Lenker - Graduate of Hamma - Which Merged into Trinity Seminary ELCA Recent Find by Alec Satin

The Christian Advocate, New York: The historic utterance of John Wesley upon hearing, in the gathering of Moravians in Aldersgate, the reading of Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, “I felt my heart strangely warmed,” will occur to the mind when taking up Volume V of Luther’s Church Postil on the Gospels, translated by Prof. J. N. Lenker, D. D.

The translation has been made in order to disclose to English readers what might be called the Gospel side of Luther’s writings. With the great mass of his writings upon the Gospel, filling over thirty volumes, it is strange that we have gathered a wrong impression of his thought. Dr. Lenker finds it hard to reconcile the high praise constantly paid to Luther with the general ignorance of his writings. He says that many who write on Protestant problems are better posted in the literature of “higher criticism” than in the classic writings of Protestantism; doubtless he is correct. With this carefully prepared Standard Edition of Luther’s writings that defect may be remedied.

Do not overlook the wonderful Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, which delivers free classic Lutheran books, rather than expensive Fuller books.

Trinity Lutheran Seminary's merger into Capital University part of US trend. Cap/Hamma Merger Becomes Trinity/University Merger. Mainline Seminaries Failing Too - Not Just LCMS, WELS, ELS.

Lenski taught at Capital's Seminary, ALC, after serving as a pastor and a district president.

 John N. Lenker graduated from the ULCA seminary at Wittenberg College - Hamma Divinity School. Hamma had to merge with Capital during the warm up to
ELCA, but that was not enough to keep enrollment up.

Who was Hamma?

Trinity Lutheran Seminary's merger into Capital University part of US trend: 

"“The traditional model of seminary education is predicated on the traditional church scene,” said the Rev. Kathryn “Kit” Kleinhans, who is to be installed as dean of Trinity Lutheran Seminary on Tuesday. “The landscape of religion in the United States is changing. Traditional mainline denominations are growing smaller, and there’s large growth in those who are spiritual but not religious.”

The merger, which became official in January, has been in the works since Capital’s 16th president, Beth Paul, started at the university in July 2016. The impetus was financial, Kleinhans said.

“The seminary’s budgeting and operating expenses were not sustainable, which has to do with a decrease in student enrollment,” Kleinhans said.

Trinity and Capital are just two of several seminaries and religious institutions in the country that are merging resources to keep the theological schools viable, said Tom Tanner, director of accreditation and institutional evaluation at the Association of Theological Schools in Pittsburgh.

“As goes the church, so goes the seminary,” he said.

Nationwide, enrollment in seminary programs declined for more than a decade before leveling out in 2015 and 2016, according to the Association of Theological Schools, the national accrediting body for theological institutions. At Trinity, enrollment declined from 116 in fall 2013 to 80 in fall 2016 before rising again to 85 in 2017."

 Bexley Hall Seabury Western Eucharist 9/10/2013 Gloria Dei Chapel, Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Note that three other seminaries are involved,
all shrinking down, sometimes moving on to another location.

From Wiki:

Seabury-Western was formed in 1933 by a merger of Western Theological Seminary of Evanston (founded in 1883 in Chicago), and Seabury Divinity School of Faribault, Minnesota(founded in 1858). The new seminary endeavored to hold in tension the "High Church" and "Low Church" identities of its predecessors. However, for most of its history, SWTS occupied a place within Anglican churchmanship akin to that of The General Theological Seminary in New York: a liturgical bent toward Anglo-Catholic practices and an acceptance of modern theology and social tolerance.

In the fall of 2008 the seminary stopped accepting seminarians for the traditional Master of Divinity degree. In 2009 Seabury's property was acquired by Northwestern University with Seabury allowed use of the property for five years. In January 2012 Seabury formally left the Evanston site, functionally ending its presence as residential seminary, and the various buildings are now used by the Northwestern University. The seminary moved its operation to the national headquarters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) near O'Hare Airport. In March 2012, the boards of Seabury-Western and of Bexley Hall Seminary in Bexley, Ohio, voted to federate.^[1] Roger Ferlo was named as the federation's first president.^[2]

Inaugurated April 27, 2013, Bexley Seabury seminary initially offered the Master of Divinity degree at the former Bexley Hall campus in Columbus through a partnership with Trinity Lutheran Seminary.^[3] From its Chicago campus near O'Hare Airport, the federation offered its Doctor of Ministry in Congregational Development in Chicago and the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching through the Association of Chicago Theological Schools.^[4] The Diploma of Anglican Studies was offered in both Columbus and Chicago.^[5]

In July 2016, Bexley Seabury consolidated on a single campus location at Chicago Theological Seminary in Chicago's Hyde Park/Woodlawn district.

'via Blog this'

Answered Questions - Lenker versus Lloyd Dougland: Both from Hamma Divinity

Lloyd C. Douglas became one of the best known writers of his era, starting as a Lutheran pastor and becoming a Congregationalist minister. He graduated from Hamma in 1903.

My latest research began with a question - How could tiny Hamma Divinity School (ULCA, LCA) turn out John N. Lenker and Lloyd C. Douglas? Lenker produced the enormously useful Sermons of Martin Luther. Douglas left the Lutheran Church, became a Congregationalist, and wrote best-sellers in his spare time, four of them turning into Hollywood movies.

I puzzled over this because my PhD dissertation actually began at Hamma Divinity's library, when the librarian gave me a box of books and a lead for a topic.

I always had a fondness for Lenker's Luther Sermons, as readers might have guessed. His ability to gather translators - including Lenski - was quite impressive. In those days, Lutheran academics could be united around Luther's preaching. Today they are united by scolding Luther or ignoring him altogether. They are only united in teaching against Justification by Faith.

Both men got involved in publishing. Lenker started his own publishing house - Lutherans in All Lands - was quite accomplished as a parish pastor. He taught at the Danish American seminary.

I ordered the Douglas autobiography and the second part, which his daughters wrote, about his adult career. Douglas received a call to Luther Place Memorial in Washington DC - considered a plum in those days. He a crisis of faith, which was never entirely explained, and resigned abruptly, taking a campus job, more of a social director for the YMCA. Later he got the itch to serve a parish again and became a Congregationalist minister.

Douglas was quite successful in Ann Arbor and in Akron, Ohio. However, in California, his liberal ways did not go over well with an elderly congregation. In those days, Congregationalists were not pan-religionists and social justice warriors as they are today in the merged United Church of Christ.

He gave away his lack of Confessional Lutheran loyalty when he paid for school playing the organ at Masonic Hall services (Wittenberg College and Hamma) and also in another location to boost his income. They paid "very well."

The two books about Douglas are a fascinating glimpse at the past,

 John Nicholas Lenker also graduated from Hamma in 1880 - and studied at Leipzig.

Interesting Information about John N. Lenker, Editor of Luther's Sermons

 LCMS Cyclopedia

Lenker, John Nicholas

(November 28, 1858–May 16, 1929). B. Sunbury, Pennsylvania; educ. Wittenberg Coll. and Hamma Divinity School, Springfield, Ohio, and Leipzig, Ger.; ordained 1880; pastor Grand Island, Nebraska, 1882–86; with Bd. of Christian Extension of Gen. Syn. 1886–94; prof. Trin.Sem. of the United Dan. Ev. Luth. Ch. in Am. (see Danish Lutherans in America, 5), Blair, Nebraska, 1900–04; settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1904, and served as pastor and miss.in and near the city; founded Luther Press. Founded and ed. Northern Review; other works include Lutherans in All Lands; Lutherans in All Lands, Supplement; Die Lutherische Kirche der Welt; tr. of M. Luther's works into Eng.

 Lenski's merged seminary is not doing so well either.

GJ - Lenker graduated from Hamma Divinity School in Springfield, where I started working on my PhD dissertation for Notre Dame (though Hamma had merged with Capital - of Lenski fame - to become Trinity Seminary). Trinity ELCA is in trouble with low enrollments - deservedly so.

Hamma definitely belonged to liberal side of the LCA equation, while Capital Seminary had a number of notable scholars still held in high esteem today.

 Rev. Rev. Jennell Rue is currently the pastor of St. Mark's
in Delaware, Ohio.

 I was friends with the ALC pastor of Loy's church in Delaware, Ohio.
Loy's service to Lutheran theology and hymnody is remarkable.

Lenker taught at another Trinity Seminary, in Blair, Nebraska, once the home of Dana College, which closed in 2010. That seminary merged with Wartburg Seminary ALC in Dubuque, keeping its name. But alas, Wartburg is not doing well. They can claim Reu as their famous professor, but they should repent (reue empfinden) of their current ELCA ecstasies.