Every time someone asked me, "Which catechism do you use?" I said - "Luther's." That always prompted an exchange where the edition was narrowed down. I bought inexpensive editions of the Small Catechism by itself and used those.
I like the layout of the Gausewitz, because the Biblical passages are in the back. However, every edition gives the printers a chance to muck up the original work. Like the Bible, the original gets lost in the political agenda of the fiends who decide to improve upon it.
I have a master's degree in education, and I teach graduate courses in education. In the last decade I have taught thousands of students and used many textbooks. Kuske's book, which is far more Kuske (and the worst of WELS) is one of the worst ever. The blue book reminds me of the Talmud, whose pages are explained below.
Luther's Small Catechism is a masterpiece, but the work is lost in the clutter of Kuske. The book begins with a tepid and misleading description of the Reformation. Oh, how carefully the author avoids justification by faith, which is now an evil phrase in WELS and suspect in much of Missouri. UOJ is introduced, in subtle form, on page 22 of the 1982 edition.
Next the author launches into a large section on knowledge of God and the Bible. This is done with questions and answers, numbered, and NIV quotations. Blue print and clip art makes it even worse.
How effective has this been? WELS is the most anti-Biblical, anti-Confessional sect among the Lutherans today. They are worse than ELCA because they are dishonest about what they really teach and practice.
Digging. Digging. I finally found the beginning of Luther's Small Catechism - page 53 of Kuske's epic tome.
He stands on Luther with both feet to introduce Universal Objective Justification, which is completely opposed to the Biblical doctrine taught by the Reformer. The method reminds me of Karl Barth and Charlotte Kirschbaum, whose adulterous relationship fueled the dogma of Fuller Seminary - using Christian doctrine to replace faith in Christ with Marxist slogans. Oh yes, Father Barth sent his honey-bun to the big Communist shindig. She was the brains of the team anyway and a lot better looking.
The real dogma of WELS is - Our radicals can do no wrong. They have embossed that on every mind washed and re-washed at Mequon and New Ulm. Outside the UOJ/Church Growth fraternity, everyone is fair game. That fraternity runs the show and runs off with the offering money. For examples - see Glende's St. Peter Freedom and Downtown Bar Church.
Or - Rick Johnson in Corona, California.
Or - Randy Hunter.
Or - Jeff Gunn, whose imitations of Rick Warren converted Jon Buchholz from persecutor to apostle, a change more dramatic than Paul's on the road to Damascus. Scales fell from the DP's eyes and he saw for the first time that WELS needs leaders like Jeff Gunn. Soon we will hear Jon singing the new CCM classic, "Jesus Is My Rice," words by Gunn, tune by Sesame Street Productions.
Or - the Godfather Hisself - Kudu Don Patterson, Great White Hunter. They are so po' they need a free vicar each year. But they are so rich they can build a new church next to Doebler's Rock and Rock effort in Round Rock. But they are so rich they can give $40,000 to the WELS/LCMS fund-raising business started by Ron Roth.
Don't worry - when those money-burning efforts flop, the news will be buried in a blizzard of happy news items.
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