- --~-------------- ~-------
arnurnr~iu
IDqrnlngirul i1nutqly
Continuing
Lehre und Wehre (Vol. LXXVI)
Magazin fuer Ev.-Luth. Homiletik (Vol. LIV)
Theol. Quarterly (l897-1920)-Theol. Monthly (Vol. X)
Vol. II December, 1931 No. 12
CONTENTS
Page
ENGELDER, TH.: The Theology of Grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 881
KRETZlVIANN, P. E.: Reich Gottes, Kirche, Gemeinde,
Synode ................................................. 886
MUELLER, J. T.: Introduction to Sacred Theology ........ 898
LAETSCH, TH.: Studies in Hos. 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 909
LOTH, A. M.: Haggai 2, 7-10 ........................... 920
Dispositionen ueber die zweite von der Synodalkonferenz
angenommene Evangelienreihe.............. . . . . . . . . . .. 928
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches. . . . .. 939
Book Review. - Literatur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 952
Ein Prediger muss nicht allein weide",
also dass er die Schafe unterweiseJ wie
sie rechte Christen sollen sein, sondern
auch daneben den Woelfen weMen, dass
sie die Schafe nicht angreifen und mit
falscher Lehre verfuehren und Irrtum ein-
fuehren. - Luther.
Es ist kein Ding, das die Leute mehr
bei der Kirche behaelt denn die gute
Predigt. - Apologie, Art. 2~.
If the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle?
1 Oor. 4, 8.
Published for the
Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
i
Theological Observer. - Ritcl)licl)<,8eitgefcl)icl)t1tdJe!. 939
gegen fo!dje ijat bet [ijtift getuiffe bon @lott iijm aUfet!egte ~fIidjten bet
2ieoe. ~lOet fo oa!b itgenbeine ~fIidjt gegen ben aU6briicfHdjen m3illen
@lotte6 betftiint, ijiirl fie eo en auf, ~fIidjt au fein. @lotte6bienft geijt bOt
IDlenfdjenbienft. S\)a6 tuitb oft betgeffen. m3ie mandjet fdjHent fidj au6
2ieoe au feinet {ltClU einet faIfdjen ~itdjengemeinfdjaft anI m3ie
mandjet ftimmt um bet ~arlei tuillen fUt gana unfiiijige ~anbibateni
m3ie mandjet oefUttuodet aU6 fa!fdjem ~attioti6mU£! einen offenoat
ungetedjten ~tieg I nbet man bedangt bom ~aftot, ban et um be£!
m3adj£!tum£! bet @lemeinbe tuillen !a6 tuetbe in bet ~tdjenoudjt, im me~
gtiioni6 bon Ung!iiuoigen, in bet ~ufnaijme bon @lHebem. S\)a ijeint e6
oebenfen, ban [ijtiftu6 unoebingten @leijotfam bon feinen 9ladjfo!getn
fOtbed. S\)as ift fdjtuet, bem {l!eifdj unmiigHdj. ~oet [ijtiftus fdjenft
bie ~tClft, tuenn et f agt: ,,{lo!ge mit nadj I" unb tueift aUf bie ijoije ®ijte
ijin: ,,~ediinbige ba6 !Jteidj @lotte61" m3ie tuillig folIten tuit iijm @le~
ijotfam !eiften I
3.
~. 61. m3iebetum einet, bet ~®fu feine ~adjfo!ge anoietet, aoet
aubOt nodj ettua£! anbete6 tun tuill. S\)em giOt ~®fus au oebenfen:
~. 62. no nun bet ~etaen£!fiinbiget faij, ban biefet IDlann in oefonbetet
@lefaijt ftanb,obet 00 et nut im allgemeinen tuamen tuolIte, biefe m3aijt~
ijeit gUt allen [ijtiften. IDlan fann unmog!idj I'fIiigen, tuenn man nidjt
ftet6 bOtClusfdjaut auf ba6 Bie!. m3et oeftiinbig ijintet fidj fdjaut, taugt
nidjt aum ~fIiigen. S\)aijet nidjt tuie 20ts m3eiO autiicffdjauen, tIDlof.
19,26; nidjt tuie bie ~inbet ~£!tCle! fidj nadj ben {l!eifdjtol'fen ~gt)ptens
feijnen, 2 IDlof. 16,3; nidjt tuie S\)emaS bie m3eH !ieogetuinnen, 2 :itim.
4,10, fonbetn alIe6 anbete aus ben ~ugen bedieten, aUffeijen allein auf
ben aUfgefaijrenen ~®fum, ~eot. 12, 2-17. S\)a~ etfotbed ein ftete~
~reuaigen bes {l!eifdje6. - ~oet bet, bem tuit nadjfo!gen, giOt uns audj
baou Me ~taft. ~m ~erltauen aUf iijn, in bem tuit @letedjtigfeit unb
6tiide ijaoen, tuollen tuit iijm nadjfo!gen. :it. 2.
" . ,.
Theological Observer. - Stirdjlidj~.8eitgefdjidjtlidjeB.
I. .2lmtrika.
The New Paganism and the Scriptural Attitude toward It.-
This is the tile of an important series of articles in the Ohristian Monitor
in which the well-known apologetic writer John Horsch, famous for his
invaluable book Modem Religious LiberaZism, flays Modernism as it ap-
pears in its latest representatives. Every paragraph in the series is of
such importance that we should like to publish it in its entirety; but since
space forbids this, we shall at least present the paragraph on "Modernist
Definitions of God" in order that the readers may know just how pernicious
this thing called Modernism is. Mr. Horsch writes: "Not only Unitarian
theologians have denied the existence of a personal God, but the sarne is
true of some of the prominent liberals in other Protestant churches.
940 Theological Observer. - .IUtdJltdJ.,gritgefdJidJtltd}ell.
Prot Jesse II. IIolmes 01 Swarihmore College, a Hberal Quaker, says:
'God means to us just that unifying influence which makes men long for
a brotherly world.' (Ohristian Oentury, March 1, 1928.) Again, the same
writer says: 'The element of our mysterious inner life which constantly
tends toward the good is what we mean by God.' (Orozer Quarterly, April,
1931, p.209.) Walter Marshall Horton, Professor of Systematic Theology
in the Graduate School of Theology of Oberlin College, wrote in an article
on 'The Importance of God' (Ohristian Oentury, April 18, 1931; note in
the following quotation that God is spoken of in the plural and as having
no personal existence): 'It is power that men seek when they seek God ••.•
A deity is a power; and the deities that will survive in the struggle for
existence are those which have the greatest power to inspire and invigorate
their devotees and raise them to the highest level of triumphant and
abundant life.'
"In his book Theism and the Modern Mood the same writer (speaking
now of God in the singular) defines Him as 'a vast cosmic drift, or trend,
toward harmony, fellowship and mutual aid.' (P.117.) Shailer Mathews
in his book The Atonement and the Social Process defines God (speaking
of Him in the plural) as 'those elements of the cosmic Activity with which
personal relations are possible.' (P.37.) In his most recent book, The
Growth of the Idea of God, he speaks of God again in the plural as 'the
personality producing (evolutionary) activities of the universe.' Again,
in the same book he defines God as 'a conception or an idea,' namely, as
'our conception of certain cosmic activities.'
"A certain liberal writer conceives of God as 'the infinite centers of
energy which are akin to ourselves,' and another, as 'the forces resident
in the world which effect the evolutionary process.' Again, a liberal writer,
quoted by Sockman in Morals of To·morrow, p.25, defines divinity as 'the
sum total of the laws of nature.' Dr. Henry Nelson Wieman, Professor
of Christian Theology (Christian Doctrine) in the same institution as
Shailer Mathews, in his book The Issues of Life, published by the Methodist
Book Concern, denies expressly the personality of God and defines Him as
an 'order of existence and possibility.' In an article in the Orozer Quarterly
he consistently refers to God as 'it.'''
Commenting on this "new paganism," John Horsch writes: "God is
spoken of as an influence, a cosmic drift, or trend, an idea, an order of
existence, or in the plural as cosmic activities, as activities of the universe,
as deities which exist only in the human imagination and of which some
of the fittest will survive in the struggle for existence, as the sum total
of the laws of nature. The question forces itself to one's attention, Can
a man pour out his soul in worship to such a god and expect from it help
for his deepest needs? Is not prayer to such a god as unreasonable and
as unworthy of thinking people as it is to bow down to the sun or to idols
of wood and stone? And is it not a question of the utmost importance,
What will be the effect of such teaching on American Protestantism and
the American people in general?" As proved by these "definitions of God,"
Modernism is nothing else than crude pantheism.
Yet this revived pantheism is aggressive. John Horsch, referring to
Professor Albert John Murphy of Columbia University, in his book Edu-
cation for W orZd·mmded-ness, published by the Methodist Book Concern
Theologica.l Observer. - .Rit~lt~:.8eitgef~i~tt~e!l. 941
(note how frequently this book concern is quoted as an exponent of liberal-
istic books!), says: ''To-day we think of the missionary process as the
cooperative endeavor of idealists of all nations to produce, through the
motive of a soCial religion, an ennobled and friendly human society of
varied and mutually cont.ributing cultures." No wonder, then, that (as a
,circular on mission·work distributed from the headquarters of the Student
Voluntary Movement states) "the International Missionary Council works
to reinterpret the Christian message." The Christian message must be
reinterpreted in the categories of pagan pantheism. J. T. M.
Authority in Religion. - In Christianity To-day (August) Wm.
Bittle Wells reviews the question of authority in religion and warns his
readers against forsaking the objective divine authority of Scripture.
'Quoting a modernistic preacher, he shows that Modernism acknowledges
no other authority in religion than human experience. The paragraph
·q,uoted reads: "In religion, as in all fields of thought and endeavor, the
final authority is the experience of the individual in his search for
truth. . " This point of view is not so startling, after all, because an
external authority has just as much authority as we individually are
disposed to give to it. . .. That is to say, the final appeal is within and
'Dot without." Commenting on this, Mr. Wells declares that "logic is at
a low ebb," since this principle does not even hold in philosophy, as
.Alfred Weber, in perfect agreement with Hume and Kant, holds. This
philosopher writes: "Since experience always furnishes only a limited
llumber of cases, it cannot yield necessity and universality. Hence a
judgment a posteriori, i. e., one based solely upon experience, cannot con-
'stitute scientific knowledge. In order to be necessary or scientific a judg-
ment must rest on a rational basis; it must be rooted in reason as well
as in observation; it must be a judgment a priori."
The article closes with the solemn appeal: '''It is written - this is
the great dictum of God, through Jesus Christ, that must thunder down
the ages, spreading dismay among the ranks of those who are compromising
with the world in its efforts, led by that same Satan who failed with Jesus,
to discredit the authority of the Holy Scriptures and to place puny man
in the awful place of God's throne." J. T. M.
Primitive Religion: Evidence that It Was Monotheistic.-
Under this heading Rev. G. P. Pierson, D. D., missionary to Japan for forty
years, in Christianity To-day gathers some evidence to show that pagan
religion in the early era of the human race was monotheistic. It was so
in Egypt, in Mesopotamia, in Persia, Greece, and in Rome, as also in India,
as distinct traces in the ancient law codes and prayer-books prove. It was
so in China, in Korea, and in Japan, pagan fields with which the missionary
is personally acquainted.
Of China he writes: "The Emperor Yao (2337-2255 B. C. [?]) built
a. temple to God. His successor 'offered the customary sacrifices to God,'
which implies that such sacrifices had been offered for generations before.
A thousand five hundred years before the time of Confucius,. who lived
.about 500 B. C., the word Shangti (God) is used in the oldest classics.
He is the supreme God of heaven, the supreme Ruler, one and indivisible,
incapable of change. He has no equal and can have no second He rules
absolutely and solely over all in heaven above and earth beneath. He is
942 Theological Observer. - BttdJItdJ:8eitgefdJidJtlidJtl.
tDlerant and just. By His dooroos, kings are made and rulers execute
judgment. This from The Book 0/ History and The Odes . • " But from
the age of Confucius, instead of the personal Shangti, the term Tien,
heaven, comes into use with its pantheistic implication."
Of Korea: "According to the oldest Korean record in primeval ages
there was a divine being named Wanin, who was the creator (Chaiso).
There is no mention of spirit-worship at that time; such worship was
introduced at least a thousand years later. The purest religious notion
Korea possesses to-day is Hananim (Heaven Master, Lord of Heaven)
a being entirely unconnected with either of the imported cults, Confucian-
ism and Buddhism, and far removed from the worship of evil spirits that
have terrified and prostrated the people down through the centul\ies."
Of Japan: "The first deity mentioned in the Kojiki, Japan's oldest
record, is Ame-no-mi·naka-mushi·no-kami, which means literally the god,
the Lord of the center of heaven. It is claimed by a Japanese scholar that
naka does not imply localization in the center of heaven, but that all things
depend on him; further, that he is both immanent and transcendent. He is
without beginning or end, increase or decrease. No shrine has ever been
erected to him. From the days before the coming of Confucianism or
Buddhism there prevailed, however, animism and local divinities, and
legion would be too low a figure by which to designate the number of
later deities through the centuries of decadence.
Of the Ainu people of Japan: "The Ainu people of Japan are the
remnant of what was originally a great prehistoric race. They have n()
literature, only tradition. Dr. Batchelor, who has rendered this people
unique and distinguished service in a half century of devoted missionary
work, says that they were originally monotheistic. Indeed, their word
for God, Pasui Kamni, the weighty God, who covers or overshadows, is
the name used still. for God by the missionaries."
In conclusion the author writes: "Nothing in the history of our race
is so heart-breaking as the spectacle of man with his weakened reason,
- weak at its best, - with only himself and his environment as fields of
search, after age-long, world·wide, despairing failures still groping amid
his crumbling temples and ancestral tombs for the secret of it all, dying
unsatisfied, bequeathing his doubts to his children. 'Creative thinking,'
apart from Revelation, has not been and cannot be a success. Fallen man
as a religion' maker has been, and must be, a failure. True religion is
made in heaven.
"We conclude, then, that Asia is a demonstration of appalling magni-
tude of the folly and wickedness of rejecting an available revelation and
choosing 'reason.' What we know of heaven and all we know of earth
witness to the disaster of such a course.
"The books of Asia prove what the Supreme Book of Asia [the
Bible - ED.] confirms, the necessary disaster involved in rejecting Revela-
tion and appealing, with weakened faculties, to nature, experience, imagi-
nation - all under the blight of sin.
"The men of Asia will rise up in the Judgment against our generation;
for they seek and have not the knowledge of God, the quickening of the
Spirit, the divine Teacher, while we seem ready to surrender these and
start all over again the sad experiment of the unhappy religion-makers
of Asia." J. T. M.
Theological Observer. - .Ritcl)licl)'.8eitllefcl)tcl)tl~eJ. 948
A Secular Paper's Views on "Sloth in the Pulpit." - According
to the Biblical Review the New York Bun not long ago preached a sermon
to preachers on this subject, and here are some excerpts: -
"Some churches, it is asserted, pay less attention to the spiritual
qualities of a prospective pastor than to his worldly qualifications for
getting results and making a good appearance.
"Others complain, in the words of one layman, that 'not a new thought
'has been presented in that pulpit in twenty years.'
"There are ministers Who cease to study as soon as they have accumu-
lated stocks of sermons they can use over and over again as they drift
about from place to place. Of these it is said that they find themselves
sorely puzzled to understand why hearers have tired of their homilies, to
discover themselves among those who are driven to 'burden their friends
with complaints and excuses - often plausible, but not often honest - and
with requests for assistance in securing new charges.'
"There are weak churches and strong churches, weak preachers and
strong preachers, to-day, as there were in many previous ages.
"This, nevertheless, is a restless age and an impatient.
"There never was a time when laziness was in greater disesteem.
"Moreover, the pastor who to-day undertakes to lead a flock must be
prepared to meet severe tests of a kind often spared to his predecessors in
'Other centuries.
"The printing-press and radio have brought to him greater mental
.competition, as they have given to his hearers better measuring wands with
which to ascertain for themselves how he ranks intellectually and cul-
·turally. He needs courage, an alert mind, sound judgment, sure moral
.and spiritual insight, if he intends to go into the pulpit Sunday after
Sunday and invite the comparisons his congregation is bound to make."
W.G.P.
Calvin and the Inerrancy of ~e Scriptures. - Readers of this
journal have repeatedly been made acquainted with the attempts of certain
modern scholars to prove that Luther did not believe the Bible to be in-
fallible, but was willing to grant that it contained errors. Whenever
passages of Luther that were quoted to substantiate this view were closely
examined, it was found that they did not support the charge which these
negative critics based on them. It is interesting to note that John Calvin's
.attitude toward the Scriptures has been similarly attacked. An article in
Bibliotheca Bacra, written by Dr. Charles E. Edwards, deals with the ques-
tion of Calvin's position in this respect. Dr. Edwards quotes authorities
who made a deep study of Calvin's writings and who state that he taught
the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. The writer's authorities point out
that, whenever Calvin does speak of errors in the Bible, he refers not to
the original writers, but to copyists. Matt. 27, 9 is one of the passages
referred to, concerning which Calvin says: "How the name Jeremiah crept
in, I confess that I do not know, nor do I anxiously trouble myself;
-certainly, that the name Jeremiah has been put by an error for Zechariah,
the thing itself shows, for nothing like this is read in Jeremiah." This
statement of Calvin's is explained thus by Dr. Moore, one of the scholars
quoted: "It is utterly unwarranted to make Calvin here acknowledge an
error in the original text of Scripture. He speaks of the name Jeremiah
944 Theological Observer. - .Ritd)nd)~8ettl1efd)td)tlid)e!I.
as having crept in (obrepserit); and this naturally suggests the idea of
a corruption of the original text of Scripture. He holds that the name
Jeremiah is put by error for Zechariah, but he does not say that the error
was committed by the evangelist. The curt expression 'put by error
rather leads us to think of an error of transcription. It is most unreason-
able to hold that Calvin here supposes the admitted error to attach to the
original text. The more we study this passage, which is the chief one
relied on and the one most frequently appealed to in support of the
allegation that Calvin did not hold the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scrip-
ture, the more assured we are that it does not serve the purpose for which
it is adduced." To all who read this article from the pen of Dr. Edwards
it will be clear that, while Calvin taught very serious errors, the doctrine
of a fallible Bible was not among them. A.
Two Seminaries United. - The press reports that, beginning with
the academic year 1931-32, Andover Theological Seminary will reopen
and will be united with the Newton Theological Seminary. Andover is
a Congregationalist school and was founded in 1807 largely to counteract
the influence of Harvard, which had become very liberal; and Newton is
a Baptist school, founded in 1825. The two schools have joined their
titles, faculty, libraries, and administration and will be known as the
Andover-Newton Theological School. We are told that a court order re-
leased Andover from the "legal and doctrinal restrictions of the so-called
Andover creed." It is evident that all restrictions which pious donors
may impose in order to prevent that endowments which they give are
ever used to propagate doctrines which they abhor, are in vain if suc-
ceeding generations do not adhere to the faith of the fathers. The merger
of the two schools is strong evidence, if evidence were needed, of the ultra-
unionistic atmosphere which is now prevailing in America. A.
Hinduism Spreading in America. - According to one of our ex-
changes a book recently appeared entitled Hinduism Invades America,
by Dr. Wendell Thomas, in which one can see that there is close resem-
blance between American Liberalism and the religion of the . Hindu. The
reviewer says of this religion: "Its real name is Dharma; for Hinduism
is only a title bestowed by Westerners, and it means the universal pro-
gressive principle of every man - an idea suggestive of much that we hear
expressed by religious leaders to-day. Missionaries in India have long
known of the likeness between the reform movement there, which is called
Brahma Samaj, and American Unitarianism, as acknowledged by adherents
of each; but in this country the former is particularly represented by the
Vedanta centers. We are glad these are dwindling in numbers and in-
fiuence. The Yogoda Society is a more Americanized type of Hinduism,
making certain concessions to our ways of thought, adopting every method
of aggressive propaganda, and seeking affiliation with liberal churches.
Still more dangerous and a subject for warning is the little-recognized
kinship of older American writers and present religious movements with
Hinduism. Emerson, Thoreau, and other Transcendentalists studied and
popularized its teachings, as likewise did Walt Whitman and more re-
cently Ralph Waldo Trine. Mrs. Eddy quoted from its sacred Upanishad
scriptures in her earlier editions of Science and Health, which have now
Theological Observer. - Rttd)lid)~.8eitllefd)id)tlid)e~. 945
been suppressed by the church publishers. New Thought, Unity, Theos-
ophy, and Bahaism, as well as Christian Science use some of its doctrines
and enjoy favorable consideration from Modernists." It is the old story-
when people become wiser than the Scriptures, they turn to strange super-
stitions. A.
"What Is UnionismP" - Our article bearing this caption in the
August issue of the CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY has called forth
a reply from Rev. D. R. Honn, pastor of the American Lutheran church at
Fort Recovery, O. Reference had been made to his church in the following
statement: "At Fort Recovery, 0., four local churches - Trinity Lutheran,
the Methodist Episcopal, the Church of Christ, and the Congregational
Christian - conduct a united series of community meetings as Sunday
evening services during the winter and spring months." Rev. Honn writes:
"At no time did we conduct a united series of services. There was abso-
lutely no pulpit or altar fellowship practised. . .. Here are the facts in
the case. Last fall the churches here decided they would not have services
in each church each Sunday evening. (We do not have regular Sunday
evening services.) They decided there would be services in only one church.
And these services to be held in each church in succession. They asked us
if we would take our turn, which brought services to our church about
once in five weeks. We decided to take our turn, but stipulated that these
services were in no wise to be considered union services, nor should there
be any interchange of pulp~ts or any fellowship in Holy Communion. This
was agreed upon and was carried out. These services were not strictly
church services, but were more of an informal nature." We have made
reply to Rev. Honn, to this effect: "No claim was made in our article that
there was actual participation of the Reformed preachers in the services
conducted at Fort Recovery. Your statement, however, bears out the de-
scription of those services as a 'united series of meetings.' The series
was arranged by various religious bodies in Fort Recovery." While we
should not apply the term unionistic service to a church service conducted
under the arrangement described, the arrangement itself certainly is of
a unionistic character. A Lutheran congregation agrees with the Reformed
congregations to give the community a series of Sunday evening services
during the winter and spring months. Unless fraternal relations are
recognized, how can such an arrangement be entered into? One of the
chief purposes of our article was to point out the fallacies involved in the
standpoint of those who limit unionism to the actual joining of Lutheran
and non-Lutheran preachers in the same service. We believe that an
arrangement which by its mutual character overrides the existing differ-
ence in doctrine must be classified in the same category. As we wrote
our correspondent: "I believe that just such community arrangements as
cited in my article serve to break down the Lutheran consciousness of our
people. They are part of the community which was invited to worship
one Sunday in the Lutheran church and the next Sunday in the Methodist."
In other words, not only actual participation in public worship with those
of another faith, but any arrangement which implies a fraternal recognition
of those differing from us in their pubUca doctrina is unionism and
should be avoided. TH. G.
60
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946 Theological Observer. - .Rird)Hd) • .seitllefd)id)t(id}e~.
II . .au5htttb.
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&lauoen£lgemeinfdjafien, bie flir ba£l teligiofe Eeoen untet ben fJoIliinbifdjen
~oteftanten fennaeidjnenb finb. 2ruf ben ~inaeidjnung£!nften flir bie Ietlte
fJoIliinbifdje lBolf£!aiifJlung tvaren tvoql atvei ~utlenb ~rdjen unb !1teligiOn£l~
aide! bermetft, berm IDlitgIiebfdjafi bet fJoIliinbifdje 6taat£!oiirget an.
geoen lonnie.
,,~en ~reimautetn bettvanbt butdj ifJr !aefenntni£! au tvetftiitiget
9liidjftenIieoe finb bie fJoIliinbifdjen moobotoofet£!, bie ifJr Sentrum in bem
llddjen !aardjem fJaoen. .x,;iet betfammeln fie fidj aIljiiijrIidj au 5t'agungen
unb .2efJdurfen, an benen namentridj audj jugenblidje ~eife teHnefJmen.
~iir 1931 ift in !aardjem dne erfte inietnationale Sufammenfunfi ber beut.
fcf}en, engHfdjen unb fJoIliinbifdjen moobotoolet£! anbetaumt.
"itoeral@ aal)Iretdj finb in .x,;oIlanb bie )tIjeofol'fJen, fotvofJl 6teinetfdjet
!Vie !aefantfcf}er !1tidjtung, bettreten. !1tubolf 6teiner, bet au .2eoaeiten ber~
fdjiebeniIicf} in .x,;oIlanb tveirte, fJat fJiet in Dr. Sijman£! ban ~mmidjfJoben
einen eoenfooetebten nne oelieoten 9lacf}folger. ~ie flir ben !aau be£!
&oetfJenaum£! in ~otnadj (unb bann fUt beffen miebetaufOau) erforber~
lidjen &elber finb in oefonber£! teidjem IDlaf3e al@ .x,;oIlanb aufammen.
gefloffen. 2rudj 2rnnie !aefani, bie faft jeben 60mmet nadj .x,;oIlanb lommt,
fann fidj nicf}t iioer mangelnbe &aftfteunbfdjafi ber .x,;oIliinber oefiagen.
~fJr unb ifJrem 6djiitlling ~ifdjnamutti tvUtbe butdj !aaron ~aIlanbt ba£!
.2anbgut '~erbe oei ()mmen aUt lBerfftgung geftelli, tvo oi£!fJer ba£! 6ommer.
lager be£! 6tetnenorben£! aogefJalien tvurbe. !aefanntlidj fJaoen fidj bie
)tIjeofol'fJtfcf}e &enoffenfcf}afi (6itl ~oini .2oma, ~alifotnia, &riinbetin
~atfJerine 5t'ingletj) unb bie ~ntetnationale )tIjeofOl'fJifdje lBereinigung (6itl
2rbtjat, ~nglifdj.~nbien, &riinberin ~nnie !aefant) au einet 2rroett£!gemein~
fcf}afi aUfammengefdjloffen, ein lBerfiifJnung£!fdjtitt, bet namentridj in .x,;oIlanb
oeifiiIlig aUfgenommen IVUtbe. ~a£l &eneralfeftetatiat ber tfJeofOl'fJifcf}en
mereinigungen in .x,;oIlanb tvitb fJeute butdj Dr. ~. ~. ban ber .2eeutv tvafJt~
Theological Observer. - Ritd)lid).8eitlltfd)id)tltdJeB. 947
genommen, bet in 6~bne~, ~uf±talien, bet 3'Ieien ~atljolifdjen ~tdje na~e~
fUmb, aUf feinem je~igen ~often abet namentlidj fUt eine teinlidje 6djeibung
atuifdjen ~eofoj)~en unb ()ffulti~mu~ eiferl. man bet Eeeutu ~at biele
l8iidjet gefdjrieben unb tritt al~ 6j)tedjet audj auf ben ~agungen bet }fie~~
~eit~fdjule in ~atmftabt auf.
,,~et ()ffult~m~ fdjlie~lidj ift in .\>oUanb ein anbetet 6ammelgebanle
fUt biele organifierle uub nidjtotganifierle teligiiife ~uflenfeitet. ~ie l8e~
fdjaftigung mit fj)iritiftifdjen ~toblemen ift betmaflen betbteitd, ba~ Me
fat~olifdje mtdje bagegen einen ridjtigen 3'elbaug begonnen ~at, bet in~
beffen tuenig a~tidjtete. @;onan ~o~le, bet !uta bot feinem ~be me~tete
}fiodjen in .\>oUanb tueilte, ~at ~et ben &tunb fUt ben otganifatorifdjen
SUfammenfdjlufl aUet ~nTjiinget gelegt, tuie biefet in (§nglanb beteU~ feit
Iangem boUaogen IUUtbe. ~ie englifdjen 6j)iritiften bilben befannilidj mit
i~ten 600 ,~tdjen' unb i~ten bielen ~aufenben bon ~n~iingem beteU~ eine
innetj)olitifdje IDladjtgtU\)j)e. 6ie ~en ben etften }fieltfongtefl bet 6j)iri~
tiften fUt Mefe~ ;sa~t nadj bem '.\>aag einbetufen, ~ abetmag aeigt, bafl
.\>oUanb fiit jebe ~rl teligiiifen ~u~enfeiterl~ ein ftudjtbatet l80ben ift."
;s.~. IDl.
'!lie unionij'tifdie I5teUung ber $riibefgemeinbe. ;sn dnet IDlitteilung
im ,,(§bangefifdjen ~eutfdjlanb" lefen tuit: ,,;sn .\>ettn~ut tagt fei! bem
28, IDlai aum etftenmale tuiebet feU 1914 bie &enetalf~nobe bet l8tiibet"
unitm. ~n bet ~agung, bie i~gefamt ettua brei }fiodjen baued, ne~men
aI~ boUbetedjtigte IDlitgliebet getu1i~ne ffiigeotbnete ~ ~eutfdjlanb, bet
~fdjedjoflotuafei, &to~titannien, ~metifa, }fieftinbien, 6utiname, 91ifa~
tagua uub 6iibaftifa fotuie eine ~na~l bon ~abetn leitenbet 6teUen
auf @runb i~tet ~mt~befugng teU. mOt aUem galten bie l8etaiungen bet
91euotbnung bet metfaffung. ~emet bet~anbelte man wet enbgiiltige Su~
tueifung bet betfdjiebenen IDliHio~felbet an bie einaeInen Unitiit~j)tObinaen.
~amit mtt an Me 6teUe bet b~~etigen Senttalifietung be~ IDliffio~~
tuefe~ bet l8tiibetgemeine eine ~eaen±talifation, bei bet abet bie (§in"&eit
be~ gefamten IDliffio~tuetf~ getua~d blewt. l8efonbet~ bon amerifanifdjet
6eite tuar au~etbem bie 3'tage aUt l8efj)tedjung gefteUt, tuo unb in tueIdjet
}fieife in ben einaeInen Eiinbem bie ~nnii~erung an glauben~bettuanbte
~tdjengemeinfdjaften gefiitbed tuetben fiinne. l8efanniIidj ift in ~eutfdj~
Ianb dne metbinbung mit ben Eanbe~fitdjen butdj ben ~nfdjlu~ bet l8tiibet~
unitiit an ben ~eutfdjen (§bangelifdjen mtdjenbunb fdjon feit liingerem
~etgeftellt." ;so ~. IDl.
'!lie englifdien iJnifirdien forbetn bie (futftaatlidinng ber anglifa-
nifdien ~irdje. ~et gtii~te ~eil bet engIifdjen l8ebiiIferung befennt fidj
nodj ~eute aut IDlitgIiebfdjaft in bet anglifanifdjen 6taat~fitdje, bie nadj
bem engIifdjen @efe~ botaiiglidje ~ribilegien genie~t. ~amit finb bie 3'td~
fitdjen unauftieben. }fiit lefen batiibet im ,,~rifmdjen ~pologeten", tuie
folgt: ,,~uf bet ~a~te~betfammlung be~ l8unbe~ bet ebangelifdjen ~tei~
fitdjen in (§nglanb, bie filtalidj ftattfanb, tuUtbe dne lRefolution angenommen,
in bet bie merltetet bet au biefem l8unb ge~jjtenben ~teifitdjen ilum ~~brucf
bringen, ba~ bie Set! gefommen fei, tuo bie angIifanifdje .mtdje auf i~te
6teUung al~· 6taat~fitdje fotuie auf bie ftaatIidjen Untetftii~ungen bet~
aidjten foUte, 91adj ~uffaffung bet ~teifitdjen tuiitbe ein foldjet 6djritt bie
geiftlidje Sh:afttuirlung be~ djriftIidjen @lauben~ bebeutenb betme~ten, bem
948 Theological Observer. - .Rir4lli~'.8eitllef4li4ltli4Jd.
\lffinaip ber religiiifen tyreiljeit unb @Ieid)Dered)j:igung, toofiir bie tyreifirdjen
eintreten, forberIidj fein unb einige ber gegentoCirtigen .\>inberniffe, bie· ber
~jIege ber djriftridjen ®emeinfdjaft unter ben SNrdjen im }illeg fteljen, lie"
feitigen. Z§. 5t. ill.
~tllilt nnb tReligion in SlIllnien. ~ie repulirifanifdje !Regierung in
@5panien toirb enbIidj audj ben ebangeIifdjen SNrdjen et~ meljr tyreiljeit
berfdjaffen. ~em ,,2utljerifdjen '\>eroIb" entneljmen toir ba£; tyoIgenbe:
,,~ie vrobiforifdje !Regietung ber !Repulirif ljat eine merotbnung illier bie
SMtu£;fteiljeit erIaffen, bie foIgenbe£; lieftimmt: ,1. illiemanb, audj nidjt
ber im @5taat£;bienft @5teljenbe, ift betpjIidjtet, fein !Rdigion£;liefenntni£; an"
augelien. @5taaffllieamte unb iIliIitiir£; bilrfen feinerIei illadjforf djungen illier
baS @Iaulie~efenntni£; iljret Untergelienen anftelIen. 2. illiemanb, audj
nidjt ber im @5taat£;bienft @5teljenbe, ift aur 5teiInaljme an reIigiofen Bere"
monien, tyeften ufto. geatoungen. 3. ~e faefenntniffe biltfen offentIidj unb
pribat iljren SMt ~illien, fotoeit fie nidjt gegen bie @efe~e ber offeut"
Iidjen ()rbnung berftonen.' ~amit ift ber iiunere !Raljmen be~ merljiiItniffe£;
bon @5taat£;getoaIt unb !Religion gegelien, alIerbing£; nidjt meljr ag ein
!Raljmen. - ~ie @5pannung awifdjen bet failjolifdjen ~itdje unb bem @5taat
liefteljt toeiter, olitooljI bie m:u~fdjteitungen fidj nidjt toieberljoIt ljalien .
.\>ariniicfig erljaIten fidj bie @erildjte, ban eine m:Dreife be£; iJlunti~, ~
ljeint, ein m:lilirudj ber faeaieljungen atoifdjen matifan unb !Regierung, lie"
borfteljt." ~. 5t. ill.
Doctores discriminis legis et evangelii. Unter biefer itlierfdjrift
gilit ,,@5djrift unb faefenninis" ein aufammenfaffenbes UrieH wer unfere
lieiben entfdjIafenen 2eljrer D. g:. faente unb D. ty. ~iepet. }illir Iefen ba
u. a.: ,,~benfalIS toaren bie lieiben ~eimgegangenen . . . un£; Ieudjtenbe
morliiIber, baS toirfIidj }illidjtige toidjtig au neljmen. @Sie toaren burdj
@otte£; @nabe oljne iljr merbienft doctores discriminis legis et evangelii.
@5ie ljalien bid gefdjrielien. m:lier immer toar bie unermilbIidje, Uner"
fdjrodene m:ntoenbung bon @efe~ unb (§bangeIium in redjter Unterfdjei"
bung ~ @rone. In pluribus unum! Non multa, sed multum."
~n lieaug auf D. ~iepet urleiIt ber @5djreilier: ,,}illir erinnern un£;
felner morIefung bon iljm, in ber toir nidjt ba£; @efilljI ljatten: @ 0 t t
ljat mit Un£; gerebet. ~a~ toat baS @rone. }illir gingen mit ber I§mp"
finbung au~ bem .\>orfaaI: @ott ljat uns @5ilnber feinen (§rnft meden
Iaffen; @ott alier ljat mit feiner @nabe, mit ber @5onne ber @eredjtigfeit,
(tljtifto, mit bet !Redjtfertigung nidjt au£; ben }illetfen, fonbetn ~ @na"
ben, um (tljrifti toilIen, butdj ben @Iaulien, uns illierfdjtoengIidj getroftet.
~ir modjten fogar ben m:~brud doctor angelicus toagen in bem @5inn,
ban un~ liei feinet }illeife, ~ogmatif au Ieljren, tro~ bet meifterljaften
liegriffIidjen ~Iarljeit, ja gerabe bermoge berfeIlien, ettons bon ber illiilje
be£; .\>immeg aufging, ber fidj mandjmaI audj auf bem m:nU~ be£; nildj"
tern Iutljerifdjen iIlanne£; au fpiegeIn fdjien. Unb fo ift audj D. ~ieper£;
grone gebtudte ~ogmatif eine ,djriftIidje', in ber ba~ .\lera be£; (tljriften"
tum~ getoaItig fdjliigt, niimIidj bie redjte Unterfdjeibung bon @efe~ unb
'(§bangeIium." ~iefe "redjte Unterfdjeibung" liei D. ~ieper ljafte iljren
@runb in ber getoaItigen @5djriftbebife, bie iljm immer bor m:ugen fdjtoelite:
E'l n. lalei, ~. J.OYla {}eov, 1 ~etr. 4, 11.
Theological Observer. - RitdJUdJ'3eitllefdJidJtltd}ell. 949
\l{g bet UntetaeiCijuete fein \!{mt ag ~ogmatifet annat, fagte iljm
bet .\)eimgegangene: ,,)ffienn @lie liei ~ijtem ganaen UntetriCijt biefen @lpruCij
im @lebii#n~ lieijarten, fo Ieijten @lie ~ogmatif teCijt." ~~ fagte et gana
au~ feinet eigenen ~tfaijrung ije~. ~.~. IDl.
On the Barthian School of Theology. - In the October issue of
the Theological Forum, published by the Norwegian Lutheran Church of
America, we find an interesting article by John E. Groenli on Karl Barth
and the ideas which he and his school promulgate and defend. The sum-
mary in which the outstanding points of the "Barthian" theology are
briefly stated will interest our readers.
"1. Man is nothing, God is all. An emphasis on the transcendence of
God and the sinfulness of man, who is absolutely helpless, unable to save
himself. Calvin's Soli Deo Gloria is often used by Barth. This is of course
a reaction against the apotheosizing of man which has so characterized the
latter part of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century.
"2. A strong emphasis on Scripture as the Word of God, a healthy
reaction against negative criticism. The Word is revelation. Man is a
viator, a wanderer in a far country; the Word of God comes to him as
a call from the homeland.
"3. Jesus is the God-man. 'In the name Jesus Christ two worlds meet
and touch • . . the point of intersection of the two planes is Jesus of
Nazareth ... the Jesus of history, born of David according to the flesh.'
The chimera of Arianism hovers in the back of our Gothic minds, and it
has found outlets in Socinianism, Unitarianism, Modernism, etc., and the
Barthian emphasis on the deity of Christ must be hailed with joy. How-
ever, from a Lutheran standpoint the Barthian Christology falls short in
important points, as it is genuinely Calvinistic and fails to grasp the
significance of the Lutheran teaching about the communicatio idiomatum,
especially the genus maiestaticum, but opposes the doctrine.
"4. Renewed emphasis on faith. It is a thing to be thankful for that
the reformers' emphasis on faith again is heard in Europe. With faith
restored to its central position in a theological system, we may be inclined
to agree with Count Keyserling when he says that Barth has saved Prot-
estantism in Germany. There are, however, certain peculiarities in the
Barthian conception of faith, which will be referred to later.
"5. Closely connected with the emphasis on faith is the Barthian view
of psychology. In the words of Dr. Keller, 'the dialectic theology has
liberated theology from history and psychology; as a reaction it has
placed the emphasis upon the Word of God which is given us by faith.'
In his Erlebnis, Erkenntnis und Glaube, Brunner is very outspoken against
psychology, or rather, psychology of religion, and he claims to be in agree-
ment with Luther on this score.
"6. The eschatological view. This is peculiar and will be referred to
later. A prophetic view is generally eschatological, and the Barthian view
in this respect probably represents a reaction against the overemphasis
on history which some schools of thought have been guilty of."
It is worthy of note that our writer emphasizes that Barth, while
speaking of Luther with admiration, is nevertheless a true Calvinist.
Furthermore, what Barth says about the Scriptures sounds very good, but
it must be remembered, as Mr. Groenli points out, that this school does
950 Theological Observer. - Rtrcl)ltcl)-8eitgefcl)tcl)tlid)e!I.
not believe in verbal inspiration, but rather in "pneumatic" interpretation
of the Bible. Critical methods are freely applied to the text. With respect
to faith the Barthian system does not teach the confident trust which is
one of the chief things in Luther's writings, says Groenli. "Barth some-
times seems to identify faith with obedience." The views of this school
on eschatology, according to Groenli, often appear contradictory. There
does not seem to be a new order of things to which these people direct the
hopes of Christians when they speak of the fulfilment of God's purposes
with respect to men. They seem in their eschatology to refer to what is
going on now and not to have in mind "new heavens and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness." Mr. Groenli finds the chief value of the
Barthian theology, not in the system which it submits, but "in the inspira-
tion it gives to the preaching of the Word." A.
~ie lleutfdje ~~eorogenfpmlfJe. ~ir ~eutfdjamerifaner finb, lvie e~
fdjeint, nidjt bie einaigen, bie bariWer stlage fUljren, bal3 fo biele beutfdj.
liinbifdje ~eologen fein gemeinbetftiinbHdje~ ~eutfdj reben fonnen obet
lvoIIen. Wudj edjte ~eutfdje oefIagen biefe .IDlanier. ~n einem auf bet
stirdjIidjen stonferena au 2eipaig geljaltenen, in bet "~IIg. <§b. -2utlj. stirdjen~
aeitung" (7. Wuguft 1931) beroffentridjten llJorlt:ag ljeifit es: "Unb lvenn
lvir ljeute mit banfOarer ~reube bor unferm ~<§ttn ben ~urdjotUdj tefor~
matorifdjer @Iauoensetfenntni~ edeoen bilrfen, bann tvilnfdjen lvit foldjer
jungen, fUr bie stirdje ljoffnungsboIIen ~eologie nur audj bie @aoe bet
<§infalt be~ ~enfens unb ber @5ptadje. ~er @laube bedriigt lvoljI eine
geljooene @5pradje, aoer feine gerounbene unb etfilnftelte; benn lver oe~
fonbers fiug unb geoiIbet unb in aofonbedidjen ~ormen reben lviII, fiim
leidjt au~ ber 2autetfeit ~tifti ljet~. Unb e~ ift dne metftvilrbige
!tatfadje, bal3 audj unfere \Warter arsoalb anfangen, lvie in 8ungen au
reben, fobaIb eine oefonbere tljeologifdje ~ormulietUng unb ~adjfpradje
mobem lvirb unb ~uffeljen enegt. ~e @5pradje ber @5djrift erfdjeint uns
ftet~ als bie liefte 2eljrmdftetin audj lviber eine fompHaiede :tljeologie.
~ir miidjten ljineinljordjen in ~ ~od unb ~ ~od feThft au ~odt
fommen laffen." (§infart b e s ~ e n fen sun b b e r @5 pta dj e I
.IDlandjer ift ia bon ~atur mit dner unfiaren, unoeljoIfenen Wusbruclslveife
oeIaftet. WOer gar oft tilljd audj bie unfiare, gefdjraubte, berfiaufuliede,
riitfeIljafte me be baljer, baB man nidjt einfiiliig ber @5djrift nadjbenfen
unb nadjreben lviII unb bie eigenen @ebanfen bodj als @5djrifigebanfen
batoiden mOdjte. <§s lviire au lviinfdjen, bafi me gegenlviirtige 2utljer.
renaiffance eine lvirfIidje milclfeljt au 2utljet anoaljnen modjte, au 2utljetS
@laubenseinfalt unb einfiiltiger mebe. <§ ..
,,2itutgifdjtt ~unftnuflinu, Sidjittiigerinnen" Uflv. ~atin fudjen mandje
baS ~eil ber stirdje. SDer ooengenannte llJorlt:ag fPridjt fidj batiloet fol~
genbermafien ~: ,,~n tidjtiger <§tfenntnfS f~en bie einen im ~eiIigtum,
im gotiesbienftlidjen ~efen unb 2eoen, an. @5tat! aber bie lveitljin burdj
iljre eigene @5djulb mifiIieoig gelvorbene ~tebigt, bies Sfernftilcl urdjtift~
Iidjen unb reformatorifdjen @otie~bienfte~, ~ bem @Iauben au refor.
mieren, raten bieIe baau, fie auf aIle ~iiIIe erljebIidj au fiiraen, aurilcf,.
aubriingen, ia teUlvdfe gana betfdjlvinben au laffen augunften bon aIIedei
unattigen @otte~bienftgeftaltungen, bie aum !teU bon bem <§bangeIium feljr
lvefenSftemben striiften regied lverben. ~ir geraten ljeute in einen lvaljren
~ngatten einet ~etrfdjaft bet ~orm unb ~ @5~moolS. ~dj benfe an bie
Theological Observer. - Rtt~n~'8ett«ef~t~tlidJe!!. 951
ij.od)fh:d)lid)e 18etuegung, an Me bebenfiid)e ftberfd)~ung be~ Shtltifd)en, b~
liturgifd)en Shtnftaufbaue~ unb an aUe~ b~, tva~ alS religiii~ tuerlboU,
tuirfun~ftad, anaie~enb, ia ftimmung~boU ober gar mtlftifd) betuegenb er"
ad)tet tuirb. IDlan empfie~lt ben fd)tueigenben @otte~bienft ~ier, bie ~er"
me~tUng bon @efan~" unb 6pred)d)iiren ba. IDlan berfud)t e~ mit einem
Mtifd)en IDlit~anbe!n ber @emeinbe im @otte~bienft [~], man liifst 2id)t"
triigerinnen auftreten [gibt e~ fold)e ~ieraulanbe~], beboraugt befonbere
@etuiinber, mad)t reid)lid) getuagte ~erfud)e mit bem ~ird)enfd)mud unb
ber ll3aramentif, ia fd)eut gar t~eatralifd)e ~arfteUungen um ben ~n:tar
~er nid)t." C§.