. all other doctrines of Scripture. It has enabled the church "to employ all theology in a saterio- logical and doxological way in the proclamation and service of the Lord Jesus Christ ."6O 6~ayer,136. 7~ueker,orig. ed., 633.

-- Rev. Ernest Bartels 1°1bid. "~chmauk and Benze, cxv.

12~ueker,orig ed., 634.

14~eve,Churches and Sects, 137.

15~ueker,orig. ed., 634. 6~ohlmann, 19.

17~eve,Churches and Sects, 133-134.

23~eve,Symbolics, 23. 25C. F. W. Walther, "Why Should Our Pastors, Teachers and Professors Subscribe Uncondition- ally to the Symbolical Writings of Our Church," trans. Alex. Wm. C. Guebert, Concordia Theological Monthly 18 (April 1947), 242. 46~heodoreEngelder et al, Popular Symbolics: The Doctrines of the Churches of Christendom a% Z61bid. 27~eve,Symbolics, 23. of Other Religious Bodies Examined in the Light of Scripture (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing 28~ohnP. Meyer, Dogmatics Notes 2 vols., House, 19347, 3. 2nd ref. ed. (Mequon, WI: Seminary Mimeograph- ing Committee, 1985), 1:9. 47~bid. 48~reus,1:411.

29~iddlerDogmatics Aids: A listing of passages and translations of Latin and German quotations in Prof. eyer's Dogmatics trans. HK, DK and JAW (Mewuon, WI: Seminary Bookstore, 1981), 11. '3~ohn Warwick Montgomery, ed ., Crisis in Lutheran Theology: The Validity and-~elevance 30pieper, 1:354. 31~bid. of Historic Lutheranism vs. Its Contemporary Rivals 2 vols., 2d ed. rev. (Minneapolis: Bethany 321bid., 1: 358. 33~bid. Fellowship, Inc., 1973), 2:215.

341bid. 35~ueker,orig. ed., 634. 54~heseson Justif ication (n. p . : Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran 36~ohnH. Tietjen, Which Way to Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1983), 7. Unity?: A History of Efforts to Unite the Luth- erans of America (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing 55~vangelismand Church Growth with Special House, 1966), 18-19. Reference to the Church Growth Movement (n.p.: Commission on Theology and Church elations of 37~ueker,orig. ed., 634. the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1987), 39-40. 38~.L. Neve, History of the Lutheran Church in America 3d rept. ed. prepared by Williard D. 56~ayer,142. 57~appert,540. Allbeck (Burlington, IA: The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, 1986), 9. 58~ieper,2:515. 5%ayer, 143.

60~reus,Post-Ref ormation, 1: 411.

42~heLutheran Agenda (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, n.d.), 106-107 THE DOCTRINAL APPROACH The soteriological approach to the doctrine OF ORTHODOX LUTHERANS of God emphasizes those things in the relation- ship between God and man that have to do with redemption and salvation. The starting point Orthodox Lutherans approach the doctrines of is the establishing of the need for such redemp- Holy Scriptures soteriologically. This means tion and salvation. In this approach God is the that all doctrines are interpreted in their rela- first presented as the holy and righteous giver of tion to redemption and salvation. It is the Law--Law which the individual person cannot keep. concept that all that God has revealed in Scrip- Then God is shown to be the provider of the sav- ture pertains either directly or indirectly to ing Gospel which removes the curse of the Law, man's salvation. l The sateriological approach bestows forgiveness of sins and assures eternal endeavors to establish the meaning of each doc- redemption and salvation. In the removing of trine for our salvation. Abraham Calov held the ~aw'scurse and the conferring of the gift that all revealed doctrines center in this. He of redemption and salvation, all three members said that "divine revelation always has as its of the Triune Godhead are seen as being involved, aim the salvation of men."3 This comment by each in a special way. 10 Calov prompted Preus to say, "All revelation is. . .evangelical and soteriological in purpose. "4 It is significant that in his Small Catechism, He further advised, "The theologian must be in which he treats of the chief parts of Christian possessed of a holy purpose (sacra intentio), his doctrine, Luther begin with the Law of God, the eyes fixed always on the soteriological goal of holy Ten Commandments. He starts with the Law all theology. '15 of God to prepare the learner for the Gospel, by showing the seriousness and gravity of the indi- Viewed in this way, all other doctrines of vidual's natural situation before the just, the Bible are either antecedent or consequent to righteous and holy God. In this regard the the doctrine of justification by faith.6 J. T. Apology of the Augsburg Confession states that Mueller speaks of this in terms of "cause and the Law "shows God's wrath" (IV: 79) .l2 and effect .'17 Pieper says that viewed sotoriologi- "accuses and terrifies the conscience" (XI 1: 34). l3 cally the teachings of Scripture "form an inner In his Large Catechism Luther says it shows "how compact unity, each doctrine taking its place angry God is" (1:32). l4 The Law increases the with what we might call mathematical precision ."8 enmity of man against God. The Apology tells us, In Lutheran dogmatic terms this is the ordo salutis. "While he terrifies us and seems to be casting Doctrines which will be considered in this chapter us into eternal death, human nature cannot bring which are antecedent, or preparatory, for the doc- itself to love a wrathful judging, punishing God" trine of justification are the doctrines of God, (1V: 36). l5 In His Law God insists on perfect of man and of Christ. Consequent doctrines, obedience, but the Law provides no help toward results of justification by faith, which will be achieving such obedience. Only by the revelation discussed in this chapter are the Christian life, of God's Law does man realize the greatness of the church and the last things. God's wrath, and the hopelessness of his own dreadful condition. l6 The reason God shows His wrath and accuses that man is God's creation, and that he is a and terrifies sinners is so that He may do His real work in their lives. That work is to come sinner. The total man, his body as well as to them as they are troubled in their hearts his soul, is God's handiwork. In spite of his sin, man is still God's creation. The presence because of their sin, to create faith in Jesus of sin does not obviate the truth that every Christ in their hearts, and to bring them the forgiveness, comfort and hope of the Gospel. man is a creature specially created by God. The Formula of Concord says that, "God does not Melanchton says in the Apology that to terrify create and make sin in us. Rather, along with is "God's alien work...because God's own roper the nature which God still creates and makes at work is to quicken and console" (XI1:51). ?7 the present time, original sin causes man to commit all manner of actual sins in thoughts, The soteriological emphasis regarding God desires, words, and deeds. On the other hand, as Triune is that humanity has been redeemed by the total person, in both body and soul, has the One Eternal God, but that each Person of the been redeemed by Christ, and has been sanctified Godhead has performed some specific phase of by the Holy Spirit .23 this divine work. l8 God the Father, in his deep love for mankind, gave and sent His only-begotten The soteriological approach to Christian Son to earth to be the world's Savior. God the doctrine requires that the person and work of Son willingly assumed human flesh, lived a per- Jesus Christ be properly understood, No finer fect life in the stead of all, and suffered and and more succinct description of His person can died for the remission of all human sin. God be found in Lutheran writing than that of Luther, the Holy Spirit, through the message of the grace himself, in the Small Catechism, "I believe that and forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus, works Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father saving faith in human hearts. Luther writes in from eternity, and also true man, born of the the Large Catechism that God, "created us for virgin Mary, is my ~0rd.1'~~Orthodox Lutherans this very purpose, to redeem and sanctify us" (Creed: 64) l9 He then discusses the salvation do not merely view two natures, divine and human, . accademically. role of the several members of the Trinity saying They hold that it was necessary for Jesus Christ to be a true man so that He that the Father, "has given us his Son and his might be able to take man's place under the Law, Holy Spirit, through whom he brings us to himself" and that He might be able to suffer and die in (Creed:64) .20 He then continues, "We could never mankind's stead. To save man it was necessary come to recognize the Father's favor and grace for Him to do and suffer what man should have were it not for the Lord Jesus Christ ...Apart from him we see nothing but an angry and terrible done and suffered. Man had deserved death by his sins, and God's justice demanded that this Judge. But neither could we know anything of penalty be paid in full. As God He could not Christ, had it not been revealed by the Holy die, so He became man that He might be able to spirit" (Creed: 65) 21 . die, and through His death destroy the devil, who had the power of death. When the doctrine of man is treat soteriologi- On the other hand, they teach that it was necessary for Him to be cally, two aspects of man are presented. They are

- 85 - true God so that His fulfilling of the Law might reconciled. God laid His anger aside, because be sufficient for all people, that His life and of the ransom for sin brought by Christ. God, death might be a sufficient ransom for the at that time, forgave in His heart the sins of redemption of all, and that He might be able to the whole world. When Jesus was raised from overcome death and the devil for humanity.25 the dead, all of humanity was objectively de- clared free from sin. Edward W. A. Koehler says, Luther briefly and clearly describes the "There is not a soul in the world which God has work of the Savior thus, "Jesus Christ...has not already absolved from all sin."3l Pieper redeemed me a lost and condemned creature, in his Dogmatics quotes from the Proceedings of delivered me and freed me from all sins, from the 1883 convention of the Missouri synod's death, and from the power of the devil, not with Southern District. The convention essayist was silver and gold but with his holy and precious commenting on I1 Corinthians 5:19, "God was in blood and with his innocent sufferings and death, Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not in order that I may be his, live under him in his imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteous- committed unto us the word of reconciliation." ness, innocence, and blessedness, even as he is The essayist said, in part, "God has for Christ's risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all sake dismissed from His heart all wrath against eternity" (SC , Creed: 4) .26 According to the men, with whom He was angry because of their sins. Lutheran Confessions, knowledge of this history God now feels toward men as though they had never of Jesus Christ is meaningless unless the purpose offended Him by sinning, as though never a dis- of His life, death and resurrection are imme- agreement between God and man had occurred."32 diately added.27 Objective justification does not benefit When Orthodox Lutherans speak of the saving anyone unless it is followed by personal justi- work of Jesus Christ, they distinguish between fication. Personal justification is possible objective justification and subjective justifi- only because of objective, or universal, justi- cation. f ication. 33 This personal just if ication is known as subjective justification. Objective justification is sometimes called "general justificat iontt28 or "universal justifi- The Missouri synod's CTCR states that, cation."29 It is defined by the Commission on "Subjective justification or reconciliation is Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran this same forgiveness as it is received, appro- Church-Missouri Synod as "the forgiveness of sins priated by, and applied to the individual sinner both as it has been acquired for the entire human through God-given faith alone ."34 Justification race by Christ's work of obedience in its stead by faith without works is based upon the justi- Objective and declared by His resurrection. "30 fication of the whole world, which was secured justification has its basis in the Scriptural by the vicarious satisfaction of Jesus Christ. teaching of objective reconciliation. The Lord Pieper says that "All soteriological teaching Jesus Christ effected the reconciliation of all must be based upon the historical, accomplished people with God. When Christ died, God became I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. Rut the Holy Ghost has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his This good news of reconciliation and justi- gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the fication is provided for all people in the true faith" (Creed 6: 345) .44 Gospel. The Gospel offers full pardon for every sinner. If there is no sorrow for sin, there While the orthodox Lutheran approach to Scrip- can be no saving faith in the forgiveness. ture is that all doctrines are to be interpreted Anyone who does not first repent will not care soteriologically, the purpose of the doctrine of to have f0r~iveness.3~As soon as a contrite soteriology itself (in the strict or narrow sinner accepts the pardon by faith, he is justi- sense) is to show how the Holy Spirit applies f ied subjectively . 37 The Apology of the Augsburg the salvation which Christ has secured for all Confession states that, "Faith. ..reconciles and mankind to every sinner. 45 This is referred to justifies before God the moment we apprehend the in several ways. It is variously called the promise by faith" (Art. 111: 212). 38 Faith is the application of salvation, 46 the appropriation righteousness which avails before God. This is of salvation, the way of salvation, and the order because it is by faith, not because of faith, of salvation. 47 that Christ's righteousness is imputed as our own. Mayer says, "Man is justified solely by faith for When the Holy Spirit works faith in the for- Christ's sake, not by Christ for faith's sake."39 giveness of sins in the heart of the individual sinner, he works through means. Orthodox Luth- Orthodox Lutherans stress that the Justifica- erans say that these means are the Gospel and the tion of the individual is by faith alone (sola Sacraments, Baptism, and the 1,ord's Supper. fide). This term excludes all human works from While some Lutherans also consider prayer to be justification. The justification of the sinner a means of grace,48 orthodox Lutherans reject is not affected or effected by the good works of this teaching.49 Mayer writes of the Gospel that man, either before or subsequent to God's act of it, "is not only a promise of a future blessing, justification. 40 but it actually conveys to us the entire Christ with the totality of His gifts as a present The CTCR document uoted above speaks of this possession. "5O These Lutherans say that the faith as "God-given. "I1 Other orthodox Lutherans Sacraments are sacred acts, "by which God offers, speak of the "bestowal of f aith."42 The creation gives, and seals unto us the forgiveness of sins of faith is wholly and exclusively a work of God. which Christ has earned for us."5l The person coming to faith is merely the passive subject, the recipient of such f aith.43 The means have a double function. They offer and confer forgiveness, and they produce faith. 52 The divine agent in creating faith is God the By creating faith in the heart of a person, the Holy Spirit. Luther says in his Small Catechism, Holy Spirit converts and justifies him. 53 As "I believe that by my own reason or strength soon as the sinner accepts the universal pardon offered by God as his own, this pardon becomes children, are constituent members of the church. effective for him, and he is personally justi- Orthodox Lutherans understand the visible church fied. When he, by the powers of the Holy Spirit, to be the whole number of those in all the world accepts Christ's righteousness, it becomes his who use the Word of God and profess the Chris- own, and he is regarded as righteous before God. tian faith. They recognize that among the true He has entered into a state of grace. He is at Christians in the visible church, there are also peace with Cod. He is assured of his present hypocrites. and final salvation. 54 In keeping with the soterio.logica1 emphasis, Justification produces sanctification. Sancti- orthodox Lutherans hold that Christ has entrusted f ication is the effect of justif icati~n.~~Pieper His church on earth with the authority to remit writes, "~aithin the forgiveness of sins ...pro- and retain sins. Many orthodox Lutherans call duces the new life and its manifestation by sanc- this authority the "office of the keys." They tif ication and good works. "56 He quotes the have in their catechisms an addition to Luther's Apostle Paul who said, "the life which I now live Small Catechism consisting of three paragraphs in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of dealing with the "office of the ~eys''and the God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. "Ministry." These paragraphs were first found 2:20). Faith moves Christians to perform good in the Nuernberger Kinderpredigen, and were added deeds, to avoid sin, to love God and their neigh- to the catechism about 1560.62 This teaching is bor, to forgive one another, to remain steadfast 57 based on the words of Jesus to His followers, as and victorious in times of trial and difficulty. reported by St. John in his Gospel. John says that the Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples Orthodox Lutherans teach that justification by and said to them, "~eceiveye the Holy Ghost. grace through faith in Jesus Christ makes the 58 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted sinner a member of the Christian Church. unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they Pieper says, "Membership in the Church is in are retained" (John 30:22, 23). This authority every case the result of faith in Christ ."59 is exercised in the preaching of the Word of God, They distinguish between the invisible church the administration of the Sacraments, and in the and the visible church. They teach that the forgiving and retaining of sins. Congregations invisible church is made up of the whole number choose and call men as ministers, These minis- of believers in Christ, and that all believers, ters, both in the name of Christ and in the name and only believers, are members of this church. of the congregation, publicly perform the func- A. L. Graebner describes the invisible church tions of the office of the keys.63 as "The community of the regenerate, or of all those who believe in Christ and are justified by When orthodox Lutherans speak of ministers faith. '160 These Lutherans teach that the church, publicly performing the functions of the office in its proper sense, does not consist only of of the keys, the word "publicly" does not mean popes, bishops, priests and teaching personnel. openly, before the public. It means "in the All true believers in Christ, men, women, and name of the public." In this case "the public'' is understood to be the local congregation. They A brief example is Article XVII of the Augsburg teach the royal priesthood of all believers, Confession. The positive statement in this is a royal holding that each believer in Christ article is, "1t is also taught among us that priest in his own right. 64 David Chytraeus, a our Lord Jesus Christ will return on the last sixteenth century orthodox Lutheran, said, "In day for judgment and will raise up all the dead, the New Testament ...p riesthood is not the pre- to give eternal life and everlasting joy to rogative of one particular order of men set believers and the elect but to condemn ungodly apart from layfolk by outward anointing, tonsure, men and the devil to hell and eternal punish- dress, and function, but it belongs equally to ment" (XVII: 1-3) .69 There is, however, an all Christians and is the common property to eschatological overtone throughout the Book of all. "65 Concord. All doctrines are presented in this eschatological setting. The writers of the A key Scripture verse in this teaching is various documents make their confessions before I Peter 2:9 in which all Christians are called the world with the consciousness that they must "a royal priesthood." According to this Scrip- give an account before the judgment seat of ture passage royal priests should "show forth Christ. 70 In the last paragraph of the Formula the praises" of God. One way this is done is by of Concord the subscribers state, "that the joining together with other Christians in a con- present explanation of all the foregoing contro- gregation, so that by joining hands they may do verted articles here explained, and none other, together what the Lord has commanded all of them is our teaching, belief, and confession in which to do. Since all members of the congregation by God's grace we shall appear with intrepid have the same right and duty, no one person may hearts before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ take it upon himself to act in the name of the and for which we shall give an account" (SD XII: others. 66 Chytraeus wrote, "Now although the 40). 71 New Testament priesthood is universal, no one in the public assembly of the church should appro- All Christian do priate or discharge on his own authority this eternity. At the p right which is the common property of a11."67 are mingled with th Those who function publicly in the church should When Christ returns, t be properly called and commissioned by the Chris- church and the hypocri tian congregation--set apart for this work by forever. 72 the decision and will of the assembly. Such called ministers of Christ, preach the Word of When Jesus comes ag God and administer the Sacraments. Through these received body and means of grace they offer and convey the forgive- then the entire soter ness of sins. 68 doctrines of the Holy achieved, and the Very little mention of the second coming of about Himself His Christ is made in the Lutheran Confessions. ages of eternity. time, "the entire Church will enter into her the Holy Scriptures are the very Word of God, state of glory as the church triumphant."73 and the full confidence that they interpret these Scriptures in the way in which God would Orthodox Lutherans consider that their denom- have them interpreted. The masthead of ination is the true visible church of Christ on ~alther's"Der Lutheraner" carried this line, earth. In a paragraph entitled "Orthodox Church" "God's Word and Luther's doctrine pure shall Graebner defines the true visible church thus, now and evermore endure. "80 "The preaching, teaching, and profession, of divine truth in all its purity, and the admin- istration of the sacraments in full accordance -- Rev. Ernest Bartels with their divine institution are the criteria of the true or orthodox visible church of Christ on earth."74 These Lutherans believe that upon examination the teachings of the Lutheran Church, as laid down in the Book of Concord, can be ENDNOTES demonstrated to be in agreement with the Word of God in every respect. 75 E. W. A. Koehler reus us , Post-Reformat ion, 1: 187. says of the doctrine of orthodox Lutherans, "As far as the doctrine is concerned, the Lutheran Church is the old Apostolic He echoes the words of Luther, "By God's grace our church 3~reus,Post Reformation, 1: 186. is next to and most like that of the apostles.1177 In his book entitled "The True Visible Church" C. F. W. Walther wrote that, "a true visible church in the real strict sense of the term... is only that in which God's word is proclaimed in its purity and the Sacraments are adminis- '~ohnT. Mueller, Christian Dogmatics:-- tered according to the Gospel. "78 Re proceeds -A Handbook of ~octrinalTheologyfor Pastors, step by step to show why he believes this to be Teachers, and Laymen (St. Louis: Concordia the case with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Publishing House, 1934), 320. and then says, "'In short, the Evangelical Lutheran Church has all the essential marks of the true visible church of God on earth, as they are found in no other denomination of another name, it is therefore in no need of any doctrinal reformation ."79 These words, and others like them, may seem to many to reflect arrogance and conceit. In spite of such possible impression they bespeak the deep conviction that 41~ustification -- CTCR, 8.

42~raebner,183 ; Mueller, 336.

43~raebner, 183. 44~appert,345. 25~dwardW. A. Koehler, A Short Explanation of Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism Edited by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States with additional Notes for Students, Teachers, and Pastors (River pp 48~ustavAulen, The Faith of the Christian-- Forest, IL: Koehler Publishing Co., 1946), Church trans. Eric H. Wahlstrom (Philadelphia: 142-144. The Muhlenberg Press, 1962), 318.

28~.L. Graebner, Outlines of Doctrinal 51~.W. A. Koehler, Catechism, 254. Theology (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1910), 189. 52~ue11er,319. 53~ieper,2: 402.

29~dwardW. A. Koehler, Summary of Christian 54~ueller,319-320; Pieper, 2: 403, 406. Doctrines: A Popular Presentation of the Teachinns of the Bible ed rev. ed. (Oakland, CA: Alfred W. Koehler, 1952), 147.

30~ustification CTCR, 8.

31~.W. A. Koehler, Summary, 146-147. 61~.W. A. Koehler, Catechism, 194-195, 198. 32~ieper,2:348. 62~bid., 275. 63~bid., 275, 279. 33~.W. A. Koehler, Summary, 149. 64~bid., 280. 34~ustificationCTCR, 8. 35~ieper,2: 398. 65~ohnWarwick M 36~.W. A. Koehler, ---Summary, 151.

37~ueller,367-368. 38~ente, 213. Publishing House, 39~ayer,154. 40~bid. 66~.W. A. Koehler, Catechism,- 280.

67~ontgomery,Chytraeus, 98.

68~.W. A. Koehler, Catechism, 280-281.

69~appert,38. 7%ayer, 175.

71~appert,636. 72~ayer,176.

73~raebner,222. 74~bid.,210.

75~.W. A. Koehler, Catechism, 201.

76~bid.,202.

77C. F. W. Walther, The True Visible Church trans J. T. Mueller (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1961), 135.

78~bid. 79~bid.,134.

8h.G. Polack, Fathers and Founders (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1938), 41.