1. Session Five: Remaining “Ethnic” (1700 ~ 1900)
IN AMERICA
LUTHERANISM
Session Five:
Remaining “Ethnic”
(1700 ~ 1900)

2. Schedule Overview Remaining “Ethnic” (1700 ~ 1900)
Moving to the New World (1600 ~ 1700)
Lutheranism Takes Root (1600 ~ 1800)
Becoming “American” (1700 ~ 1900)
Remaining “Ethnic” (1700 ~ 1900)
Lutherans Unite (1900 – 1962)
Lutherans Divide (1962 – 1988)
The ELCA: A Brief History (1988 – Today)

3. Last Week in Review Lutherans in 19th Century America
Second Great Awakening
Slavery
Civil War
The American Lutheran Controversy
What role do distinctly Lutheran teachings play in the American Lutheran church?

4. Questions, comments or smart remarks?
Last Week in Review
Questions, comments or smart remarks?

5. This Week The Development of Synods
Keeping “Ethnicity” in American Lutheranism
Missouri Synod (Germans)
Norwegians
Danes
Swedes
Finns
Expansion of Lutheranism in 19th Century

6. A Quick Review of the American Lutheran Controversy
But First…
A Quick Review of the American Lutheran Controversy
What should Lutherans make of the Book of Concord (“the Confessions”)?

7. Samuel Simon Schmucker Charles Porterfield Krauth
Remember These Guys???
American Lutherans
Samuel Simon Schmucker
Confessionalists
Charles Porterfield Krauth

8. The American Lutheran Controversy
American Lutherans
Samuel Simon Schmucker
Forms the General Synod in 1822
Broad parameters
Gettysburg Seminary sole faculty, then President
LOTS of influence on newly ordained pastors…but overall he created GOOD THINKERS
Including Rev. Krauth
Retirement & his Successor?

9. Charles Porterfield Krauth
Remember These Guys???
Angry that a relative “Nobody” was hired as President of the Seminary
And, notably, NOT a Confessionalist!
Confessionalists unite to found Philadelphia Seminary in 1864
General Council formed in November 1867
Stricter parameters
Confessionalists
Charles Porterfield Krauth

10. Development of Synods
IN GENERAL, various Lutheran synods were formed to differentiate themselves from other Lutherans on the basis of:
Geography (Ministerium of Ohio)
Doctrine (Tennessee Synod)
Ethnicity (Norwegian Synod)
In the case of the Missouri Synod, it was all three
Missouri / German / Strict doctrine

11. Theological Spectrum of Major Lutheran Synods in the 19th Century
UNITED SYNOD OF THE SOUTH
(1863)
“Neo-Lutherans”
GENERAL SYNOD
(1822)
Pietist Emphasis
“Moderates”
GENERAL COUNCIL
(1867)
Orthodox Emphasis
“Old Lutherans”
SYNODICAL CONFERENCE (1872)
Confessionalist Emphasis

12. New Synods Form
Soon other synods begin to form and either opt out of the larger synods altogether or align themselves with one of them
Ohio Splits into three synods: East, West and English-Speaking
Indiana Synod, Kentucky Synod, Minnesota Synod and Iowa Synod all formed in mid- to late- 19th century, mostly because of geography

13. New People Come
Between 1830s and 1920s a revival of European immigration brought an influx of German and Scandinavian Lutherans to America
Why did they come?
Good marketing
Economy
How to adjust to new setting?
Language barriers
Lutheranism is different in America

14. The Solution?
Circle the wagons and maintain ethnic identity in the midst of America’s “melting pot”

15. The Germans

16. The Germans
While there were MANY Germans who emigrated to the United States in the 19th century, settling anywhere and everywhere opportunity presented itself, one group of Germans deserves particular attention.

17. The Germans
A large influx of Germans from Saxony settled in and around St. Louis, MO
A strong commitment to German heritage & Lutheran doctrine led them to form the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States in 1847

18. The Germans
This group set the extreme boundary of confessional identity
Combined with Norwegian & Joint Ohio Synods to create the Synodical Conference in 1872
Led by C.F.W. Walther

19. The Germans Doctrinal Standard in the Missouri Synod
Constitutional expectation that “every member of the Synod, accepts without reservation the Bible as God’s written Word and the entire Book of Concord as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God.”
This led to the objection of any sort of relationship with any other Lutheran body that did not adhere to this standard.

20. The Germans Culture & Religious Identity preserved through:
Parochial Schools
Concordia
German language preservation
Publication of Der Lutheraner

21. The Norwegians

22. The Norwegians
At the turn of the 19th century, Norwegian Lutherans in Norway were influenced by a revival of pietism

23. The Norwegians Gisle Johnson (Clergy, Orthodox) Hans Nielson Hauge
(Laypeople, Pietist)
Gisle Johnson
(Clergy, Orthodox)

24. The Norwegians
Norwegian synods formed in America matched these positions
Eielson Synod & Hauge Synod (1876)
“Low church” pietists
Necessity of a personal “awakening”
Abstinence from “immoral activities”
Lay preachers allowed
Norwegian Synod (1853)
“High church” orthodox
University-trained pastors must lead congregations
United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America (1890)
Formed the moderate middle between the two extremes

25. The Danes

26. The Danes Settled a little farther west in Iowa and Wisconsin
Many followed their own revival leaders

27. Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig
The Danes
Søren Kirkegaard
(Orthodox)
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig
(Pietist)

28. The Danes
Grundtvig was a lesser-known figure of the 19th century Danish church
Accomplished lyricist
“Life embracing” pietism
Those who followed his teachings eventually formed the Danish Church in America
“Happy Danes”

29. The Danes
Those who followed Kirkegaard aligned themselves with the Danish Society for Inner Mission
Founded the United Church
“Sad Danes”

30. The Swedes

31. The Swedes
The Swedes
Located in the Mississippi River Valley of the Upper Midwest and out into Kansas
The Swedish “Great Awakening” had a dramatic impact on understanding of church
About 1/3 who emigrated to America did not remain Lutheran
Most of those who did joined other geographic or Scandanavian synods
Others formed the Augustana Synod (1860)

32. The Finns

33. The Finns The Finns Located largely in Michigan and Minnesota
Differences in piety and church government led the Finns to leave other Scandanavian churches behind and form the Finnish Suomi Synod in 1890.
Very flexible in terms of its membership (lean criteria for Lutheranism), but very hierarchical.

34. The Church Grows Education centers
Parochial Schools by the Missouri Synod
VBS by the Swedes and Finns
Sunday School all over America
Colleges & Preparatory Schools
Seminaries for most (though some shared)

35. The Church Grows Publications
Especially at times of conflict, groups made wide use of written communication / propoganda

36. The Church Grows Evangelism and Mission Women’s Organizations
Where is the mission field?
At Home (esp. the “frontier”)
Abroad (esp. India)
Women’s Organizations
Support church growth and nurture congregations
Deaconess communities (esp. in hospitals)

37. Questions, comments or smart remarks?
This Week in Review
Questions, comments or smart remarks?

38. Lutherans in the 20th Century
Next Week
Lutherans in the 20th Century