The Eucharistic Theologies of Nineteenth Century Anglican and Lutheran Repristination Movements Compared

Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 3-1-1990 The Eucharistic Theologies of Nineteenth Century Anglican and Lutheran Repristination Movements Compared Jonathan Charles Naumann University of Glasgow, Glasgow, NO, SCOTLAND, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Naumann, Jonathan Charles, "The Eucharistic Theologies of Nineteenth Century Anglican and Lutheran Repristination Movements Compared" (1990). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 87. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/87 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Naumann, J.C. (1990) The eucharistic theologies of nineteenth century Anglican and Lutheran repristination movements compared. PhD thesis http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3890/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] The Eucharistic Theologies of Nineteenth Century Anglican and Lutheran Repristination Movements Compared by J. C. NAUMANN, B.A., M.Div., being a thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow March 1990 @ Jonathan Charles Naumann, 1990 AC KN OWL E 0 GEM ENTS In preparing this dissertation I am indebted to my supervisor, the Reverend Doctor Gavin White of the department of Theology and Church History of Trinity College, Glasgow University. I am also deeply grateful to my wife, Deaconess Cheryl Naumann, who read and proof-read these pages. JONATHAN NAUMANN SUM MAR Y The existence of movements in nineteenth century Lutheranism and Anglicanism to revive (repr i st i nate) the doctrines and practices of a former age is well known. The scope of this dissertation only includes aspects of the eucharistic theologies of these movements, and then only as taught by a few representative theologians. The two repristination movements that are compared in this respect are the Missouri Synod of Lutheranism (the Confessional Lutherans - whose main theologian was C.F.W.Walther) and the Oxford Movement in Anglicanism (the Tractarians whose main theologian of the Eucharist was E.B.Pusey). To investigate the eucharistic theologies of these movements, major writings on the doctrine of the Eucharist by these chosen representatives were studied and compared. An attempt was made to discover how close these theologians came to sharing a common eucharistic theology. The eucharistic writings of the two movements were found to be similar in their dependence upon quotations from historic eucharistic literature to promote orthodoxy in the nineteenth century. But on the Lutheran side material from the sixteenth century was usually reissued without comment in compilation iv volumes. Although Walther and others usually systematised Reformation-era material for easier reference in the nineteenth century, few additions or reinterpretations were thought necessary. On the Anglican side, Pusey quoted from the early Church Fathers extensively, often with little comment or addition, but was compelled to reinterpret much eucharistic material. This is because the task before the Oxford Movement, of promoting an orthodoxy which was not recognised by many Anglicans, required creative writing which Lutheran Confessional ism did not. For the Tractarians, Anglican doctrinal material from sixteenth century had to be reinterpreted to conform with the desired orthodoxy. Unlike the Confessional Lutherans with their sixteenth century material on the Eucharist completely usable, Tractarians such as Pusey and Wilberforce had to struggle with eucharistic concepts in the authoritative writings available to them and, through a considerable amount of creative thinking on their part, articulate a eucharistic theology which conformed to their ideal of catholic doctrine. Hence a fuller body of nineteenth century eucharistic thought and writing is evident from the Tractarian side than from the Lutheran. The method of investigation consisted of analysing certain issues involved in eucharistic v theology and comparing the treatments of those issues in authoritative Lutheran and Anglican sources. How and why the treatments resembled and differed from one another was explored. Particular attention was paid to the doctrine of the Real Presence, because of the influence of that doctrine upon other eucharistic issues and questions. Because, unlike the Confessional Lutherans, the Tractarians received a hostile reaction from within their church to their eucharistic theology, a sample was included of some of the arguments presented by Anglican opposition to the eucharistic theology of the Oxford Movement. It was discovered that the similarity between the goals of the Anglican and Lutheran repristinationists to restore what they believed to be true catholic orthodoxy included a corresponding similarity in many of their theological presuppositions. For the most part they shared a conservative reverence for the Bible, the creedal formularies of Christian antiquity and of certain Reformation formularies. A completely unified approach to the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist did not materialise; yet despite the independence of their respective inquiries, the Anglican and Lutheran repristinationists were discovered to maintain strikingly similar positions on several issues of eucharistic theology. Most notable vi was the- congrue-nce- of the-ir te-achings conce-rning the- Re-al Presence. Dive-rsity be-twe-e-n the- two move-me-nts was encountere-d concerning the language- and philosophy be-hind othe-r issue-s such as that of e-ucharistic sacrifice. Ne-ve-rthe-less, such a me-asure of doctrinal congrue-nce- conce-rning the- fre-que-ntly de-vi sive- subje-ct of the Lord's Suppe-r was e-ncouraging to discove-r. The- me-asure- of congruity achieve-d by the- independe-nt efforts of the-se Luthe-rans and Anglicans of the nine-te-e-nth century, as they trie-d to re-pristinate- purity of doctrine- and orthodoxy, may constitute- a superior model for modern-day e-cume-nical ende-avours. This is e-spe-cially the case- if the route to Christian unity via a tole-ranee of contradictory doctrine-s around the e-ucharistic table- threatens to collapse- unde-r the- we-ight of its own implausibility. SOL I D E 0 G LOR IA St Cuthbe-rt, 1990 vii CONTENTS Acknowledgments Summary Chapter l. Repristinationism in 19th Century American Lutheranism and British Anglicanism I. Their goals and ideals compared II. 19th Century Confessional Lutheranism II I. Tractarianism IV." C.F.W. Walther and the Missouri Synod V. E.B. Pusey and Puseyism Chapter 2. The Doctrine of the Means of Grace I. Grace and Favor Dei II. The Tractarian doctrine of Grace Chapter 3. Lutheran Doctrine of the Real Presence I. Lutheran eucharistic Christology II. Walther and Pusey compared Chapter 4. Tractarian Doctrine of the Real Presence in Dr Pusey I. Three Anglican camps II. Pusey's arguments II I. Unio sacramentalis or transubstantiation IV. Other Tractarians and the Real Presence V. The conflict with the Lutheran 'ubiquity' theory Chapter 5. The Doctrine of Eucharistic Sacrifice I. Difficulties for Lutherans II. The Anglican equation Chapter 6. The Consequences of the Doctrine of the Real Presence I. The role of the consecration of the elements II. Mandu.catio oralis II I. Mandacatio indignora1D IV. Eucharistic benefits V. Eucharistic adoration Chapter 7. The Special Opposition Encountered by Tractarians I. The charge of betraying the Reformation II. The charge of misusing the Church Fathers III. The charge of misinterpreting Scripture Chapter 8. Conclusion Bibliography CHAPTER ONE REPRISTINATION MOVEMENTS IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN LUTHERANISM AND IN ANGLICANISM One of the most common human devices used by those who are discontented with their present circumstances is a hearkening back to bygone and presumably better days. This device is not unknown in theological circles especially among those who find the theological trends of their times to be disconcerting in contrast to the imagined ideal orthodoxy of a former age. Such idealistic theologians who would call their wayward colleagues back to what is believed to be a more pristine position have been described by some as repristinationists. In the midst of the dizzying progress which characterised the dawn of modern times several attempts at theological repristination were made on both sides of the Atlantic. Two nineteenth century repristination movements which warrant particular consideration are the Confessional movement within Lutheranism in America and the Oxford Movement within Anglicanism. The Confessional movement within Lutheranism was characterised

Load more