Walther's Law and Gospel lectures are now online. The title looks funny in the browser because there is an extra ">" in the code under title. Yes, I proof-read HTML too, so beware.
I would like to thank the people involved in the effort, because it makes reading, quoting, and citing so much easier.
The lectures are an English translation of a German transcription of his lectures. However, they are doubtless faithful to his original thought and meaning.
Many of the French Protestants (Huguenots) fled to Prussia during the persecutions in France. My father's mother's family came to America. The Huguenots were Reformed, but they were not given their own churches in Prussia. The Lutherans were supposed to convert them, but they converted the Lutherans. The Prussian Union, which Walther and Bishop Stephan fled, was a compromise where Lutherans gave up the efficacy of the Word - just like today in the Lutheran Church. Only today, the district presidents and bishops have the sword, instead of the magistrates.
Walther's Christian faith was Pietistic in origin. He could never bring himself to criticize Spener in his publications.
The peculiar double-justification, formulated by Walther and Pieper, came from Halle Pietism. The subjective-objective language was circulating widely in America in the Christian Dogmatics of Knapp (Halle University), which was published in German and translated into English. The book was used extensively by all denominations from the 1830s to the 1890s. Knapp begat Tholuck, theologically, and Tholuck taught Hoenecke at Halle University.
Synodical Conference Lutherans think church history began in 1841 with Walther and his Altenburg Theses. Here are the periods of church history in the LCMS:
1. Jesus.
2. C. F. W. Walther.
3. Jack and Robert Preus.
Walther made many positive contributions to the Missouri Synod, but he definitely took over the personality cult which Bishop Stephan began. The Missouri Synod was happy to make Walther into an idol. I even have a tiny C. F. W. Walther statue, which I got from Herman Otten in New Haven.
Many people think that anyone who questions Walther or Pieper is an automatic heretic. That attitude is idolatrous, dangerous, and sad to behold.
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L P has left a new comment on your post "Walther's Law and Gospel Online":
Pr. GJ,
Many people think that anyone who questions Walther or Pieper is an automatic heretic. That attitude is idolatrous, dangerous, and sad to behold.
Absolutely correct, Pastor! It is also fanaticism, is it not? and shame on them!
Whereas Walther said some helpful things in his book, my readings suggest that he is also responsible for a type of Lutheran Fundamentalism wherein critical thinking is abhorred.
LPC
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GJ - Perhaps we should blame those who came after Walther and made Missouri Walther-centric. Cascione and others seem to think I should burn incense in front of my Walther statue, like Queequeg and his idol in Moby Dick.
