DOCSLIB.ORG

Currents in Theology and Mission

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Currents in Theology and Mission October 2015 Volume 42 Number 4 The Vocation of Lutheranism in North America: Toward the Next 500 Years CURRENTS in Theology and Mission Currents in Theology and Mission Published by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in cooperation with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Wartburg Theological Seminary Editors: Kathleen D. Billman, S.D. Giere, Craig L. Nessan Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Wartburg Theological Seminary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Copy Editor: Connie Sletto Editor of Preaching Helps: Barbara K. Lundblad Editors of Book Reviews: Ralph W. Klein (Old Testament) Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (773-256-0773) [email protected] Craig L. Nessan (history, theology, ethics and ministry) Wartburg Theological Seminary (563-589-0207) [email protected] Troy M. Troftgruben (New Testament) Wartburg Theological Seminary (563-589-0303) [email protected] Design and layout: Kathryn Brewer Circulation Office: 773-256-0751, [email protected] Editorial Board: Michael Aune (PLTS), James Erdman (WTS), Robert Kugler (PLTS), Kristine Stache (WTS), Vítor Westhelle (LSTC). CURRENTS IN THEOLOGY AND MISSION (ISSN: 0098-2113) is published bimonthly (every other month), February, April, June, August, October, December. Annual subscription rate: $24.00 in the U.S.A., $28.00 elsewhere. Two-year rate: $44.00 in the U.S.A., $52.00 elsewhere. Three-year rate: $60.00 in the U.S.A., $72.00 elsewhere. Many back issues are available for $5.00, postage included. Published by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a nonprofit organization, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60615, to which all business correspondence is to be addressed. Printed in U.S.A. CURRENTS is indexed in ATLA Religion Database, Elenchus, IZBW, NTA, OTA, Religion Index I (formerly IRPL), Religious and Theological Abstracts, and Theologische Literaturzeitung. MICROFORM AVAILABILITY: 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm, 105mm microfiche, and article copies are available through NA Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 998, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Unless otherwise noted scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and used by permission. All rights reserved. Contents Taking Stock of the Lutheran Witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in North America S. D. Giere 260 The Lutheran Vocation in America: Past, Present, and Future Sarah E. Ruble 265 Believing, Teaching, Confessing: A Vision for North American Lutherans Robert Kolb 273 Challenges for North American Lutheranism: A View from Canada Gordon A. Jensen 279 The ELCA at the 500th anniversary of the Reformation Maria Erling 286 2517 AD Kip A. Tyler 293 Living Together in Sacred Time: North American Lutherans and the Liturgical Year Amy C. Schifrin, STS 298 Faithfulness In-Between: Reflections from within Lutheran CORE Steve Shipman 304 Book Reviews 308 Preaching Helps Dissonant Calendars: From Ordinary Time to Happy New Year! Barbara K. Lundblad 316 Lectionary 27/19th Sunday after Pentecost – First Sunday of Christmas Joanne Engquist, Mark Hanson, Wilk Miller, Bradley Schmeling, Bonnie Wilcox 318 Currents in Theology and Mission 42:4 (October 2015) Taking Stock of the Lutheran Witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in North America Family reunions can be quite interesting. Aside from the awkwardness of getting reacquainted with cousins you haven’t seen since you were a chubby- cheeked toddler and the quirkiness of an odd uncle, it can happen that those gathered in the present take stock of the past with arms open to the future. This taking stock, at least in part, revolves around narrating the family tree. Origin stories. Immigrations. Marriages. Divorces. Births. Adoptions. Deaths. Just to name a few of the themes that run through these narrations. Most fam- ily trees, after all, are not symmetrical but rather gnarly — more like a burr oak than a Norway spruce. My own family had a reunion recently. Two branches of it, anyway. There was plenty of reminiscing as we recalled stories that decorate our particular family tree. Over meals, card games, and an occasional beer, we caught-up with one another. We took stock. In a quiet moment with one of my uncles toward the end of our time together, he reflected on the convergence of past, present, and future that had happened over these days. In his 80th year, he interpreted this gathering as a sign of hope. His focus was on the future, on the relationships built over those few days between the youngest ones — the children. His hope, I think, was in building connections that would, in essence, foster the tree’s health and growth beyond simply sharing a common root system and a common surname. In a real way, the authors of the essays in this issue of Currents are all cous- ins who can trace their theological and Confessional roots back 500 years to the Protestant Reformation and a particular Augustinian monk in Wittenberg who was calling the church to repentance. We all share the theological surname “Lutheran.” In North America, we are all children of immigrants, and we have Confessional cousins now around the globe. While the Lutheran family tree is far bigger than the little gathering that is this issue of Currents in Theology and Mission,1 this particular gathering of cousins represents a good chunk of the North American branches of the global Lutheran family tree. Were the Wiscon- 1. For the fullest sweep of Christians of a Lutheran theological/Confessional heritage worldwide, we would need to include member churches of the Lutheran World Federation, the International Lutheran Conference, and the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Confer- ence. sin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to have participated, all of the most significant Lutheran groups would be included.2 Lest we foolishly assume that family and harmony are synonyms, it is important to acknowledge that families do not always get along. In part, this is what makes reunions so very interesting! Disagreements and discord can persist sometimes for generations. So it is in our rather motley Lutheran family in North America. (This is to say nothing of the global Lutheran family or the wider Christian church around the world!). I consider it a gift that we have the voices in this issue that we do, and I trust that you, the reader, will notice some of these differences as well as some profound similarities as you read the essays. The focus of this issue is not on differences and disagreements. Rather, the focus of this “family gathering” is on the future of our common theological, Confessional witness in North America.3 What does a Lutheran witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in North America sound like and mean today and tomor- row? (It is the gospel of Jesus Christ, after all, that is persuasive.) If someone is perusing the religious smorgasbord available in contemporary North America, why is a Lutheran offering desirable? I would bet that we are all in agreement that a simple reliance on the attractive qualities of the Northern European ethnic cuisine of choice is no longer sufficient. In fact, it may well be that the misguided coupling of Lutheranism with these particular ethnic dishes (con- sider lutefisk and sauerkraut as just a couple fragrant examples) throughout recent decades has undermined the clarity and persuasiveness of Luther’s foci of justification by grace through faith and the theology of the cross. Admonishment may not be welcome at family reunions, but it does seem sound to suggest that within our gnarly (and interesting!) Confessional Lu- theran family muddling the clarity of the gospel is actually worth an argument at the dinner table, whether the gospel be replaced by ideologies or judgement- alism, good works or cheap grace.4 We all fall short and stand in need of God’s forgiveness. It is not necessarily a bad thing that we work together as collegially as possible to hold one another accountable to the heart of a particular 2. Efforts were made to include a voice from WELS in this issue regrettably without success. Also, it is important that we acknowledge that there are a number of smaller Lu- theran church bodies in North America, e.g., the Association of Free Lutheran Churches, the Lutheran Brethren, etc. - SG 3. I commend to you the most recent history of the Lutheran movement in America: Mark Granquist, Lutherans in America: A New History (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2015). 4. As one of those responsible for forming preachers, the winds of North American pop-Christianity blow strong–perhaps as much in Lutheran pulpits as elsewhere. A distinct contribution that Lutheranism offers to the wider church is clarity about the gospel. Worth reengaging are C.F.W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, W.H.T. Dau, trans.; (St. Louis: Concordia, 1928), and Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., Preaching Law and Gospel (Ramsey, N.J.: Sigler, 1990). Lutheran articulation of the gospel. Yes, there are divisions. Yes, we have legiti- mate disagreements among us about the interpretation of the Lutheran witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, we have done plenty of admonishing of one another. At the same time and when at our best, our disagreements are impor- tant because what we disagree about is what is ultimately important — God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ for the sake of the world. The thing about this particular family reunion, however, is that its focus is not merely backward and inward. I invite you into this reunion to consider what it means to be of a common Lutheran Confessional family for the purpose of taking stock of the vocation of the North American branch of the global Lutheran movement — a particular tradition within the broader Christian witness within God’s oikoumene5 — as the ticking of time shuffles us all into the start of the next 500 years.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Concordia Theological Quarterly
    teach the faithful, reach lost, and care for all. Forming servants in Jesus Christ who CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THEOLOGICAL CONCORDIA CONCORDIA Fort Wayne, IN 46825-4996 Fort Wayne, 6600 North Clinton Street THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY Volume 82 Number 1–2 January/April 2018 Is Law Intrinsic to God’s Essence? Jan/Apr 2018 David P. Scaer Johann Gerhard and Substitutionary Atonement Jack D. Kilcrease Luther on Vocation and Baptism Benjamin T. G. Mayes Paradise Regained: Lex Aeterna and Luther Nathan Rinne Theology of the Cross and the Lutheran Confessions 82:1–2 Andrew Preus ORGANIZATION Berne, IN 46711 NON-PROFIT NON-PROFIT Permit No. 43 U.S. Postage Allegory and Perspicuity in Irenaeus PAID James Bushur Old Testament Canticles Andrew Gerike US ISSN 0038-8610 Concordia Theological Quarterly Concordia Theological Quarterly, a continuation of The Springfielder, is a theological journal of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, published for its ministerium by the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Editor: David P. Scaer ([email protected]) Associate Editor: Charles A. Gieschen ([email protected]) Assistant Editor: Benjamin T.G. Mayes ([email protected]) Book Review Editor: Peter J. Scaer ([email protected]) Members of the Editorial Committee James G. Bushur, Paul J. Grime, John G. Nordling, and Lawrence R. Rast Jr. Editorial Assistants: Eammon M. Ferguson and Daniel S. Broaddus The Faculty James G. Bushur Naomichi Masaki David P. Scaer Carl C. Fickenscher II Benjamin T.G. Mayes Peter J. Scaer Charles A. Gieschen John G. Nordling Ryan M. Tietz Paul J. Grime John T.
    [Show full text]
  • MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series C: Lnterreligious Activities
    MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series C: lnterreligious Activities. 1952-1992 Box 43, Folder 8, Protestants and Israel, 1977-1978. 3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 221-1875 phone, (513) 221-7812 fax americanjewisharchives.org >--- -- ------- 3une 29, 1977 Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum Rabbi A. James Rudin \ . ~The 189th General Assembly (1977) of the United Presby­ terian Church in the USA calls upon the United States Government to reaffirm its support for the concept of Palestinian self­ determin.ation and to encourage the Arab states with PLO partici­ pation, to seek means for Palestininn participation in negotia­ tions in a manner consistent with the principles of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. '' \\ The following paragraph was deleted,to seek means to in· elude the PLO as the currently acknowledged spokespersons of the Pale,stinians, devising means to include the FLO in the ne­ gotiations.•• The vote was approximately 75% to 25% in favor of the substitute motion. It uas the only minority report accepted by the General Assembly. Rev. John Craig of Houston noted that "secure and recog• nized boundaries for Israel" is a critical issue and Rev. Donald Hyer of Michigan declared that "the Church mce-·'r''!.. Baptize the PLO." Rev. Linda Harter said the Church ~~ ~ engage in "directive politics' and that its "effectiveness in reconciliation would be ~dermined by the original paragraph 2-c. AJR:FM \ ANll l>l I i\MAllvN I LAl..olll 1,.)1 ll NAI ll'Rl 111 US L x an~lun Av•, i°ll<wYurk NY llHlJ(i Ml lrtoy l1 11l <1 /-1-0ll Lynne lanmello Director, />ublrc Rclat1on8 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism
    Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Edwards, Graham M. Citation Edwards, G. M. (2018). Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Chester, United Kingdom. Publisher University of Chester Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Download date 28/09/2021 05:58:45 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10034/621795 Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Chester for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies in Practical Theology By Graham Michael Edwards May 2018 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work is my own, but I am indebted to the encouragement, wisdom and support of others, especially: The Methodist Church of Great Britain who contributed funding towards my research. The members of my group interviews for generously giving their time and energy to engage in conversation about the life of their churches. My supervisors, Professor Elaine Graham and Dr Dawn Llewellyn, for their endless patience, advice and support. The community of the Dprof programme, who challenged, critiqued, and questioned me along the way. Most of all, my family and friends, Sue, Helen, Simon, and Richard who listened to me over the years, read my work, and encouraged me to complete it. Thank you. 2 CONTENTS Abstract 5 Summary of Portfolio 6 Chapter One. Introduction: Methodism, a New Narrative? 7 1.1 Experiencing Methodism 7 1.2 Narrative and Identity 10 1.3 A Local Focus 16 1.4 Overview of Thesis 17 Chapter Two.
    [Show full text]
  • Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 2-1-2001 Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama Wallace Becker Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Becker, Wallace, "Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama" (2001). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 109. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/109 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI ENRICHING FAMILIES IN THE PARISH THROUGH THE USE OF MUSICAL DRAMA A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. WALLACE M. BECKER SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI FEBRUARY, 2001 To Alvina, my wife, To Jeremy and Andy, my sons. Our family has been a blessing from God. The musical dramas that we have shared have been wonderful family experiences. They have given me great joy. CONTENTS ABSTRACT x INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: FAMILY CENTERED MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH 4 Introduction 4 The Family is God's Design 8 The Church Was Established By God 22 The Church Is the Family of God 24 Church and Family Working Together 28 The Attitude of the Leaders 32 Church Programs 34 Church Programs That Oppose the Family 40 Adding Family-Friendly Programs 41 Christian Family, The Church in That Place 45 TWO: MUSICAL DRAMA IN THE CHURCH 48 Introduction 48 The Roots of Musical Drama in the Early Christian Church .
    [Show full text]
  • Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals Into Confessional Lutheran Thought
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 9-23-2013 Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought Matthew Richard Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Richard, Matthew, "Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 138. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/138 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY STUDIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, Missouri Advisor DR. ROBERT
    [Show full text]
  • My Name Is Bert Silver
    Soviet Jewry Memories Bert Silver 2009 My name is Bert Silver. I was born on June 30, 1931, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a community of 140,000 people of whom about 5,000 were Jews. I lived in Scranton until I left to attend Penn State University in 1949. After college I was drafted into the army and for all intents and purposes never returned to Scranton to live. After the army I went to the University of Minnesota to get a master’s degree. I then worked for the State of New York in Albany. After getting married Nancy and I lived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where I worked for the state. We moved to Washington in June 1961, when I was offered a job with the Department of Labor of the Federal government. We first lived in an apartment in Adelphi, Maryland. In 1962 we bought a house in Wheaton, Maryland, and in 1973, we moved to our present home in Potomac, Maryland. We joined B’nai Israel Congregation when our first son was old enough to attend Hebrew School and have been members since. At the time we joined the synagogue was still located on 16th and Crittenden Streets but had a Hebrew school building on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton. B'nai Israel is of course now located in Rockville, Maryland. I don’t remember exactly when I became involved in the Soviet Jewry movement but it was probably in 1969. I first got involved with the Washington Committee for Soviet Jewry (WCSJ), but I am not sure exactly how.
    [Show full text]
  • A Theology of Creation Lived out in Christian Hymnody
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 5-1-2014 A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody Beth Hoeltke Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Hoeltke, Beth, "A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 58. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/58 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]. A THEOLOGY OF CREATION LIVED OUT IN CHRISTIAN HYMNODY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Doctrinal Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Beth June Hoeltke May 2014 Approved by Dr. Charles Arand Advisor Dr. Kent Burreson Reader Dr. Erik Herrmann Reader © 2014 by Beth June Hoeltke. All rights reserved. Dedicated in loving memory of my parents William and June Hoeltke Life is Precious. Give it over to God, our Creator, and trust in Him alone. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    [Show full text]
  • Spiritual Heroes Rabbi Sid Schwarz Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD Kol Nidre Sermon-October 11, 2016
    Spiritual Heroes Rabbi Sid Schwarz Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD Kol Nidre Sermon-October 11, 2016 For many years, the organization that I led-PANIM- ran 4-day seminars on Jewish values and social activism for teens who came to Washington D.C. from around the country. When I would speak to the students, my lead-off question would be: Who are your spiritual heroes? It was a question that gave pause. Most American teens would have fairly quick answers if I asked them to name their favorite lead singer in a band. Or their favorite movie star. Or their go-to sports legend. Each of those answers could have come back affixed with the label “hero”. But “spiritual hero” was not a word combination that they expected. I’d wait a minute or two and usually a few hands would go up in the air. Before I called on them I offered a definition so as to make it possible for more students to get a person in their mind’s eye. My definition: “A spiritual hero is someone, either living or deceased who, by virtue of their words and/or deeds, led a life that inspired others and was worthy of emulation.” Let me take a moment now and ask you to think of one person who has served for you as a spiritual hero. I hope most of you have thought of someone. If not, don’t worry. This sermon might give you some ideas. Tomorrow, during the afternoon break discussion, we will have a chance to share thoughts with one another.
    [Show full text]
  • MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series D
    MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series D. Internationalional RelatiRelationsons Activities.Activities. 1961-1992.1961 Box 56, Folder 12,, CCarter,arter, JJimmy,immy, 1977-1980.1977-1980. 3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 221-1875 phone, (513) 221-7812 fax americanjewisharchives.org Ci)..._ .. 0 ~~~~. ~ ~dr~¥'~~ 4fi/~kk~4 ~~~ -<m/~~~b,&7.9 A~~#~ ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~_# ~~h $1;.kd~? ~~~ ~~,/h~~~~· LK NOT TRANSFERABLE .......... r. ~ . .• ' . \ / "*''.~.• ..... · :tjf\ ·. '..I) \ ...: ..... Y . ... ....... · ----.... , _ THE WHITE HO U~E ~ F\ WASHINGTON December 18, 1979 Dear Mar9, Thanks for your letter of December 3. I am pleaseq that you plan to join us and participate in January. Your presence will be appreciated. Your continuing support and commitment to the President has, and will continue to be, very helpful, and very important to us all. Thanks for your help. With best wishes, r-8· i~~~re ly, \ n. \ . , ~ ~ Assistant to the President Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum National Director Interreligious Affairs The American Jewish Committee 165 East 56 Street New York, New York, 10022 THE WHITE HOUSE .·, WASHINGTON August 4, 1978 To Rabbi Marc Tanenbawn Thank you for sending me your book on Evan·ge·1i·c·a-1·s· ·and Jews 'in Conversation. I appreciate your inscription; I need your prayers in the search for peace. I am grateful for your contribution to the foreign aid meeting. I _ hope that this meeting can be the beginning of a fruitful dialogue. · Sincerely, Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbawn American Jewish Committee 165 East 56th Street New York, N.Y. 10022 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTOl')I August 17, 1978 To Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum I appreciated the opportunity to discuss foreign assistance · issues with you on July 31.
    [Show full text]
  • Defending the Gospel in Legal Style Legal in Gospel the Defending John Warwick Montgomery Warwick John
    Defending the Gospel in Legal Style Montgomery John Warwick Traditional apologetics is either focused on obscure, quasi-Thomist philosophi- cal arguments for God’s existence or on 18th-century-style answers to alleged biblical contradictions. But a new approach has recently entered the picture: the juridical defence of historic Christian faith, with its particular concern for demons- trating Jesus’s deity and saving work for mankind. The undisputed leader of this movement is John Warwick Montgomery, emeritus professor of law and humani- ties, University of Bedfordshire, England, and director, International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights, Strasbourg, France. His latest book (of more than sixty published during his career) shows the strength of legal apo- logetics: its arguments, drawn from secular legal reasoning, can be rejected only at the cost of jettisoning the legal system itself, on which every civilised society depends for its very existence. The present work also includes theological essays on vital topics of the day, characterised by the author’s well-known humour and skill for lucid communication. John Warwick Montgomery is the leading advoca- te of a legal apologetic for historic Christian faith. He is trained as a historian (Ph.D., University of Chicago), an English barrister, French avocat, and American lawyer (LL.D., Cardiff University, Wales, U.K.), and theologian (D.Théol., Faculty of Protes- tant Theology, University of Strasbourg, France). He has debated major representatives of secula- rism (atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, death-of-God advocate Thomas Altizer, liberal theologian Bishop James Pike, atheistic cosmologist Sean M. Carroll, et al.). He is the author or editor of more than 60 books and 150 journal articles, and has appeared on innumerable international television and radio broadcasts.
    [Show full text]
  • Core Like a Rock: Luther’S Theological Center
    OCTOBER 2, 2017 CORE LIKE A ROCK: LUTHER’S THEOLOGICAL CENTER Kenneth A. Cherney, Jr., PhD WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY CORE LIKE A ROCK: LUTHER’S THEOLOGICAL CENTER You have asked me in this essay to “review the central core of Luther’s confession of divine revelation.” That is interestingly put. Lots of things have cores, and they function in different ways. Apples have cores that you throw away. When I was growing up, Milwaukee had its “inner core,” defined in 1960 by a special mayoral commission as the area between Juneau Avenue on the south, 20th Street on the west, Holton Street on the east, and Keefe Avenue on the north—a blighted part of town, so they said, where people from my tribe didn’t go.1 The earth’s “core” is a glob of molten nickel/iron wrapped around a solid iron ball, and those who claim to know these things say our core generated the heat that caused Florida to break off from Africa and remain stuck on Georgia and Alabama,2 for which many persons are grateful. The “core” of a nuclear reactor is like that; it’s where the fissionable material is found and where the reaction happens that is the whole point. So is the cylinder of “core” muscles around your abdomen, without which you can have biceps the size of Dwayne Johnson’s and when the bad guys show up you’re still basically George McFly, only in a tighter shirt. That is how I understand my assignment. You want to hear about Luther’s spiritual fulcrum, the point around which everything turned.
    [Show full text]
  • REMEMBRANCES of VIGIL for SOVIET JEWRY—Dec
    Remembrances of Vigil for Soviet Jewry John Steinbruck Pastor of Luther Place Church 1970-1997 2009 There is so much to recall over the 20-year stretch of the vigil for Soviet Jewry, I will try to telescope from my perspective. For me the journey began in Easton, PA, where I was pastor of a historic downtown center city congregation, St. John’s Lutheran Church. I was called in 1960 and the prospects were dire. We, my spouse Erna and I, decided to focus on the community, and the glaring issues of injustice back in that economically segregated time. We did so, and I came close to being cancelled out of the ministry by Christian vigilantes who were on my case for being too sympathetic and friendly with Easton’s blacks and poor whites. St. John’s Lutheran Church was a prestigious and reasonably affluent congregation, but felt neglected when community needs became the focus. To do an end run on the critics, and maintain a broader vision, we invited the nearest priest and rabbi to our home for dinner. Rabbi Norton Shargel of B’nai Abraham and Father Frank Connelly of St. Bernard's Church responded. Before the evening ended, ProJeCt (Protestant/Jewish/Catholic) was born. Easton, PA and Phillipsburg, NJ (across the Delaware River) responded with stunning enthusiasm. It was 1966 and we knew a new era had been born. In the process of that extraordinary successful experience in an interfaith coalition, I learned the Jewish story through history. Rabbi Shargel pointed out how, through friendship, we learned of one another’s pain.
    [Show full text]