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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2017 A Mighty Fortress: American Religion and the Construction of Confessional Lutheranism Adam S. Brasich Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES A MIGHTY FORTRESS: AMERICAN RELIGION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONFESSIONAL LUTHERANISM By ADAM S. BRASICH A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2017 © Adam S. Brasich Adam S. Brasich defended this dissertation on June 19, 2017. The members of the supervisory committee were: John Corrigan Professor Directing Dissertation Michael Ruse University Representative John Kelsay Committee Member Michael McVicar Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii To my parents, with love. To Zach and Grant, with gratitude. To Stephen H. Webb, in memory. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I appreciate all who, in various ways, helped me see this project through to completion. First, I would like to thank my advisor, John Corrigan, for encouraging me to pursue this project and for his help at every stage of my graduate career. Second, I thank the members of my committee – John Kelsay, Mike McVicar, and Michael Ruse – for their help along the way. An early draft of Chapter Three was originally a seminar paper for Dr. Kelsay, who always supported my interests concerning theology’s role in American religion. Finally, I particularly would like to thank Tucker Adkins, Kevin Burton, and Dan Wells, for stimulating conversations on the relationship between faith and responsible historical scholarship. Additionally, I thank the Graduate School for a Dissertation Research Grant, which provided me with the opportunity to travel to the Midwest for research purposes. Others outside of the FSU community assisted with this dissertation as well. I thank that the staff at Concordia Historical Institute (St. Louis, Missouri), the staff at the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives (Mankato, Minnesota), Pastor Nathan Strutz, Pastor Doug Tomhave, Dr. Wayne Wagner, Pastor Don Moldstad, Prof. Erling Teigen, Pastor Gaylin Schmeling, and Pastor Joel Russow for guiding my research and for providing various materials and fruitful conversations. Finally, Phil Barlow’s mentorship throughout my graduate career – and beyond – has been appreciated. This dissertation was not produced in an academic vacuum. I am thankful to two communities which have provided me with succor and strength during my Southern sojourn. Faith Lutheran Church in Tallahassee has been my second home, and it has been a privilege to learn and serve there in various capacities. While there are too many people at Faith to thank by name, I need to single out Phil Biedenbender, whom I met my final year in Tallahassee but provided many stimulating conversation about our shared experiences with Wisconsin Synod iv Lutheranism that, probably unbeknownst to him, encouraged me during the final stages of this project. Many of the ideas in this dissertation are the result of discussions with him over dinner or in the church parking lot. Also, he agreed to read the entire dissertation manuscript, bless his heart. Additionally, the Sacred Harp community of Lower Alabama provided needed distractions from my academic work. Their friendship and acceptance helped make the South feel like home. Finally, I am thankful for the dear family and friends who supported me in innumerable ways over the last six years. My parents have been unbelievably generous with financial support during my graduate career, and I will never be able to adequately express my appreciation for them. Alongside my family have been good, old friends who, despite distance, were always there. Nolan Eller joined me “down South” and kept me grounded in reality (and Cajun food). Zach Rohrbach made the trip to Tallahassee several times, though I suspect he was more interested in Apalachicola oysters than seeing me. Our conversations over the last decade on every subject under the sun have been a constant joy, and his encouragement and support in every aspect of my life is a tremendous blessing. My friendship with Grant Farnsworth has always been a source of adventure, fun, and great memories. I am glad that we have been able to visit with each other as often as we have, and I appreciate his abundant generosity, his tolerance for late night (and lengthy) conversations, and his patient explanation of the story of the Three Witnesses. Finally, I am grateful to Steve Webb for everything he did for me at Wabash College and afterwards. I would never have pursued this journey if it was not for his guidance, and it saddens me deeply that he is not here to see its fulfillment. He was a dear friend and inspiration and the epitome of a Christian scholar. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ viii INTRODUCTION: THE ANTICHRIST, MICHELE BACHMANN, HISTORIANS, AND CONFESSIONAL LUTHERANS ...................................................................................................1 1. “THE BIBLE OF THE LAITY”: THE BOOK OF CONCORD AND AUTHORITY IN CONFESSIONAL LUTHERANISM ............................................................................................24 2. “GOD’S WORD AND LUTHER’S DOCTRINE”: MARTIN STEPHAN, C. F. W. WALTHER, AND LUTHERAN PRIMITIVISM .........................................................................79 3. THE LONELY LUTHERAN: HERMANN SASSE AND CONFESSIONAL ECUMENISM..............................................................................................................................133 4. “DOGMA PRAYED”: THE DIVINE SERVICE, LUTHERAN HYMNALS, AND AMERICAN EVANGELICALISM ............................................................................................196 5. SERMONS OF STONE: LUTHERAN CHURCH ARCHITECTURE AS A CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT ...............................................................................................252 CONCLUSION: GOOD FRUIT AND GOOD SEEDS ..............................................................318 References ....................................................................................................................................328 Biographical Sketch .....................................................................................................................354 vi LIST OF FIGURES 2.1 C. F. W. Walther’s grave in Concordia Cemetery, St. Louis (photo by the author). .............132 5.1 The altar at St. John’s Lutheran Church (LCMS), Decatur, Indiana (photo by the author). .304 5.2 Grave art with baptismal and eucharistic symbolism at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Decatur, Indiana (photo by the author). ................................................................................................305 5.3 The sanctuary of Resurrection Lutheran Chuch (WELS), Verona, Wisconsin (photo by the author). ...................................................................................................................................306 5.4 Altar with the triptych in the background (photo by the author). .........................................307 5.5 Baptism stained glass window at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Verona, Wisconsin (photo by the author). ........................................................................................................................308 5.6 Note the positioning of the baptismal font in relation to the stained glass window depicting Jesus’s baptism (photo by the author). ...................................................................................309 5.7 The Trinity relief sculpture at Bethany Lutheran College’s Trinity Chapel in Mankato, Minnesota (photo by the author). ...........................................................................................310 5.8 The trinitarian triangles in Trinity Chapel’s guard railing (photo by the author). ................311 5.9 Note the three levels of steps towards the altar (photo by the author). ..................................312 5.10 Trinity Chapel’s triptych altar (photo by the author). .........................................................313 5. 11The exterior of the Chapel of the Christ, Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota (photo by the author). .............................................................................................................314 5.12 The Chapel of the Christ’s sanctuary (photo by the author). ...............................................315 5.13 The chancel at the Chapel of the Christ (photo by the author). ...........................................316 5.14 The fifth cross on the mensa (photo by the author). ............................................................317 vii ABSTRACT This dissertation focuses on the beliefs and practices of confessional Lutherans in North America (particularly those of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod) as a form of religious conservative intellectual
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