NEWSLETTER Volume 48, No. 4 2010 CONFERENCE November 2010 ISSN 0460-0274 The 25th biennial gathering of http://luthhist.org the Lutheran Historical Con- ference was held October 1- 3, 2010, at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. Gathered around the theme “Lutherans and Learning,” 17 papers Inside this issue: were presented. A bus tour also visited three historic con- gregations, as well as St. Olaf Book Review 2, 11 College. At St. Olaf, Jeff Sauve, associate archivist, 2009 Bibliography 3-10 led a tour of the college ar- chives and the Norwegian American Historical Associate New Resource 10 archives. LHS Prize 11 At the business meeting, three new LHC board mem- NAHA-Norge Call 11 bers were elected. Richard O. for Papers Johnson, L. DeAne Lager- quist, and Joel Thoreson will New Members 11 serve six-year terms on the board, with Susan McArver Vasa Lutheran Church, Welch, Minn., a stop on the 2010 LHC bus reelected as president and tour. Marvin Huggins elected as vice president. Kathryn Galchutt, Maria Erling, and Mark Granquist finished their six-year terms at the biennial meeting. At the post-conference board meeting, Joel Pless will continue serving as secretary, while Richard Johnson volunteered to be treasurer. Marvin Huggins announced that the final Essays & Reports volume containing the papers from the 2006 conference, would go to the printers in November, while Mark Granquist anticipated that the new Journal of the LHC would be issued in early 2011 containing papers from the 2008 conference. The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia invited the LHC to hold the next biennial conference on their grounds as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. A number of lo- cations in the Philadelphia area are being considered for the bus tour. The theme of the conference will be “Choosing the Lutheran Narrative: Com- memorating, Remembering, Forgetting?” with David Settje serving as program Page 2 LHC Newsletter, November 2010 BOOK REVIEW: The Selma of the North By Kathryn M. Galchutt, Concordia Catholic schools of College, New York the northern cit- ies’” (p. 100). As Jones explains, The Selma of the North: Civil “Catholics filtered Rights Insurgency in Milwaukee, By the issue of race Patrick D. Jones, Cambridge, MA: and reform through Harvard University Press, 2009. xi the lens of relig- + 318. ion” (p. 107). Milwaukee is a city known for its Early on, Jones German immigrant heritage. Like notes that “The many urban, industrial centers Catholic Church along the Great Lakes, Milwaukee dominated the reli- attracted a large German immigrant gious life of most population in the mid-to-late nine- new immigrants, but teenth century up through World the Lutheran War I. But with the industrial de- Church was also mands of World War I and immigra- strong in the city tion restrictions that followed, north- among Germans ern urban factories began to hire and others” (p. 16). substantial numbers of African Yet, very little is Americans migrating from the rural said about Luther- American South. The resulting in- ans or other reli- teractions between German Ameri- gious groups cans and African Americans in the throughout the rest industrial cities of the North have of the book. More often been overlooked. The racial could be done to dynamics of northern cities is a explore the role of relatively recent and growing area Lutheran churches, of historical scholarship. But, at the pastors, and laity in same time, there has been limited Milwaukee’s encounter with race in Both Mayor Frank Zeidler (1948- attention to the interconnections the twentieth century. Lutherans 1960), Milwaukee’s last socialist between religion and race in the were also a very prominent reli- major, and Mayor Henry Maier American North compared to the gious group in Milwaukee. Accord- (1960-1988), who was both criti- American South. ing to records from the Association cized and praised for his handling of Religion Data Archives, in 1971, of the racial tensions of the late there were 377,604 Catholics and 1960s, belonged to Lutheran (LCA) Patrick D. Jones’s The Selma of 153,323 Lutherans in Milwaukee churches. While Maier was not an the North is an important and valu- County. The next largest religious active Lutheran, Zeidler was an able contribution to understanding groups in the county were consid- active Lutheran whose faith influ- the Civil Rights Movement in the erably smaller; there were 17,428 enced his politics. Jones describes North. Jones pays particular atten- Methodists and 13,268 Presbyteri- the very different positions of tion to Milwaukee’s Catholics, not- ans. The records from 1971 also Zeidler and Maier in the racial poli- ing the leadership role of Father show that in Milwaukee County, tics of the city, but does not explore James Groppi in the civil rights pro- more conservative Lutherans their religious backgrounds. tests of the late 1960s. Jones (LCMS, WELS) significantly out- states that in many northern cities, numbered more liberal Lutherans Catholics made up between one- (ALC, LCA). Like Catholics, Lu- Jones provides much context, com- third to one-half of the population therans reflected conflicted re- parison, and connection with the and were central to both promoting sponses to race relations. While traditional story of the Civil Rights and resisting racial change in the many Lutherans moved to the sub- Movement in the American South. North. “The result was ‘two dis- urbs and avoided some of the di- As Jones explains, “the level of tinctly Catholic visions of church, rect racial conflicts in the city, there segregation in Milwaukee equaled community, and authority . clash were Lutherans who remained. Birmingham, Atlanta, and other [ing] in the streets, parishes and -continued on page 11 Volume 48, No. 4 Page 3 2009 INDEX OF WRITINGS IN THE FIELD OF AMERICAN LUTHERANISM Compiled by Articles Green, Lowell C. "Johann Michael Reu (1869- 1943)." [Professor of Theology at Wartburg Theo- logical Seminary, 1899-1943] Lutheran Quarterly Dr. James W. Albers, Bickel, Herman. "Life in Saskatchewan Parishes 23 (2009) No. 1: 75-84. Mr. John N. Dickmeyer. and a Half Century Ago." [Memories of Rev. Herman Rev. Robert E. Smith Bickel] Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly 82 Gunda, Masiiwa. "Mission and Development: (2009) No. 1: 4-31. Finnish Pentecostal, Lutheran and Orthodox Mis- sion Agencies in Development Work in Kenya This is the latest installment of Blanchy, Sophie. "Building God's Kingdom in 1948-1989". Exchange. 38 (3): 320-321. Highland Madagascar. Norwegian Lutheran Mis- the bibliography of items related sionaries in Vakinankaratra and Betsileo 1866- to the history of Lutheranism in Hannah, John R. and Robert Benne. "Neuhaus, 1903 (Karina H. Skeie, 2005)". Ethnologie America. It covers items pub- Richard John, 1936-2009." [Obituary] Lutheran Française. 39 (2): 367. lished in the calendar year 2009 Forum 43 (2009) No. 1: 13-17. and items from prior years which were missed in previous indexes. Blythe, Richard. "The Missouri Synod and the Hanson, Kristin Helweg. "Not the Words: Hym- Changing Definitions of Fundamentalism." Con- nody, Enacted Theology, and the Lutheran In- The 2009 and previous bibliogra- cordia Historical Institute Quarterly 82 (2009) No. upiat". Dialog: A Journal of Theology. 48 (4): 348- phies are also available on the 1: 31-51. 357. LHC Web Page: http://luthhist.org. Braun, Mark E. ""He was a man and a Christian": Harrison, Matthew C. "'Nothing but the marks of The Life and work of John W. O. Brenner (Part the Lord Jesus': two letters from Walther and 2)." WELS Historical Institute Journal 27 (2009) Wyneken on Anfechtungen." Lutheran Theologi- As in previous years, we once No. 2: 5-41. cal Journal 43 (2009) No. 2: 77-84. again appeal to LHC members for help in compiling next year’s Braun, Mark E. "Theodore Graebner: Bellwether Helmke, John E. "Unassuming Witness: The Life index. Although the tools of mod- of Changes in the Missouri Synod." Wisconsin and Ministry of Henry Adam Klein." [Lutheran Lutheran Quarterly 106 (2009) No. 3: 186-216. Church--Missouri Synod Pastor, Missionary in ern library research are excellent, Brazil, President of Concordia Theological Semi- such as searching WorldCat, Braun, Mark E. ""He was a man and a Christian": nary, Springfield, Ill., 1922-1935] Concordia His- such searches are not, nor are The Life and work of John W. O. Brenner (Part torical Institute Quarterly 82 (2009) No. 4: 194- they likely to become, exhaus- 1)." [President of the WELS (Wisconsin Evangeli- 204. tive. Please send us citations of cal Lutheran Synod)] WELS Historical Institute your own work as well as those Journal 27 (2009) No. 1: 15-37. "In Memoriam Dr. Arnold O. Leh- of your colleagues. We are espe- mann.." [Obituary] WELS Historical Institute Jour- cially interested in local, private Brug, John F. "Forward to Volume 106: Recover- nal 27 (2009) No. 2: 3-4. and unindexed theses of note. ing Walther." [C. F. W. Walther, First president of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and its Ishimura S. "Lutheran Medical Center's Dental Send relevant citations to: leading theologian.] Wisconsin Lutheran Quar- Residencies—A History of Breaking Boundaries". terly 106 (2009) No. 1: 3-17. Hawaii Dental Journal. 40 (2). The Rev. Robert E. Smith Concordia Theol. Seminary Donell, James C., Jr. "Remembering our Lead- Kriel L., and Kirkaldy A. "'Praying is the Work of ers: Dr. Adolf Hoenecke.." [19th Century Wiscon- Men, Not the Work of Women': The Response of 6600 N. Clinton St. sin Synod seminary professor and systematician] Bahananwa and Vhavenda Women to Conver- Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Forward in Christ 96 (2009) No. 4: 28-29. http:// sion in Late Nineteenth-century Lutheran Mis- FAX: 260-452-2126 www.wels.net/news-events/forward-in-christ/april- sionary Territories".