Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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incontestable logical conclusions…The theologian who feels called to harmonize Scripture truths finds the motive for this procedure in the incontestable fact that the separate morsels of the truth that God has revealed to us do not always have logical connections…he who yields place to reason, instead of taking it captive under the obedience of Christ, soon feels the incompleteness of his knowledge as a burdensome limitation and seeks to break through the bars, Then he begins to harmonize. He proceeds to chip off, piece by piece, from Scripture truths that do not want to fit together logically, until the corners fit together, until he has a structure that fits together logically. 105 The Wauwatosa Theology sought to remedy these two ailments of confessional Lutheran hermeneutics, rationalism and traditionalism, by returning to the Scriptures directly. This is not to say that such an approach was new to the Lutheran Church and not even new to the Wisconsin Synod. It had certainly been the goal of the 1 st generation of Synodical Conference men, notably Walther, Hoenecke and Stoeckhardt. It was certainly the methodology of Luther. Dr. Gottfried Hermann of the Evangelish Lutherische FreiKirke has made this judgment, Behind [the Wauwatosa Theology] lay an experience in the election controversy that was now injected into the WELS. At that time, it became evident that the majority of the orthodox fathers erred in this doctrine…Now the Wauwatosa theologians did nothing other than raise this to be the basic principle: Only Scripture can be the “Norma normans.” This was, of course, also clear to Walther, but in the 2 nd and 3 rd generations of Missouri there was a not-tobe-underestimated danger that they would occupy themselves more with the arguments of the fathers than with the Scriptures. 106 105 John Schaller, “The Possession of Truth” in The Wauwatosa Theology Volume I, edited by Curtis Jahn, (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1997), 146-147. 106 Gottfried Herrmann, “The Theological Development of the WELS with Particular Reference to its Doctrine of the Ministry” Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary On-line Essay File. http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/H/HerrmannDevelopment/HerrmannDevelopment.pdf. (Accessed July 21, 2008). 8. 58
A fuller analysis of the Wauwatosa Theology and its impact in the Wisconsin Synod has been made by in the three volume series The Wauwatosa Theology. For the purposes of this study, it will suffice to say that the methodology of the Wauwatosa men would guard subsequent generations of Wisconsin Synod pastors from rationalistic and repristinatory theology that has since plagued the Missouri Synod. III. Comparing and contrasting the Wauwatosa Method with the Norwegian Hermeneutic How does the Wauwatosa method compare with the Norwegian Hermeneutic? In essentials, they are the same. Both approach the text with the presupposition of faith. Both regard the text as the verbally, plenary inspired Word of God that is the only correct rule and guide for the Christian. Both guard against the magisterial use of reason. Both keep the opinions of the fathers in their proper place. One is also struck by the similarity of their language and expression. Anyone familiar with the writings of the Wauwatosa theologians is immediately struck when reading the ELS hermeneutical essays by how similar fears as well as similar principles are stated with similar language. Even the excerpts cited above show solidarity in their approach to the Church’s theological task, given by Christ Jesus, of “teaching everything I have commanded you.” This is not to say each approach is absolutely identical with each other. Yes, they speak the same language, but they speak it with distinctive accents. Whereas the Wauwatosa Theology purposely made a point of breaking with the Vatertheologie methodology and expressions, preferring rather contemporary idioms to express timeless truth, the Norwegian Hermeneutic purposely cites of the fathers and keeps their dogmatic terminology to show a firm link between themselves and their honored ancestors. 59
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WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY STRANGE
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to gra
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Yet, the Norwegian Synod suffered h
Page 7 and 8: constitution, the reference to the
Page 9 and 10: Minnesota had reservations about th
Page 11 and 12: these two synods into closer contac
Page 13 and 14: Part I: Getting to know the Scriptu
Page 15 and 16: strengthening and encouraging the f
Page 17 and 18: University of Leipzig. 18 His main
Page 19 and 20: voice, as in an ecstasy, breathed t
Page 21 and 22: unbelief, in recent times such men
Page 23 and 24: So will we cling fast to the Lord m
Page 25 and 26: Koren sees Kierkegaard as a one who
Page 27 and 28: We acknowledge with gratitude towar
Page 29 and 30: Of the founders of the Norwegian Sy
Page 31 and 32: The Election Controversy was really
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Page 35 and 36: The Norwegian Synod lived its motto
Page 37 and 38: are sitting, like ourselves, theore
Page 39 and 40: we do? Why stand aloof against a cu
Page 41 and 42: that poor, unscriptural hermeneutic
Page 43 and 44: congregation, not us listeners.”
Page 45 and 46: elieve for them, such as is the cas
Page 47 and 48: Chapter 2 The Wauwatosa Theology Th
Page 49 and 50: Hoenecke developed and passed on to
Page 51 and 52: Third, one dare not limit this auth
Page 53 and 54: For Hoenecke, the way we let Script
Page 55 and 56: It may never be forgotten, that the
Page 57: inging unity to the various Luthera
Page 61 and 62: One of the chief terms used by orth
Page 63 and 64: None of this is to say the Wauwatos
Page 65 and 66: the church unperverted. It thus has
Page 67 and 68: synods over the years. But as will
Page 69 and 70: We believe it best to wait until 19
Page 71 and 72: Finally, the doctrinal controversie
Page 73 and 74: E.B. Schluetter, and delivered the
Page 75 and 76: students. Ylvisaker had resigned hi
Page 77 and 78: teaching English, Norse, Latin, Alg
Page 79 and 80: Waltonite, and scare ‘em into ret
Page 81 and 82: DMLC were fraternal visitors at the
Page 83 and 84: accepted a call to serve his sister
Page 85 and 86: experiment never really took off, p
Page 87 and 88: point. Bethany had not been entrust
Page 89 and 90: the internal shake-up at Bethany an
Page 91 and 92: growing tense, not only among those
Page 93 and 94: ehind the back of the Wisconsin Syn
Page 95 and 96: With such deep sentiments and histo
Page 97 and 98: weight around, intruded upon a very
Page 99 and 100: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
Page 101 and 102: of the ELS, as well as her wariness
Page 103 and 104: Paul, MN the possibility Ohio and I
Page 105 and 106: Take for instance the procedure ado
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Dear Gullixson! I had just sat down
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to them what they should speak and
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conferences. By entering into a rel
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Chapter 2 Relations confirmed and s
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sent out by a Chicago group, I shal
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have good reasons to refrain for ex
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Tjernagel: Today conditions have be
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At the Synodical Conference convent
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The ELS, in her desire to mediate a
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Such remarks are telling not only o
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America, Elling Eielsen. Eielsen in
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But even the faithful few who had l
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establishes all functions of the mi
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2.) By virtue of the work they do,
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Scripture. 257 The ELS, due to its
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Wisconsin, ELS and the faithful of
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Lillegard was the foremost exegete
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“congregation” has a much narro
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this is definitely a Lutheran princ
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What makes the testimony and defens
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terms. He is persuaded now that the
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III. The Fehner Case (1949-1953) Th
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Immanuel during a difficult time. B
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there would not be any scouting at
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Bethany Lutheran College and the Ev
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The trouble makers had then proceed
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pro and some con. To make matters w
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congregation, and that our privileg
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cease such offensive practice.” 3
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teachings of these revered teachers
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pastor’s point of view, that both
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How much of this can be attributed
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alarming rate. The water of controv
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where the one advocating them refus
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Reim: challenges Harms’ limitatio
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gave public testimony to the interc
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efusing to accept the Brief Stateme
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Yet, there does remain a present va
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ecclesiastical details or the weigh
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The study of this era shows that th
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
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Schroeder, Morton A Time to Remembe
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http://www.blts.edu/essays/korenUV/
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Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
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Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
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Zimmermann, Paul. “Scripture Inte
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C.M. Gullerud to Hugo Gamber, lette
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Gervasius Fischer to C.M. Gullerud,
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John Brenner to Norman Madson, lett
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Minutes of the Meeting of The Commi
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Oscar Naumann to C.M. Gullerud, let
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Stuart Dorr to the pastors of the N
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