I inherited the Wilhelm Loehe book from a member. Here are the basics -
The Word Remains - Selected Writings on the Church Year and the Christian Life, Wilhelm Loehe. Emmanuel Press.
Paperback, 140 pp., 8″ x 5″, 2016
ISBN 978-1-934329-12-5
From the back cover: Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe (1808-1872) was a parish pastor for thirty-five years in the German village of Neuendettelsau. While he was known there as an exceptional preacher, liturgist, teacher, and Seelsorger, his work and influence also extended far beyond his own congregation. Löhe had a keen interest in mission work and was instrumental in sending missionaries to North America and other continents. In addition, his desire to carry out Christian labors of love for those closer to home—caring for the body as well as the soul—led him to found an institute in Neuendettelsau to train deaconesses to perform acts of physical mercy.
This collection of excerpts comes from Löhe’s extensive writing on mission, pastoral theology, history, and liturgy. Originally published in German in 2008, The Word Remains is the English translation of a delightful book that gathers his profound wisdom into one small volume, making it well suited for devotional reading. In these pages, Löhe articulates the confessional Lutheran understanding of the church year, the Word of God, and matters related to the Christian life: faith, prayer, fellowship, worship, creation, and hope. In addition, the biography by Hans Kreßel and the appended essay by John T. Pless give insight into Löhe’s life, the context in which he lived, and his lasting influence.
$15.00
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I have to caution all readers. Loehe is evil, because Christian News says so. And Pastor Otten is against Loehe and his followers because CFW Walther - aka The Great Walther - was Loehe's opponent (except when asking for property and money).
The bill of indictment is included in the top graphic, and it is grim indeed. Loehe never kidnapped anyone, while Walther kidnapped three - two minors and his own bishop. Walther founded only one seminary, Concordia in St. Louis, but Loehe founded two - Concordia, Ft. Wayne and Wartburg in Dubuque, Iowa. Worse - Loehe donated Ft. Wayne to the Missouri Synod and kept up his financial support, as Walther asked.
Loehe was lax in discipline, because he did not organize any mobs, threaten, rob, or kidnap a bishop. Walther did that in fine style and emerged in the carefully manipulated history of the LCMS as a great hero. Anyone today who gives a pile of gold, even stolen, is awarded a doctorate in Missouri, following the example of Dr. CFW Walther.
Loehe remained a parish pastor while doing all his work and organizing five (5) world mission societies. Walther did what was best and had himself promoted to the presidency of the LCMS and its seminary at the same time, leaving parish work behind for the greater glory of Missouri.
My counter-polemic against Loehe is a little satire, funny because true, about the way Missouri treats its hagiography. Walther must come out on top because they are all Waltherians - at least they think they are.
In fact, Loehe organized the first parishes and they asked the Perryville cult about joining them. Loehe trained good leaders who contributed greatly to the early synod. The main historian for this information is Ludwig Fuerbringer, writing about Frankenmuth and Ft. Wayne. I highly recommend his two little books - Eighty Eventful Years and Persons and Events. Fuerbringer was the nephew of The Great Walther and consequently kept his silence about the early history, as Uncle CFW wished.
The Word Remains is a great book to own, because it offers selections from Loehe's writing and a brief biography. Loehe was clearly a parish theologian, very much like Luther in his concise statements about the faith and basic Christian doctrine.
Ironic indeed is this fact - Loehe contributed much that is positive to the LCMS today. And yet, Loehe triggers anxiety and fear in the Missouri snowflakes who must denounce their actual Founder in order to prove loyalty to Walther, a loyal disciple and enforcer for the abusive bishop - until the time was right for a takeover.
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| This fine and concise statement is a reflection on the Chief Article - Justification by Faith - but the Olde Synodical Conference today is united by ELCA's Pietistic UOJ. |
