 |
| Stephan means crown in Greek. The Greeks/Romans used the laurel wreath as a crown. Notice the Bohemian Brethren hat at the top. |
Menno Simons invented the modern practice of shunning, although it is as old as ostracism in ancient Greece.
Simons, the founder of the Mennonites, had people disciplined by shunning, which meant people would not talk or do business with that person.
The National Geographic TV series on the Hutterites is a good example of how shunning works. Everyone must conform or be shunned.
Pietism is the dominant thought and practice of the Lutheran sects in America, from ELCA (Muhlenberg, Halle graduate) to the Halle-trained founder of the LCMS, Bishop Stephan, STD. Hoenecke also graduated from Halle, but he studied the Confessions later and also became an expert on the orthodox Lutheran writers.
 |
| Zinzendorf and John Wesley, Craig Groeschel's inspiration. |
Halle-trained Zinzendorf visited America under a false name, which prompted the sending of Muhlenberg.
Zinzendorf had direct ties with Stephan. He donated the land for Stephan's church, and that church was given special permission for its conventicles or cell groups because of that history. Stephan himself came from the Bohemian brethren, who were protected and helped by Zinzendorf.
Stephan identified with them, wearing the hat which was associated with the Bohemian Brethren.
My biggest laugh in reading the Walther hagiographies came from Walther admitting that Stephan was a bit of a Pietist. The clergy under Stephan first gathered under Candidate Kuehn, a severe Pietist. They also had a Bible study cell group under a Halle leader. Finally, the entire group switched loyalties to Stephan when Kuehn died.
At the time, university students were either rationalists or Pietists (sometimes called mystics). Most Pietists could not get a church position there, so they served as tutors or other teaching positions.
The Pietistic Lutheran associations worked with the Calvinists and sponsored a considerable amount of world missions. Each group that came to America struggled with the issues of Pietism and gradually discovered the Lutheran Confessions and Luther.
Now all of the Lutheran groups work together, having reverted to an extremely vulgar and materialistic Pietism, welcoming every false teacher, shunning the Book of Concord and Luther.
 |
| Stephan's church reminds me of The Great Walther's shrine. |
