LOGIA
A JOURNAL OF LUTHERAN THEOLOGY
EPIPHANY 2001 VOLUME X. NUMBER 1
CONTENTS
CORRESPONDENCE ................................................................................................................................................................. .3
ARTICLES
Preparing A New Bible Translation in Lutlzer's Day
Arnold J. Koelpin .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Bible 7ratls/atiofls among Luther's Heirs
Andrew E. Steinmann ............................................................................................................................................................ "...... 13
Caveat Emptor! Let the Bllyer-aJld the Reader-Beware!
Armand Boehme ................................................. ::~~'-.:~.,~:':~.:':,:,::.::::,.,~: ... :,~.:.~~.~: ................................................................................ 23
Does Method Drive Biblical Study?
Kenneth Hagen .... ,. ........... * ................................................................ "' .................. " ........ .-... ~ ... ~ ••• ~ ......... 4 ..... ,. ......... " ........ "'.ot .. J.I' ....... ,,~ ••••• ' .. _H ... ' ..... , ••• t.c, ••••••• • "' •••• 1'i .. 37
Lutheran Hennerzelltics
David P. Scaer ......... " .............................................................................. " ............................................ , .... ;. .. · .......... " ....... ,. •.. Io .. ~._' •• ~u·~.,. .... *,."'." ........ I ••• ,..~~~~."II ...... ,. ...... 41
REVI EWS ............. ~ .... u ............... " ••••••••••• l ........................................ " .................. " ......................... ~ ...... • ........................ ., .. • .... _ ........... " ............ tt ............. tI •• " •• ~ ...... ;I •••• '.1iI" 45
REVIEW ESSAY; Confessions of a Chllrch Growth Enthlls;ast: All Evangelical, Confessional Lrltllfmm 7M a Html Uwk
at the Church Growth Movemem. By Kent Hunter. Review by Klemet Preus
Marti" Lilther's 11Ieology: Its Historical and Systematic Development. By Bernhard Lohse. Rt.'View by John Arthur MutWd
"Tile Way to Heavens Doore": An Introduction to Liturgical Process mId Musical Style. Studies in lJturgical Muskology 2.
By Steven Plank. Review by Brian J. Hamer
A Theology of Music for Worship Derived from the Book of Revelatioll. Studies in Utllrgical Musicology ,3.
By Thomas Allen Sed. Review by Brian J. Hamer ....
Hymnology: A Collection of Source Reading. Studies in Liturgical Musicology 4- By David W. Music. Review by Brinn J. Hamer
Music in Early Christian Literature. The Cambridge Readings in the Literature of Music. By James McKinnon.
Review by Brian J. Hamer
The Bestman, the Bride, and the Wedding. By Michael L. McCoy. Review by Michael R. Scudder
A Little One amidst the Shadows. By Michael L. McCoy. Review by Michael R. Scudder
LOGIA FORUM ............................................................................................................................................................................. , 57
On Thmslating • Truth. Unity. Love • Unifonn Ceremonies • For Barbers and Others
The Common Service • A Confessional Revival in Worship • aubbing the World
Tetelesthai • Luther on Music in the Schools • St. Peter's Confession
ALSO THIS ISSUE
Inklings by Jim WIlson .......................................................................... · ..... · ..................... ·· ............................................... _ .... w ..... 18
A Call for Manuscripts ...................................................................................................................................................... "............ .3.l
f
r [
Lutheran Hermeneutics
DAVID P. SCAER
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EACH WEEK A PASTOR HANDLES the sacraments and preaches time they were written. Scripture did not bring startling new reve-the gospel. Church liturgy determines how he administers the lations even to its fust hearers. So, for example, Paul draws his prin-sacraments. How he preaches is not predetermined. Within ciple of justification from Genesis: Abraham believed God and it
the context of confessional Lutheranism hermeneutics or biblical was counted to, him as righteousness. The first hearers of the
interpretation is not an autonomous science reserved for the lec- Gospels knew tliat Jesus had been crucified and raised, from the
ture halls, but an art practiced within the church for the purpose dead. HermeneVtics, however, is ~ church activity. Since the
of preaching. Often, however, in a perceived inability to interpret Enlightenment,i:i,lliversities have claimed !\1l almost exclusive right
the text, the preacher takes refuge in the sermons and outlines of ofinterpretation.c,Ch~~~ d~al'Yith.:~thim¥YeFS\tr~,chol¥$have
others and so in effect distances himself and his sermons from the the hermeneutical prfVlleges:1'hol1gll' fillding~ ~f'tll.~ipr6f'es~iohal
Bible. Homiletics and hermeneutics become separate and virtual- scholars who work outside the church are of iaI4~:UItimately the
ly unrelated disciplines. _~~_" Jight of interpretation belongs to the church in wJ:richthe Scriptures
But sermons are for persuading people and hermeneuuCs "{)rigmate'(t'Phe Scrip1;ures are the church's book::"
draws meaning out of text. Thus a separation of the two is the The perspective that the biblical texts originated with the Holy
road for disaster. A lack of confidence in interpreting the text may Spirit, who' creates faith in Christ and took form in the church
come from the false belief that hermeneutics is rigidly bound to which confesses Christ requires a thoroughly christological inter-
one particular method or the application of certain rules. These pretation of the entire Bible'