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| Your guide to the truth in Fox Valley, WELS. |
From the Fake Blog:
In any case, the book as been completely picked apart on the basis of historical errors and poor scholarly methods by a number of professional Church-historians. Cameron McKenzie's review is worth reading in this regard. The author is not a trained historian, but rather a psychologist. It's odd in light of the fact that Greg is supposedly a trained Church-historian that he wouldn't pick up on this. Though his "scholarship" generally amounts to little more than accumulating quotations. The quotations are never interpreted, but merely labeled as "bad" or "good." Considering how he's willing to endorse such a transparently poor piece of scholarship as the Stephan book, it shows that what I've thought him for a while is true: basically Greg is a nihilist. He doesn't believe in reality or in truth, at this point he just wants to destroy all those stupid Synodical theologians, officials, and pastors who never recognized him and kicked him out of multiple times basically being a crazy heretical jerk. Either that or he's just a dope who doesn't get how bad the Stephan book is. It's probably a little of both.
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GJ - The same cowering blogger argued that I cannot possibly get anything right because I earned two degrees "from the famous Roman Catholic Jesuit (sic) school, Notre Dame."
I had some fun with their profound knowledge of higher education -
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/07/more-hilarity-from-team-glende-he.html
Let us pause to consider their repudiation of any Lutheran with a doctorate from Notre Dame, disregarding the natural of graduate work. Their expert on on CFW Walther is Cameron MacKenzie, a faculty member I met at Ft. Wayne. Here is his bio:
Dr. MacKenzie is chairman of the Department of Historical Theology. Before joining the faculty in 1983, he served St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Detroit, Michigan, as pastor (1975–1983) and as headmaster of its school (1972–1983). Dr. MacKenzie received his B.A. from the University of Detroit, a M.A. in History from the University of Chicago, a M.A. in Classics from Wayne State University, a S.T.M. in New Testament from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame.
[end, Concordia Ft. Wayne quotation]
Using the logic of the Fox Valley Enthusiasts, all of MacKenzie's arguments must be discarded, because he graduated from the famous Jesuit (sic) university, Notre Dame. I doubt whether Cameron wants those "Lutherans" in his fan club.
Book reviews are part of the scholarly enterprise. They sell books, simply by making a volume noticed in the public eye. But they also contribute by correcting, supporting, debating, and supplementing what an author has claimed in print.
Unlike Paul McCain and Tim Glende, I do not think MacKenzie's review exculpates Walther from his crimes. Nor does the review convict P. Stephan of poor scholarship. He wrote as a family member, with credentials as a psychologist. Since his family organized the Stephanite enterprise, their records just might have some relevance in LCMS history.
Missouri Synod history is not richer for erasing the truth about Loehe or Stephan. As many readers know, Loehe contributed a considerable degree of positive influence on that sect. Ludwig Fuerbringer was quite laudatory about the Loehe-sent men, even though his father was a Stephanite. Frankenmuth and Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne - both came from the Loehe men.
PS - It takes five seconds on Google to learn that Notre Dame was founded by the Holy Cross fathers - CSC.
