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| Ah, the new Stephanites. |
narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Unwarranted Claims about the Innocence of Stephan ...":
Since I am being called to repentance, I will respond, although I'm disappointed that the Eighth Commandment wasn't specifically mentioned [Please insert "Aw, not the Eighth Commandment again" icon here]
According to the author of Zion on the Mississippi, the Saxon churches had several liturgies from which they were free to choose. One of the liturgies was the "orthodox" one, and the Saxons chose to use it.
I would equate this situation with today's Lutheran Service Book. There are five Divine Service Liturgies from which to choose. A parish can choose the Vatican II/ELCA-wannabe Divine Service Liturgies ("This is the Feast," "...and also with you," et al), or they can choose LSB's Divine Service Three, which is nearly identical to TLH 15. As a side note, my former parish, when it switched to the LSB, used Divine Service Three, and I was certainly pleased with that decision, however I wondered why we spent the money on the LSB. When we gave away our old TLH's to another parish, an elderly lady of the parish and I joked that we were giving away the wrong hymnals. [GJ - Look at the cost of each new hymnal - it's almost all profit for Concordia Publishing House.]
Secondly, my post was not intended to condemn the Saxon laity, who were probably sincere; and I actually feel sorry for them for being brainwashed by a narcissistic, power-hungry leader like Stephan. To say that the LCMS was the sole possessor of Lutheran orthodoxy in the United States is a stretch. If I had to give away such an award to the best of a very poor lot, I would probably go with the Tennessee Synod, the first synod to translate the BoC to English. (Source: David Henkel Against the Unitarians, by David Henkel, Repristination Press, ISBN 1-891469-36-3)
Lastly, I will again restate that according to the author of Zion on the Mississippi, the Saxon Lutherans would have been left alone had Stephan ceased his small group meetings, the trademark of Pietism. While Stephan professed to opposing Rationalism, Pietism is no better. Actually, the two eventually have to merge. This is proven with today's UOJ-loving SynCon. [GJ - Zion is also quite clear about the number of times Stephan was caught with young women at night, which became a constant source of irritation to the authorities. If anything, they were far too lenient with an unrepentant and wiley predator.]
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| But he was assumed into heaven, whether at his death or without dying. Cue angel voices. |
narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Unwarranted Claims about the Innocence of Stephan ...":
I neglected to make a few points. I don't believe the author of Zion on the Mississippi had "an ax to grind," as I have been accused. Even under the likely assumption that his account was not without error, I doubt the LCMS account is infallible and without bias. The Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States had more at stake regarding their reputation than Walter Forster, author of Zion.
I can watch MSNBC, Fox News, and InfoWars and receive three different accounts of a current event. That being said, I have read plenty of Melanchthon, Loehe and Grabau-bashing on "confessional" Lutheran blogs. Were they flawless? No, but to suggest that CFW Walther wasn't immaculately conceived is considered heresy. This is why we read and study.
The Saxons who came here were afflicted with disease, hunger, the death of loved ones, frustration, and poverty. Guess who was in charge of the people's money? Guess who helped himself to the people's money to advance his lifestyle? Many Saxons returned to Europe in poverty, disgust, and grief from the mess they left their homes for.
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| This church was organized and managed by Pietists, and Stephan trained at Halle University. His main ministry was conducting cell groups, and Walther's circle moved from one Pietistic leader to Stephan, after the first conventicle leader moved away and died. |
GJ - Everyone critical of the Stephanite migration or Walther's dogma is put down in the LCMS chronicles. Vehse is one target. The author of Zion was "a failed LCMS pastor." Walther called Stephan a Pietist! Hyu. Hyu. Hyu. What did that make Walther, his devoted disciple?
Mrs. Stephan was the cause of her husband's adultery, according to Walther. So it was not the fault of the little bishop, the one one dictated everything about the migration?
Everyone not with Walther was a false teacher, and Ferdy drove away whole districts like Ohio when he should have been sitting down to learn from them.
"Ach - heresy!" the synodocats cry out. Ferdy is the Prophet who explains all and teaches all. He answers to no one, but all answer to him.
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| Celebrate Walther's 200th by continuing the breathless hagiographies. |
