New Church Debate: Issues Facing American Lutheranism

by Carl E. Braaten (Editor)

The agreement by three major Lutheran church bodies in America-the American Evangelical Lutheran Church, the American Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Church in America-to form a new and united church has raised questions of ecclesial, structural, and sociological import. These essays raise those questions in boldly theological terms, convinced that only such theological discussion finally serves the church and its mission. The essays are sharp, at times partisan, comprehensible to specialist and non-specialist alike, and always deeply committed to the whole life of a church that is both catholic and evangelical. As members of the present church bodies move toward a new life together, they must face these questions with fearlessness, understanding, and hope. CARL E. BRAATEN is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago where these essays were first presented at a conference on "The New Church and lts Ministry." He is the author of Principles of Lutheran Theology and, with Robert W. Jenson, co-editor of the two-volume work, Christian Dogmatics.

183 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Terrance Lively · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating collection of essays that is both stuck in the time of its origin (1980s) and surprisingly relevant to today. Some of the essays are quite profound and show a potential path forward for the church, while others seem unimportant. Overall, there are some unique perspectives in renewing the church. Worth the read but with a grain of salt.