Full Text for CTM Book Review 16-8 (Text)

Qtnurnroiu ilIbtnlngiral :!IntttIJlg COlltilllling LEHRE UND WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LUTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY· THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. XVI August, 1945 No.8 CONTENTS Paa'. The Lord's Prayer, the Pastor's Prayer. G. H. Smukal _.____ 505 Christian Fellowship. (Concluded.) c. August Hardt ___........ _ 513 Keeping the Doctrine Pure. J. H. C. Fritz ________._ 533 Ontlines on Gospels Adopted by Synodical Conference ___ _ 54Z Miscellanea ___.____._......_._ ..___........ ____._....__ 55Z 7heoI0gical Observer _ ...... _._._._._.__._._...... _._ ..._.....___ 558 Book Review .___....... _ .. _ ...__.. __ .._ ... __ ._._____.____ 5'lZ &In PredI.Ier _ 1I1c:ht aUeln 1Del­ Ell lat · Itela DID& du die Leute .... alIo daa er die Scbafe unter­ melIr bel der Kln:he behaelt deDn __ wl.e ale rechte ChrlIten aollen dIe gu1e Predqt. - Apolocrte. An. 24 ....~ auch clllDebeil den Woe!­ feD _"",,,- dau ale dIe Schafe II1cht IIIIIJNIfeD und mit tal8cher Lebre ver­ If the trumpet lift an uncertIJn fuebreD und Irrtum eIJIfuebreD. sound. who Iball prepare ~ to ~ the battle? -1 Cor. 14:' PuhllsW for the BY. Lath. S7JIOd of MIsIIoarI, Ohio, uti 0tIIer State. '--11'­ CONCORDIA PUBLISHING BOUSE, St.Louis 18, 110. _IIIV. L&. '. 572 _>N Book Review All books lia Publishi '1 litis peri< 3558 S. Je: be procure ,., St. Louis lhrough Ce_ __ ldren of _~ _lMe. - Jesus =-"f JFl"ien(l. and :..._ •• _~. Builders_:' l'T::!;on. Teach2<'s' ~nanuals accoiiipanieJ by child."u'" .vurk sheets. Lessons in religion for part-tinte schools. Concordia Pub- lishing House. Price of manuals, 25 cents each;' of individual sets of work sheets, 15 cents. These manuals and work sheets, prepared and published under the auspices of the Board for Parish Education of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, will undoubtedly prove of great value to the part-tinte agencies of the various congregations, for whom they are particularly intended. Each manual offers fourteen lessons and one review. The biographical form of presentation in the last manual should prove especially valuable, since later work can easily he built up 8,.mmrl th<;! fundamenh1 f~~to. The m! . ldapted a)o~ for the Christian home, especially in cases where regular attendance • 1 parish school or Sunday school is not possible. Pastors not alrea""! farnili",' the series -"vJJ) cia well to eX;101i'11" this material. V""' .c81'e- full~'. '1; offers gre2.t p02sibilities. P. E. Kru::T:::.LLT"ii Pas." .. _._.o!ogy. By )0,1>1 E. C. Fritz, D . .0. ;j(:L.'Ond Edition, i,eviSed. Concor Pc' ,. shing Hal pages, 9¥.. : ~25. This volume needs no recommendation. The clergy of our Synod accord it first place as the text- and reference book in the field of pastoral theology. It has served as textbook at Concordia Seminary since 1932, when its esteemed author first published it after having taught its subject matter for a number of years. This second edition is prefaced by this statement: ''The larger part of 'The Work of Preaching' and 'The Rilles and Regulations for tl:~ Church Council' have been placed into an Appendix; 'A Brief Outline of Homiletics,' a 'Proposed Constitution of a Christian Congregation,' and some paragraphs on 'The Church and the Lodge' have been added in the Appendix. In the body of the book a paragraph on 'Demoniac Pos- session' has been inserted; the paragraph on 'Birth Control' has been rewritten; a footnote in reference to the relation of Church and State has been expanded; certain examples in the chapter on 'Stewardsh ':- , e been 0 .,.' ,ince the .. In had to . ged, a m topical index has been prepared." In recent books in this field we find a strong trend toward the case method in the teaching of pastoral problems. Few will question the value of such practical presentations. However, such practical cases should presuppose a thorough understanding of the divine principles which are to be applied. Dr. Fritz has chosen to omit actual cases because sintilar- cases are not alike in every detail and therefore cannot always be measured by the same yardstick. Book Review 573 We consider this book a "must" in every pastor's library. It is a trustworthy guide in the faithful performance of ministerial duties. The new cover is an improvement for which Concordia Publishing House is to be commended. L . J . SIECK "And So All Israel Shall be Saved." An Interpretat ion of Romans 1l:26a. By William Hendriksen, Professor of N. T. L iterature at Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Mich. Baker's Book Store, Grand Rapids 6, Mich. 36 pages, 51f2x7%. 45 cents. In simple but warm and convincing sentences this booklet dis- cusses the Pauline passage which those who believe the tenet of the conversion of the whole Jewish nation before J udgment Day consider their Gibraltar . The author first shows that "all Israel" cannot here signify all believers from J ews and Gentiles. Next he examines the vagary of the Millennialists, who make "all Israel" mean "all Jews," although generally "all" does not signify "all" for them when they ex- plain their position; how untenable their view is, is clearly shown. Finally the correct interpretation of the term, that "all Israel" desig- nates all the elect among the descendants of Abraham is dwelt on and substantiated. In spite of its small size the booklet is a valuable publication. The questions for r eview and the supplementary questions appended to each chapter (the latter set of questions intended for those who know Greek) enhance its usefulness, as do also the references to some of the authors who have written on the subject . W. ARNDT Something About Kierkegaard. By David E. Swenson. Augsburg Pub- lishing House, Minneapolis. 259 pages, 8%X6. $2.50. Dr. Swenson, a native of Sweden, was for many years professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota, where he devoted himself largely to th e study of Kierkegaard's philosophy. This volume of his, which now appears in a revised and enlarged edition, offers, besides a fine biographical sketch, "interpretations" of certain phases of Kierke- gaard's thought, in reality, most valuable discussions, as, for example, an investigation into Kierkegaard's existential dialectic, an examination of Kierkegaard's "anti-intellectualism," a review of Kierkegaard's three stages on the way of life, a brief but excellent review of Kierkegaard's treatment of the doctrine of sin, and a general overview of Kierkegaard's estimate of journalism, which makes very interesting reading. To this are added a comprehensive correspondence of the author with prominent Kierkegaard students and various estimates of Kierkegaard by men who speak with authority. The book will, of course, not supply the reader with all the knowledge which he would like to possess of the "Danish Socrates," but he who peruses it slowly and thou ghtfully will certainly learn much about him. The title might be changed to r ead : "Something which every educated person ought to know about Kierke- gaard." We recommend it as a noteworthy contribution to the rapidly increasing Kierkegaard literatu re in our country. JOHN THEODORE MUELLER 574 Book Review Protestantism. A Symposium. Commission on Courses of Study, the Methodist Church, Nashville, Tenn. 282 pages, 9X6. Cloth. $2.00. The Introduction to this "Symposium" begins with the statement "The hour has struck for a strong re- affirmation of the basic principles of the Protestant Reformation." The essays are partly historical, depicting Protestantism in its historic background; partly interpretational, ex- pounding Protestantism in its relation to doctrinal and ethical problems; partly missionary, pointing out the large areas in which P rotestantism may exert itself in the future. Among the writers we notice such out- standing liberals as Georgia Harkness, A. C. Knudson, H. F. RaIl, W. E . Hocking, F. J. McConnell, R. W. Sockman, E. C. Colwell, and H. P. Van Dusen. An essay on "Luther and His Tradition" has been furnished by A. R. Wentz of Gettysburg Seminary. While in general the articles are not very profound and technical, they are nevertheless valuable, since they offer a general overview of modern liberal Protestant thought, its justifica- tion and its missionary program. It is in the historical articles especially that the reader w ill find much helpful material, though he will find there also that liberal Protestantism, having surrendered the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has thereby surrendered also its raison d'etre . A Church that gives up the sola Scriptum and the sola gratia can hardly justify its existence over against Rome and infidelity. JOHN THEODORE MUELLER Evolution, Creation, and Science. By F. L . Marsh, Ph. D., Professor of Biology, Union College, Lincoln, Nebr. Review and Herald Pub- lishing Association, Washington D. C. 304 pages, 8X5%. $2.25. This is a book which believers in the Biblical doctrine of creation will read with much joy and profit. Dr. Marsh, professor of biology, Union College, Lincoln, Nebr., demonstrates that the current theory of evolution is tenable neither on rational nor on scientific grounds, wh ile the doctrine of creation and propagation "after his kind," as set forth in Scripture stands the tests both of reason and of science. Within the "kind," which he denotes by a new name, baramin (from bara, create, and min, kind) since the modern term "species," as also that of "genus," is often much too narrow, there are, as he points out, amazing processes of variation in organisms, modern hybridization having accomplished wonderful results both in plant and animal life. The book has great apologetic value, and its attack upon atheistic evolution, which, as the author shows, rests upon authority rather than upon proof, is un- answerable. Perhaps the reader will not find himself in agreement with every statement of the author, but on the whole he will welcome this book as an interesting and informative monograph on a subject which is always timely. Educators dealing with students who face the problem of evolution vs. creation will do well to examine Dr. Marsh's arguments. JOHN THEODORE MUELLER Contemporary Thinking About Jeslls. By Thomas S. Kepler. Published by Abingdon-Cokesbury Press. New York. 429 pages, 9%X6%. $3.50. This is the second anthology prepared by Thomas S. Kepler. Like the first, Contemporary Religious Thinking, this second anthology repre- sents only the liberal view. True, the compiler recognizes a few neo- Book Review 575 orthodox theologians, e. g. , Edwin Lewis, Christian Manifesto; J . S. Whale, Christian Doctrine; Paul S. Minear, The Relevance of the Mes- sage tor Ou.r Day, but he ignores the conservatives completely. How can a compiler of significant treatises on the person and work of Christ overlook such a scholarly work as Machen's antimodernistic and Bible- centered The Virgin Birth? The collection has been made in the spirit of Adolf Harnack, from whose unchristian What Is Christianity? Kepler quotes the chapter on the unique character of the Gospels. Liberal theologians are given the floor almost exclusively: E. S. Brightman, J. S. Case, C. C. Montefiore (president of Liberal Jewish Synagogue, South- ampton), Paul E . More (a "Christian" humanist), Albert C. Knudson, Charles Guignebert (the French higher critic), Nicholas Berdyeav (the Russian gnostic mystic) . The compiler has arranged the fifty-five essays in five chapters: I. The Nature of the Synoptic Gospels, II. The Portrait of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, III. Jesus' Relationship to History, IV. Eschatology and Ethics, V. Modern Evaluations of Jesus. The first two chapters discuss "form criticism" and related questions. The liberal theologian believes that the "portrait" of Jesus depends on the recon- struction of the Gospels according to higher criticism. In the third chapter a number of essays deal with the historicity of Jesus, His virgin birth ("Jesus was in all probability not miraculously born of a virgin," C. J . Cadeaux, p . 195) . The anthology has negative value. It clearly sets forth the hopeless floundering of liberal theologians. Like the ancient "modernists" of the Sanhedrin who could find no answer to the question of Christ's person and work and finally "every man went unto his own house," J ohn 7:53, so our modern Liberals come to conflicting conclusions concerning Christ. But in one thing they are agreed: Christ is not true God and man's only Redeemer. Cpo Luther, St. Louis ed., X:998. F. E. MAYER Kirchliche Zeitschrift. 187~1943. Reu Memorial Number. The Wart- burg· Press, Columbus, Ohio. 131 pages, 9X6. Paper edition, $1 ; cloth edition, $1.50. This ''memorial book" has been published as a tribute to Dr. M. Reu, the late leading theologian of Wartburg Seminary. It contains ten articles which have a direct or indir~ct bearing on the life and work of the departed, a poem dedicated to his memory, various words of ap- preciation written on the occasion of his death, a list of his principal works, and the prayer with which he opened his last class held at the seminary (two stanzas of "Lord, K eep Us Steadfast in Thy Word"). Four articles concern his life and work directly: "John Michael Reu: a Biographical Sketch," A. Pilger; "The Genius of Wartburg Seminary," John H . Becker, "The Literary Legacy of Dr. M. Reu," J . C. Mattes; and "Dr. Michael Reu and the German Relief Service of the Lutheran Synod of Iowa," H. L. Fritsche!. The other articles are: "The Enigmatic Pesel Ha-Ssemel of II Chronicles 33:7," H . L. Lutz; "The Exegetical Basis for the Sermon," W. Arndt; "Lutheranism in the American Scene," T. G. Tappert; "The Experience of the Communion of Saints in the Lord's Supper," H. A. Preus; "Lutheran World Service," R. H. Long; Theo- logical Education and American Lutheranism," C. Bergendoff. The 576 Book Review reader will peruse this special number of the now defunct "Kirchliche Zeitschrift," of which Dr. Reu was for many years the able editor, with deep interest and great profit. It shows throughout the extremely hard, and not always appreciated work which Dr. Reu invested in the service of his Church and of theological scholarship. Two pictures of the de - ceased are given, showing him in characteristic poses. JOHN llaEODORE ~UELLER Doran's Ministers Manual. Compiled and Edited by the Rev. G. B. F . Hallock, D. D., and the Rev. ~. K . W. Heichel', Ph. D. Harper and Brothers. 1945. 395 pages, 5%X8. $2.50. The contents of this Manual are described briefly in these words of the Foreword: "The main section of the Manual begins with the first Sunday in January and concludes with the last day of December. Themes are selected for each week, and around them are gathered sermons by the greatest preachers, also invocation prayers, calls to worship, hymn selections, children's sermons, offertory prayers, pastoral prayers, sug- gestive themes, etc., with suggestion notes each week upon the Inter- national Sunday School Lessons. The idea throughout has been to create an interdenominational handbook that each minister will want on his desk every day of the year. The material is made instantly available by a Condensed Index, an Alphabetical Table of Contents according to Subjects, Special Days and Seasons, and a plenary Scriptural Index, all found in the beginning of the book." (P. VI.) Every Lutheran clergyman heartily agrees with Melanchthon's dictum "Es ist kein Ding, dass die Leute mehr bei der Kirche behaelt denn die gute Predigt." For that reason he is ready to study material that will be "germinal, suggestive, illuminative, inspirational" (p. V), material that will add freshness and lend variety to his pulpit work. The Lutheran minister will find some themes, some thoughts, some illus- trations in Doran's Manual that will help to make his sermons more vital and thought-provoking, but he will miss the clear, positive presenta- tion of the central doctrine of Scripture. Many of the Bulletin Board Slogans listed for each month are striking and worth using. ALEX WM. C. GUEBERT BOOKS RECEIVED From Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo.: Seeing the World Through Reading. Practice Book V, by William Bloom and Elmer Huedepohl. Consultant: Alfred Schmieding. 64 pages, 8%Xll. 45 cents. From Wm. B . Eerdmans Publishing Co ., Grand Rapids, Mich .: Why Pray? By Dr. William Evans. 152 pages, 5%X7%. $1.50. How to Meet Your Troubles. By Paul Hutchens. 75 cents. From The Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis 15, Minn.: Journey to Chungking. By Daniel Nelson, Ph. D. From Moody Press, 153 Institute Place, Chicago 10, Ill.: Illustrations of Bible Truth. By H. A. Ironside. 121 pages, 5%X8. $1.00. Heroes of Faith on Pioneer Trails. By E. Myers Harrison. 224 pages, 5% x73f4. $2.00.