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| Walther, the American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies |
Top reviews from the United States
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2021
In this book, Dr Jackson surveyed the persons and events preceding the founding of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 1847. He began with the pastorate of Martin Stephan in the 1830s in eastern Germany. Stephan was a Lutheran minister, trained at Halle University, where he inculcated rationalism and pietism. Stephan attracted a following of nearly 700 people and in 1838 he led them to America. They settled in Perry County, Missouri and elected him as their bishop.
On May 30, 1839, 300 members of the congregation led by C. F. W. Walther deposed and excommunicated Bishop Stephan on the grounds of sexual misconduct and embezzlement. Dr Jackson showed that Bishop Stephan's illicit activities were known among his followers, even before they emigrated to American. Walther then assumed leadership of the group. He was the leader when the LCMS was founded in 1847 and he served as the synod's first president, holding office from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878. The official LCMS history begins at 1847 and omits any mention of Martin Stephan, his illicit activities, his excommunication, and the circumstances surrounding Pastor Walther's assumption of leadership.
Dr Jackson provided a reading list for those who wish to delve more deeply into this subject matter:
“Zion on the Mississippi” by William Forster
“In Pursuit of Religious Freedom” by Phillip Stephan (great-great-grandson of Martin Stephan)
“Eighty Eventful Years” by Ludwig Fuerbringer
Dr Jackson demonstrated that Pastor Stephan and his congregation were pietists. Dr Jackson provided a concise description of pietism on page 8 where he quotes the following statement from Adolph Hoenecke's book “Dogmatics”:
“They (pietists) confuse the Christian life with justification, and make Christian life the cause of justification.”
By this description we can see that pietism is a form of works-righteousness. Pietists seek salvation through their own actions.
The rationalist and pietist background of the Stephan group helps us to understand the bases of Pastor Walther's teaching which we know as Objective Justification. The following statements from his Easter 1846 sermon illustrate this teaching:
“For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when he in Christ absolved all men by raising him after he had first gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. The one thing is faith. ... Every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution pronounced 1800 years ago.”
These statements contradict the plain teaching of the Bible, which says that God redeems his elect freely by his grace, through faith, outside of any works that they do.
Dr Jackson showed that Objective Justification is universalism (from rationalism, the concept that God has saved all people) mixed in with decision-theology (from pietism, the concept that sinners must take action to be saved).
To illustrate this point, here are several quotes I found from Arminian preacher Billy Graham. It is striking how similar these statements are to the ideas that Walther expressed in his Easter sermon:
“God proved his love on the cross. When Jesus Christ hung and bleed and died, it was God saying to the world 'I love you'.”
“God will not force himself upon anyone against his will. It is your part to believe.”
I recommend this book to someone who would like a survey of the events leading up to the Saxon migration and the founding of the LCMS, and the part that rationalism and pietism played in the theology of the LCMS from its beginnings to today.
Dr Jackson discusses the problems of present day Christian denominations on his internet blog. Search for ichabodthegloryhasdeparted for the URL. He conducts a weekly traditional Lutheran worship service via the internet, the blog has a link to the broadcast site which also has archived broadcasts.
On May 30, 1839, 300 members of the congregation led by C. F. W. Walther deposed and excommunicated Bishop Stephan on the grounds of sexual misconduct and embezzlement. Dr Jackson showed that Bishop Stephan's illicit activities were known among his followers, even before they emigrated to American. Walther then assumed leadership of the group. He was the leader when the LCMS was founded in 1847 and he served as the synod's first president, holding office from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878. The official LCMS history begins at 1847 and omits any mention of Martin Stephan, his illicit activities, his excommunication, and the circumstances surrounding Pastor Walther's assumption of leadership.
Dr Jackson provided a reading list for those who wish to delve more deeply into this subject matter:
“Zion on the Mississippi” by William Forster
“In Pursuit of Religious Freedom” by Phillip Stephan (great-great-grandson of Martin Stephan)
“Eighty Eventful Years” by Ludwig Fuerbringer
Dr Jackson demonstrated that Pastor Stephan and his congregation were pietists. Dr Jackson provided a concise description of pietism on page 8 where he quotes the following statement from Adolph Hoenecke's book “Dogmatics”:
“They (pietists) confuse the Christian life with justification, and make Christian life the cause of justification.”
By this description we can see that pietism is a form of works-righteousness. Pietists seek salvation through their own actions.
The rationalist and pietist background of the Stephan group helps us to understand the bases of Pastor Walther's teaching which we know as Objective Justification. The following statements from his Easter 1846 sermon illustrate this teaching:
“For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when he in Christ absolved all men by raising him after he had first gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. The one thing is faith. ... Every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution pronounced 1800 years ago.”
These statements contradict the plain teaching of the Bible, which says that God redeems his elect freely by his grace, through faith, outside of any works that they do.
Dr Jackson showed that Objective Justification is universalism (from rationalism, the concept that God has saved all people) mixed in with decision-theology (from pietism, the concept that sinners must take action to be saved).
To illustrate this point, here are several quotes I found from Arminian preacher Billy Graham. It is striking how similar these statements are to the ideas that Walther expressed in his Easter sermon:
“God proved his love on the cross. When Jesus Christ hung and bleed and died, it was God saying to the world 'I love you'.”
“God will not force himself upon anyone against his will. It is your part to believe.”
I recommend this book to someone who would like a survey of the events leading up to the Saxon migration and the founding of the LCMS, and the part that rationalism and pietism played in the theology of the LCMS from its beginnings to today.
Dr Jackson discusses the problems of present day Christian denominations on his internet blog. Search for ichabodthegloryhasdeparted for the URL. He conducts a weekly traditional Lutheran worship service via the internet, the blog has a link to the broadcast site which also has archived broadcasts.
