LUTHERAN NURTURE AND SPIRITUALITY

 

Gracia Grindal                                                                                                                                                 Phone 651-641-3230

Office—GH302                                                                                                                                      ggrindal@luthersem.edu

 

This is a course on how Lutherans have passed on the faith to their children.  Luther, as theologian, well knew that Christians needed resources that could teach the faith. To that end he produced many resources for parents to use in their teaching of the faith: a translation of the Bible into German, hymns in German, a simple service based on German hymns, and a Large and Small Catechism. Each movement in Lutheranism since Luther has had at its center the Bible, the hymnal and the Small Catechism. In addition to that, each Lutheran movement produced its own edifying devotional literature centered on Scripture, hymns and the catechism. During the course we will be looking at not only how the particular age passed on the faith, but what they emphasized about it through their edifying literature. As you read the materials you should be thinking about how you will teach the faith in your ministry in an age that is different from all the others we have studied.

 

Required books:

 

Book of Concord

The Pietists

Spener Pia desideria

Kierkegaard: On Self-Examination

Hallesby’s Prayer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Life Together

(A collection of other printed materials the professor will provide: $10 for the collection)

 

Assignments:

 

Weekly Assignments

 

Read the materials and be ready to discuss them in class. 

Write a short paragraph on one idea that interested you in the readings, especially about the way the faith was handed down.  Bring it to read to the class and hand in. 

 

Final essay

 

At the end of the course, write an essay of  about 10 pages discussing one of the central marks of the faith, what Luther would call the marks of the church in his pamphlet “On the Councils and the Church.” The choices might involve something like a discussion of how people understood and used the following concepts in their daily devotions and church: The Word—preaching, regular reading of Scripture in small groups or family; baptism—Luther’s hymn LBW 79, Linka’s understanding of it, or conversion in Thea Ronning; or “walking wet” language of today; the Lord’s Supper—the images around it such as the divine exchange, the unio mystica or bride of Christ imagery,  office of the keys—questions about absolution, using Luther’s Catechism, John Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations, and ELW’s remembering of baptism; ministry—the images of pastor or priesthood of all believers, prayer—worship) —Luther on prayer or worship, or evening and morning prayers for the family using Luther, Starcke, God Pause on Luther’s home page, Linka’s understanding of prayer in her diary, and Hallesby, or Bonhoeffer, the theology of cross—or suffering., has been understood in two of our readings.  Find its use in two of our readings, beginning with Luther, and discuss it, concluding with a comment on the way that theme has survived today. For example, you could take Luther’s hymn on communion, and compare it and contrast it with a Lutheran hymn from the Baroque period, such as “Soul, Adorn yourself” (LBW ) and a contemporary hymn such as “As the Grains of Wheat.” Or you could take Luther’s explanation of the Third Article and compare it with Hauge/Rosenius on sanctification with Bonhoeffer. While this could be a doctoral thesis, you need not be exhaustive.  What I want is for you to perceive, just briefly, through a choice of three snapshots in Lutheran history—Luther, one other, and contemporary how these themes, images, or practices, have been used by Lutherans and how they changed over time.  Remember, Luther looks different to every age, and it is not your job to say these practices are not Lutheran. You need to behold these different slants on the tradition, and value them, even if you disagree with them. The practices of Lutherans over time and place have an astonishing variety that still exist in the congregations where you may serve. It would be best if you grappled with some of those issues now before you end up in a Lutheran congregation whose piety does not conform to what you think it should be.

 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE OF READINGS AND LECTURES

WEEK I

                Introduction

                Brief Lecture

Martin Luther’s Devotional and Catechetical Practices

                The Large Catechism

                The Small Catechism

*extra resource for later reference: Martin Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel: The Library of Christian Classics

Luther’s Contemporary Hymn Writers—Eber, Decius, Speratus, etc.

 

WEEK II

                Orthodoxy—Thirty Years’ War

READ     John Gerhard’s Sacred Meditations, Selections provided

                Hallgrímur Péturrson’s Psalms of the Passion—in Reformation Festival 2000 booklet

                Other Orthodox hymn writers-  Nicholas Herman, Nicolaus Decius, Philip Nicolai, Martin Schalling, Paul Gerhardt, Johann Heermann, Rinkhart, Rist, Selnecker. Etc.

 

WEEK III

                Pietism

                True Christianity—Johan Arndt, selections provided

READ     Pia desideria—Spener

READ     The Pietists

“Preface” ix-xi, “Introduction” 1-27, especially the Order of Salvation

August Francke—Spiritual Autobiography,  99-107, “If and How One May be Certain One is a Child of God” 145-148, “Pure and Unblemished Worship” 159-162, “Admonition to the Twelve Students Traveling to Lappland” 165-166;

                Nicolas von Zinzendorf—Hymns and Songs

                Freylinghausen—Hymns “Spiritual Songbook” 167-180

Starke “Daily Handbook for Days of Joy and Sorrow” 181-215

HYMNS:  LBW 24, 25, 29, 32, 133, 187, 192, 213, 250, 291, 341, 379, 382, 443, 446, 511, 542, 539, 560,

 

WEEK IV

Enlightenment/Revivals—orthodoxy, pietism, liturgical

READ:                   

Muhlenberg--liturgy

Rosenius—Faithful Guide to Peace with God  handout

Hauge— See  autobiography  and handout  “Captive and Free”and intro to Berthe Canutte Aarflot by gg

                                Kirkegaard On Self-Examination

                               

Orthodoxy:  Johan Nordahl Brun’s LBW 227

Enlightenment:

 Matthias Claudius “We Plow the Fields and Scatter the Good Seed of the Lord”  LBW 362

Johann Olof Wallin’s Hymnal 1819  LBW 74, 155, 432, 440

Revivals:

*Carl Olof Rosenius LBW 371

Lina Sandell’s hymns “Children of the Heavenly Father,” “Day by Day,” “Is it True?”  “I’ll Never Count All Of God’s Mercies” et. al.Video

Liturgical:

Grundtvig’s Hymns  LBW 62, 75, 161, 193, 239, 285, 338, 365

*Charles Porterfield Krauth’s article on the Church Book, 1868

 

WEEK V

                19th century women’s role/hymnwriters, diaries, missionaries

READ:                   Linka’s Diary AND

                                Thea Rønning OR

                                Lina Sandell (Ask me for a copy of my article)

 

WEEK VI—Reaction and revision

READ     Hallesby’s Prayer

                Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Life Together

 

Contemporary Lutheran Hymns