LIFE Thus Says the Lord—The Study of Holy Scripture - p.4 Church History and Pastoral Formation - p.7 A Matter of Doctrine - p.10 Where God Calls He Equips - p.19 Kramer Chapel and Spiritual Life - p.22 In the Field - p.24 WORLD of the For the April 2001. Volume Five, Number Two MARCH 1998 F E A T U R E S 3 page 4 page 10 page 24page 22 For theLIFE WORLDofthe PRESIDENT Rev. Dr. Dean O. Wenthe PUBLISHER Rev. Scott Klemsz EDITOR Rev. John T. Pless ASSISTANT EDITOR Monica Robins ART DIRECTOR Steve Blakey For the Life of the World is published quarterly by Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher of For the Life of the World. Copyright 2001. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at Fort Wayne, Indiana. To be added to our mailing list please call 219/452-2150 or e-mail Rev. Scott Klemsz at CTSNews. For the Life of the World is mailed to all pastors and congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in the United States and Canada and to anyone interested in the work of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. 2 From the President 4 Thus Says the Lord—The Study of Holy Scripture By the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Gieschen, Associate Professor and Chairman of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. The primary focus of pastoral formation at Concordia Theological Seminary is the words and deeds of God. 7 Church History and Pastoral Formation By the Rev. Dr. Cameron A. MacKenzie, Professor and Chairman of Historical Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Christianity bears a special relationship to the study of history, because right from the outset Christianity has presented itself as a historical religion. 10 A Matter of Doctrine By the Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer, Associate Professor and Chairman of Systematic Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. The courses in the Systematic Theology Department are concerned first in receiving the church’s faith as it is contained in the Lutheran Confessions, but then has the task of passing it along to students who, as pastors, will proclaim it to congregations of the Missouri Synod. 19 Where God Calls He Equips By the Rev. Dr. K. Detlev Schulz, Associate Professor and Chairman of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, Concordia Theo- logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Ever since its foundation in 1836, part and parcel of our seminary’s understanding has been to offer assistance towards the furtherance of faith through the office of preaching and teaching. 22 Kramer Chapel and Spiritual Life By the Rev. Dr. Arthur A. Just Jr., Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Exegetical Theology, and the Rev. Professor Richard C. Resch, Kantor and Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. 24 In the Field By Monica Robins Featuring the Rev. Michael A. Johnson Sr., Pastor of Pilgrim and Prince of Peace Lutheran Churches, Birmingham, Ala. Most of the artwork pictured in this issue hang in class- rooms, in hallways, and in Kramer Chapel on the CTS campus. page 7 CONTENTS page 19 10 For the Life of the World S ince its founding, The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod has placed the belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the theology of Lutheran Con- fessions at the center of the church’s life. In a reaction against the German Rationalism of the 1700s and early 1800s in which the Synod’s founders were educated for the ministry, they were determined to establish congre- gations in America and throughout the world that were committed to Scriptures and the Lutheran Confes- sions. They want- ed to be real Lutherans, and this meant maintaining Martin Luther’s the- ology. Our church not only takes theolo- gy seriously, but it insists that our pastors and congregations all confess the same faith. Very few churches are as insistent on doctrine as we are. They may insist on certain forms of church govern- ment, but they allow for lati- tude in what pastors preach and teach and what the people believe. For years, Lutherans have exist- ed under all kinds of systems of govern- ment, but they have insisted on unity of doc- trine. Things have changed for the majority of Lutherans, who in recent ecumenical alliances with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches, have compromised basic Lutheran teaching doctrines. These recent, unfortunate develop- ments in world Lutheranism mean that the Missouri Synod has an even more challenging job in maintaining the unity of faith among its members. Here is where systemat- ic theology plays a vital role. Systematic theology may simply be called dogmatics or dogmatical theology. Its courses may also be called theology, though this word may be applied to everything taught at a seminary or, more specifically, to that one part of dogmatics in which the Trinity and the divine essence and attributes are discussed. The courses in our department are concerned first in receiving the church’s faith as it is con- tained in the Lutheran Con- Since circumstances in the world and with other Christians and Lutherans are constantly in flux, in order to maintain the Lutheran doctrine, the focus of courses in the Department of Systematic Theology must continually adjust to address new views and opinions that threaten our faith. Thus, if it is rightly said that to maintain the Lutheran faith systematic theology preserves the church’s past, it is also true that of all the disciplines at a seminary systematic theology is the most contemporary. AMatterof DOCTRI APRIL 2001 11 By the Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer fessions, but then has the task of passing it along to students who, as pastors, will proclaim it to congrega- tions of the Missouri Synod. Since circumstances in the world and with other Christians and Lutherans are constantly in flux, in order to maintain the Lutheran doctrine, the focus of courses in the Department of Systematic Theology must continually adjust to address new views and opinions that threaten our faith. Thus, if it is rightly said that to maintain the Lutheran faith systematic theology preserves the church’s past, it is also true that of all the disciplines at a seminary systematic theology is the most contemporary. Courses in his- torical theology trace the two-thousand-year history of the church and how its theology developed in response to false doctrines. Systematic theology makes use of the historical development of church doctrine, particularly the theological vocabulary and meaning of theological terms. While depending on past definitions, systematic theology, in preserving and defending the church’s faith, has a contempo- rary interest in responding to the most recent theo- logical developments. In the last half of the twenti- eth century, systematic theology has responded to the ‘God-Is-Dead’ theology, process theology, and feminism. Defining the church’s faith also includes defending it against teachings that are contrary to the Bible and our confession in Christ. Unless sys- tematic theology is up to date, it is not adequately performing its task. Old problems must be remem- bered and new ones addressed. At the present time, the required courses in the Department of Systematic Theology consist of two in the Lutheran Confessions, which concentrate on the church’s ancient creeds and historic Reformation faith, and five in dogmatics, which present biblical teachings within the contempo- rary scene. These five dogmatics courses cover such topics as how theology is done, also known as prolegomena; the divine charac- ter of the Scriptures, which include biblical inspiration and inerrancy, sin, God, Christ’s per- son and work, grace, faith, justi- fication, sanctification, the Sacraments, the church, and the end times. An additional course surveys the beliefs of other denominations in America, a scene that is always changing with the creation of new church bodies and the merging of older ones. Elec- tives in this department take up special topics like apologetics, process theology, and the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century theologians who are responsible for the traditional Lutheran character. Systematic theology depends on the church’s doctrinal heritage as it is elucidated in historical the- ology. Sola scriptura is presented in the light of the church’s confessions. Systematic theology does not start off from scratch, but it builds on the church’s faith as preserved by the apostles in the Scriptures and passed on by faithful men and women of God for centuries. Seminary students will soon discover that their knowledge of the biblical languages and their knowledge of the Bible taught in the Depart- ment of Exegetical Theology are invaluable for what they learn in systematics. The Greek New Testament is the Bible of choice in dogmatics courses. Systematic theology stands at the center of the seminary curriculum, because it brings what is taught at the seminary together in preparation for what a pastor does in preaching, teaching, and caring for his congregation. Seminary students who will soon stand Systematic theology stands at the center of the seminary curriculum, because it brings what is taught at the seminary together in preparation for what a pastor does in preaching, teaching, and caring for his congregation. NE A 12 For the Life of the World in the pulpits of Lutheran congregations must be per- sonally convinced that our Confessions are the prop- er interpretation of the Scriptures. In standing before their congregations, pastors must have the conviction that the Scriptures that rest on the lectern as they preach are the Word of God. Within a Lutheran con- text, this theological heritage concentrates particular- ly on the faith embodied in the ancient creeds and Reformation documents collected into the Book of Concord of 1580. The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are still used in the public worship of our congrega- tions. Even the much longer Athanasian Creed is recited on Trinity Sunday as a testimony to our ortho- dox faith. Luther’s Small Catechism, which is the shortstop of our sixteenth century Confessions, still remains the standard textbook in preparing children and adults for full church membership through Bap- tism and/or Confirmation. In many cases, our mem- bers still know Luther’s Catechism because of the teaching of faithful pastors. Courses on the Lutheran Confessions survey these docu- ments and provide a historic component to systematic theolo- gy. Seminary students learn the circumstances in the first four centuries when the creeds devel- oped into the forms in which they are used in the church, and familiarize themselves with the events of the sixteenth century when Luther and the other con- fessors prepared the Lutheran Confessions. Courses taught in the Department of Historical Theology provide a further back- ground. With this knowledge, Lutheran pastors are prepared to lead the members of their con- gregations in regular worship services and in classes of Christ- ian instruction using Luther’s Small Catechism. Thus, at every juncture the two courses in the Lutheran Confessions are practi- cal because pastors in their min- istry will be relying on the faith preserved in the creeds and Con- fessions. Dogmatics courses on Bap- tism and the Lord’s Supper pro- vide the rationale for the pastor’s sacramental service among the people. He will know why chil- dren should be baptized and the faithful should receive Christ’s body and blood. All of these courses prepare the pastor to address the theological ques- tions raised by the people, and pastors will need to address some of these concerns from the pulpit. At the present time, the Department of Systemat- ic Theology has the most global membership with its professors coming from Germany, Africa, Asia, the former Soviet Union, and, of course, the United States. In addition to teaching in these countries, they have also taught in Australia, Haiti, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakstan, and others. Three members received all or part of their theological education from German theological faculties, and all have a competence in foreign languages. This is especially valuable in accessing the Lutheran Confessions, whose official version is in German and Latin. Thus, our professors, quite literally, have hands-on experi- ence on how theology is done throughout the world and are trained to address different situations. Two department members are authors of volumes in the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series, another has written two books in biblical theology, and all have written scholarly and popular articles. They are part of the theological life of the world and are con- stantly making contributions to it by lectures, arti- cles, and full-length books. Upon graduation from the seminary, students, who have now become candidates for the Holy Min- istry, are required at their ordination to subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions, because these documents are in full agreement with the Holy Scriptures. Though dogmatics is often seen as a static disci- pline, it is the most contemporary of all the theolog- ical disciplines in addressing situations that the church is now facing. Most Lutheran seminaries in the United States list dogmatics along with courses taught in church history or historical theology. In other seminaries, courses in dogmatics are marginal- ized or are not included in the theological curricu- lum at all. In the first dogmatic courses at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, a seminary stu- dent hears and learns that particular vocabulary which make up the content of the theological. These courses set the tone of the pastor’s ministry for the rest of his life. The Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer is Chairman and Professor of the Department of Systematic Theology and holds the David P. Scaer Chair of Systematic and Biblical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Though dogmatics is often seen as a static discipline, it is the most contemporary of all the theological disciplines in addressing situations that the church is now facing. In the first dogmatic courses at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, a seminary student hears and learns that particular vocabulary which make up the content of the theological. These courses set the tone of the pastor’s ministry for the rest of his life.