I will not attempt to kelm the article and comments, which I picked up from Brother Teigen's blog.
Here is the link on rehabilitating Martin Stephan about one of the pioneers of the Missouri Synod. Actually, Loehe started the synod and invited the Walther-ites to join in. That is almost always forgotten. Loehe is officially the bad guy in official Walther-centric histories.
The point of the new publication is that Walther deposed Stephan in an underhanded way, stole property from Stephan, and even kidnapped his children for a time.
McCain's line of argumentation, in defending Walther, is rather strange.
1. The ALPB should apologize for its support of Seminex. That seems to come rather close to McCain's own extended family.
2. Guilt by association - see #1 - with Christian News. As I recall, McCain worked closely with Herman Otten to get Barry elected. They both denied it. But they agree about UOJ.
3. McCain must not be a Waltherian. His most frequently published photos have him in a clerical collar. He fashions himself as Pastor McCain. But he has not had a congregational call since his first one of three years, in Iowa. Perhaps I am mistaken. Or maybe "Everyone a Minister" has taken hold in Missouri, too. Blogging to promote one's business is a legitimate divine call, no?
McCain, as the former head of the Concordia Historical Institute, wants to protect the Walther legacy, which is enshrined there. Not Walther, but rather his hagiographic defenders, are the problem for Missouri. If Walther must walk six feet above us mortals, then no one can question the double-justification scheme CFW borrowed from G. C. Knapp and his Calvinist translator, Woods.
McCain is an example of how the current MDivs work. They are experts in everything and yet allergic to higher degrees. They want to run their synods, but their work is anonymous. How can a pastor be a "Confessional Lutheran" when all his work is secretive, and - dare I say it - underhanded?
Stephan took long walks with women back in the old country. The police were suspicious of his behavior. One of the odd things about the early LCMS history is Walther's sworn allegiance to Bishop-for-Life Stephan when this behavior must have been fairly well known. To say Walther was schocked, schocked at Stephan's adultery seems duplicitous.
History is quite messy and should not be left in the hands of bedroom bloggers for books. C. S. Lewis said history is analogous to all the libraries in the world being burned down. Only one book is left, and only one sentence from that book can be read. That is all we know about history.
I was using the official archives of the LCA to find out about the life and death of A. D. Mattson, the subject of my PhD dissertation. The official archives had him dying in Rock Island, Illinois. His daughter, who worked with Lutheran Forum, said no, he died in Minnesota. That is a minor point for almost everyone, but it shows that official information can be wrong.
My best professor at Notre Dame was a Jew who taught Jewish studies. He proved many times over that the neat, three point summary of history is often wrong.
