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Around the Tower The Student Publication of Concordia Seminary Spring Edition - Two Thousand and Twelve

Around the Tower Spring 2012

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Around the Tower is the Student Publication of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.

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Page 1: Around the Tower Spring 2012

Around the TowerThe Student Publication of Concordia Seminary Spring Edition - Two Thousand and Twelve

Page 2: Around the Tower Spring 2012

Spring Edition - Two Thousand and Twelve

Aroundthe

Tower

ContributorsMany thanks go out to the writers and photographers who made the 2012 spring

issue of “Around the Tower” a reality. The release of this issue would not have been possible without the cooperation, effort, and support of the following people: Matt Peters, Lucas Witt, Ben Seidler, Diane Saleska, Bruce Hartung, Jeff Kloha, and our Fort Wayne brothers Zelwyn Heide, Robert Paul and Travis Loeslie.

Campus Photography by Ben Seidler

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Spring Edition - Two Thousand and Twelve

Around the Tower From the Editor Andrew Wilson

The River’s Edge Matt Peters

Preacher Hoops Photos by Diane Saleska

So how was Fort Wayne? Lucas Witt

Vicarage Report David Graves

Greetings from Fort Wayne Zelwyn Heide and Robert Paul

A Recommendation of J.G. Hamann Travis Loeslie

But Who’s Counting???

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Campus Photography by Ben Seidler

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From the Editor

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From the Editor

Countdowns are on across campus. Whether you are counting down the days until receiving your first Call, vicarage placement, or just the start of your summer break, anticipation and excitement are everywhere at the moment.

While you are waiting for the big day, I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Around the Tower. This issue serves as the first in a venture with our brothers in Fort Wayne to exchange stories and content between our two respective student publications. A few students have already taken the opportunity to share their writings. In this way our two campus communities can both be blessed through the original work of our student bodies.

Finally, thank all those who have given of their time and talents this year to contribute to Around the Tower. It is greatly appreciated.

God’s blessings on the rest of your quarter and thanks for reading.

Around the Tower is comprised of the work of students at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Concordia Seminary.

The Editor of Around the Tower for the 2011-2012 academic year is Andrew Wilson. Jeff Kloha serves as the Faculty Advisor.

Andrew Wilson [email protected]

Around the Tower

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River’sThe

EdgeBy Matt Peters

The River’s Edge

Driven by wind, heavy rain angled against the blue plastic tarp tied over the tent. At times the wind would whip water sideways against the tent’s sides, making a sound as though the fury of the world were trying to penetrate the nylon membrane. Inside the tent, Abraham snuggled further into his sleeping bag. The thermometer had not been kind in recent days to the small encampment of homeless perched at the river’s edge. Abraham thought about his dwindling food stores. And there was a small pile of damp, odoriferous clothes in a corner of his tent waiting to be laundered. It also occurred to him that he probably didn’t smell too swell himself. And he needed to get to the clinic so a doctor could take a look at his leg. He said a silent prayer that he and his neighbors might be blessed with a dry day.

Living like he was, despair was a constant adversary to Abraham. It was tough, living without a roof over his head. He didn’t know how some of these folks managed to get by without God in their lives. Regardless how bad things got in his life, Abraham was always able to cling to his belief that he was one of God’s children. Even in times when it seemed God was conspiring against him, Abraham always had his faith. He knew Jesus was true God and true man. He knew Jesus had lived a perfect life, that he had borne the pain and suffering for all of Abraham’s sins -- the sins that condemned him to a life apart from God. He knew, too, he was no longer condemned, because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, redeeming Abraham from sin, from death and from the

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power of the devil. He knew that at that very moment Jesus was sitting at the right hand of the Father, and that when God the Father looked at Abraham, instead of seeing some stinky, soggy sinner with a game leg he saw his only Son, Jesus, clothed in all his righteousness. And Abraham knew that when his parents had carried him to the baptismal font as a baby, in what sometimes seemed like another life, when the pastor had poured water on his head and baptized him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, that God’s spoken Word had truly baptized him into Christ’s death and into his resurrection. God claimed Abraham to be his there and then. When he thought about God’s mercy and grace, how God had declared him righteous, how he had made him a new creature -- despite Abraham’s complete unworthiness and the fact he had done absolutely nothing to earn God’s grace -- he felt like weeping and jumping for joy at the same time.

Knowing he was one of God’s own children gave Abraham a feeling of peace that was difficult for him to describe to other people. But he would try. Lots of people living around him had it tougher

than he did. Mostly, he just tried to be their friend. Sometimes he would get a chance to read with them from his tattered Bible, and tell them about the difference Jesus

made in his life. Sometimes they would come back with questions or to tell him their troubles or to ask him to read from the Bible. He wanted to share the love he felt with the other people in his life, especially those facing the same challenges

as him. Sometimes, someone would say they didn’t believe in God. If this God had created them and really loved them, they’d want to know, why would he let all of these bad things happen to them? Abraham had wondered this, too, he’d tell them, but he didn’t know. No one did. He only knew what Jesus told him: believe in him and be saved. Believe in him and one day he will take us to be with him forever. He tried to explain to them how knowing that God loved him like this made it so much easier to live in this world, because he knew he lived in another world at the same time, a world that wasn’t full of evil, a world where God told him all the time that he was one of his children. It was like living in two

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Edge

He knew that at that very moment Jesus was sitting at the right hand of the Father, and that when God the Father looked at Abraham, instead of seeing some stinky, soggy sinner with a game leg he saw his only Son, Jesus...

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worlds at the same time, except if you looked at it from the outside it looked like just one world. A lot of times it seemed like the best thing to do was just show his neighbors that God loved them by loving them himself. He didn’t feel like he could do that much for his neighbors, so he just tried to do for them whatever he figured Jesus would do if he lived in one of those blue-tarped tents by the river.

As Abraham lay pondering these things the driving rain began to relax. He closed his eyes and folded his hands, giving thanks for the blessings he had received and asking God to help those in the community who he knew were having an extra tough time. He prayed that God would help him find a way to get back on his feet. He started to pray the Lord’s Prayer. Often, when he prayed this prayer he would pause after each petition, thinking about what God the Father was teaching him. He did that on this night, though he didn’t make it all the way through, slipping into quiet slumber shortly after, “Thy will be done…”

When he awoke the following morning, he knew by the ambient light in his tent that the rain clouds had moved on. He unzipped the door and peeked out. There was a

thin, lingering fog that reminded him of the hazy remains of combat he’d been in overseas. Above, a clear, blue eastern sky graduated into cobalt in the west, where a single star still glistened. Abraham sat back into his tent, made the sign of the cross, confessing his sins and asking God to have mercy on him. He gave thanks for a dry day, and started to gather what he would take on the trip downtown.

It was going to be a busy day. After three days of nearly ceaseless rain, morning’s dawn had brought clear skies. Larry knew the ‘guests’ would be out in force. He scooped several large containers of ground coffee beans into an industrial-sized coffee maker and hit the ‘brew’ button. He made a trip to the

walk-in refrigerator for butter, and then headed to the giant pantry for bread. He and the other volunteers at the shelter moved about with a steady and practiced efficiency. It was nearly time for breakfast at Safe Ground, a place the city’s

homeless community could come for a hot meal, a hot shower and to do their laundry.

Larry went around to the tables filling salt and pepper shakers, thinking about the satisfaction he got from volunteering at Safe Ground. He remembered clearly the day a few years earlier when he’d first thought about coming

Abraham sat back into his tent, made the sign of the cross, confessing his sins and asking God to have mercy on him.

The River’s Edge

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down here to help out. During worship service one Sunday the pastor was talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though he had heard it many times, Larry had been particularly moved that morning by the fact that Christ had been willing to suffer and die on a cross so that Larry might be saved. He knew he was baptized, but he’d never really thought before about what it meant to be saved. He’d never really thought about how important it was. It sure beat the heck out of the thought of going to hell. Often when he thought of hell he pictured in his mind a comic strip he had seen once. Two guys were standing in a place depicted as a stereotypical hell, and one of them was saying, “Wow, they thought of everything – even the coffee’s cold.” He knew hell was more serious than that, and it was definitely something he wanted to do everything he could to avoid. And that’s when it had begun to occur to him: Jesus had done all this for Larry, and what had Larry done in return? Absolutely nothing. It was there and then he had decided he needed to start giving back to God. And what a blessing it had been in his life! Larry had become one of Safe Ground’s most dedicated volunteers. He loved the feeling of knowing he was doing something for Jesus, who had done so much for him. It gave him a certain sense of assurance to know that he was giving back to God, though sometimes it seemed like he could

never do enough.As Larry finished setting out

the salt and pepper shakers, the morning’s guests were filtering into the serving hall in ones and twos. He noticed one of the regulars who, as usual, was helping someone else get to breakfast. This morning he was guiding a gnarled, elderly woman. The regular was moving with a limp. The two of them made quite a sight. Larry went over to see if he could help.

“Good morning, Abe,” he said. The man with the limp nodded and smiled in return. “Morning, Larry. This is Eleanor. She’s new here so we’re just helping her find her way around.” Eleanor and Larry exchanged greetings as Larry pulled out a chair and Abraham helped her ease into it. Larry excused himself to go help in the kitchen.

“He seems like a nice person,” said Eleanor. “Oh, yes,” said Abraham, heading off to get two cups of coffee. “Larry’s a saint.” When they finished their breakfast a woman from the camp offered to help Eleanor over to the showers. Abraham chose to linger, savoring an extra cup of coffee and the simple pleasure of reading in a warm, well-lighted room. He pulled his Bible out of his backpack. Lately he had been reading through Paul’s epistles. When he read Paul he liked to imagine himself sitting in one of the churches that had received the missive, listening intently with his fellow believers as the letter was read aloud. Other

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times he liked to imagine Paul preaching the words that were written on the pages. He marveled at the fact that two thousand years later, he could carry Paul’s epistles in his backpack.

As Abraham sat reading, Larry was steadily working his way along the rows of tables with a bucket of water, wiping down tables and chairs. When he got to where Abraham was sitting he paused for a moment. “Reading the good book, eh?”

“Galatians,” said Abraham, smiling. “Listen to this.” Larry glanced at his watch. “Sure, I have a minute or two,” he said, taking a seat.

Abraham began reading aloud from where he had left off. Paul was relating how he had confronted Peter for his

hypocritical conduct in Antioch. Larry glanced at his watch again. And then Paul started talking about justification, how a person wasn’t justified by their works, but rather they were justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Larry had heard this before, but he’d never really stopped to think about it. To be honest, he wasn’t real sure exactly what justification was. But on this morning there was something about the words that seemed to carry a sense of indictment. He had this uncomfortable feeling that somehow he was the one being charged. He heard Paul saying that the righteous shall live by faith, and that Christ had become a curse for us. There was something there for him, something he needed to hear. And something he wanted to hear. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

He stood up, a look of consternation on his face. He needed to finish his chores, he said, but did Abe think he might be able to stick around for a little while. “Certainly,” said Abraham.

Larry finished wiping down the tables. He headed into the kitchen and dumped the bucket of water and filthy rags into the sink. Quickly, he finished tidying up the kitchen. He was anxious to get back out to the dining hall.

He had some questions for Abraham.

- Matt Peters is a 2nd-year seminarian from Sacramento, CA. He originally wrote The River’s Edge as an assignment for Lutheran Mind.

The River’s Edge

Larry had heard this before, but he’d never really stopped to think about it. To be honest, he wasn’t real sure exactly what justification was.

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Preachers

The Preachers turned in a great season of basketball action on the hardwood.

The season was highlighted by two victories over rival CTS Fort Wayne, as well as standout performances from a host of new additions of 1st-year contributors.

Once the season came to an end, work began on installing a set of new permanent bleachers on the floor in Pederson Fieldhouse. The bleachers provide stadium seating at courtside. Previously the Preachers had to set up folding chairs before each game. The funds to purchase the bleachers were provided to the Seminary by a generous donor and were put to use for the first time when the Preachers played the IM All-Stars earlier this spring.

Here’s some sights and shots from the year that was in Preacher basketball. Photos by Diane Saleska.

(Top Right) - 2nd-year guard Harry Smith lays the ball in against Fort Wayne during play in the Preacher Classic Tournament.

(Right) - 1st-year Calvin Kapels looks to score inside against the Kingsmen of Fort Wayne.

Preacher Basketball

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Preacher Basketball

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Preachers

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<- 1st-year guard Kirk Neugebauer gets past the defense for an easy hoop as the CSL faithful look on during the opening game of the Preachers’ Classic.

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Many have requested an account of the things that have been fulfilled among those at Concordia Theological Seminary, wondering about those reports handed down to us by those who were not first eyewitnesses and students of the sister seminary. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Concordiophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been told. I must highlight I was only at CTS one quarter compared to four quarters I was here before leaving. Therefore, my perspective is based on much less time in Fort Wayne. This is important to note because you are all aware getting acclimated to seminary takes a bit of time.

Both seminaries are somewhat reminiscent of the surrounding area. CSL reflects the St. Louis is a metropolitan area with more ethnic diversity, external influences, and changes than Fort Wayne. We hold more focus and opportunity toward engaging in ethnic ministry, immersion experiences, and cultural influences in worship. Fort Wayne is a smaller, wanna-be-city (that is their claim, not mine)

and accordingly CTS has a more secluded, off-to-itself atmosphere about the campus and population. The respective major daily chapel service portrays this difference. In Fort Wayne, the order and practice of service is more “narrow” in variation, whereas here we have a much larger range of music styles, prayer practices, and service orders.

Chapel attendance is more consistent in Fort Wayne, possibly as a cause or result of that narrowness in practice. Maybe more attend because all students who have completed Liturgics I (CSL translation: Worship) are allowed to lead chapel. I somehow doubt this is the motivation. They have less of a mentality that the best time to attend chapel is, “when I’m leading it.” However, I did have the opportunity to lead three times, which provided me with my first opportunity to lead Matins.

The largest discrepancy I cannot overlook is not in the classroom, nor the chapel, but in the Student Commons. Three thoughts come to mind. First, the community spends quite a bit more time together in that area. They hold more inclusive, community events at their commons. Examples include a thirty-minute coffee time after daily chapel, and Gemütlichkeit, a larger, more inclusive (read:

So... how was Fort Wayne?By Lucas Witt

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So... how was Fort Wayne?families with kids) event than Prof & Stein. This was a great time to chat with friends and approach professors for a question or personal discussion. Second, the meal-plan there is 19-per-week; basically identical to what we had here last year. I must admit I do enjoy my freedom and savings this year, but a large aspect of the community life is now missing here this year in my opinion. Third, their faculty is much more available and visible in such community areas and gatherings. At these events I could almost always find a sizeable percentage of faculty and staff. I sat with instructors Grime, Pulse, Pless, Hilgebrand, Nueffer, among others over lunch with a mix of students at professors. This is a big draw in their recruiting, and I deeply appreciate the personal care the teachers there express.

I also had the opportunity to talk with potential students there and did encourage them to visit CSL as well. As a result I have formed the following philosophy. I believe when prospective students come to visit, our interest must not be “You should come here because I think it is better,” but rather, “Let me help you consider which seminary fits your preferences and ministry goals more precisely”. That

is the appropriate Christian witness in my mind – accommodating the best for others despite any personal biases.

My ideal looks something like this:

Rev. Wrede: ..and so, Steve, we certainly will keep you in mind as you prayerfully contemplate where the Lord is guiding you. Please call us if you have any further questions. But before you go, have you considered a visit to our sister LCMS seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana?

Prospective student: Umm, not really, I mean no. Pastor Williams recommended I stick to St. Louis.

Rev. Castens: We are certainly glad you have, but we also want to ensure you are aware of your options so your formation is best fit for what your goals, preferences, and comfort. I recall you are interested in.....

Does this seem to be a ridiculous

idea? I won’t argue if you answer, “yes”. But I do question, which mindset is a true indication of how church should function and which way is serving the church best?

My Green and Gold Follies skit was written to mock the ridiculous false impressions of Concordia Theological Seminary.

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Regardless of whether you saw it, if you have an impression of our sister seminary that is prefaced by, “I heard this about Fort Wayne”, consider what others can say about Concordia Seminary based on, “I read this on The Brothers of John the Steadfast blog”. Need I say more?

Ultimately, what defines either LCMS seminary is not the tradition, nor the perception, but the people – students, faculty, and staff included. To the incoming first years, I was just as much a part of the seminary as they were beginning with orientation. The returning students were welcoming and gracious as well.

I am glad to be in St. Louis because I believe the opportunities here are a more appropriate fit for my personal and theological formation, but I would have been very content in Fort Wayne as well. I realize this opportunity is not for everyone, but if you find yourself dismissive every time the phrase Concordia Theological Seminary tickles your eardrums, this opportunity could be the best episode of Mythbusters you will ever see.

- Lucas Witt is a 2nd-year seminarian from Iowa by way of Maryland. He spent his fall quarter of this year studying at CTSFW.

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Greetings from New England! So far this has been a very interesting year. In Connecticut we survived the last stretch of Hurricane Irene, an earthquake, a massive October snowstorm (and an accompanying six-day power outage), not to mention a gas fire that caused my block to be evacuated at midnight. Other than the extreme weather, it has been a positive experience.

Vicarage offers so many opportunities to spread the gospel and get hands-on training, even in northwest (and rural!) Connecticut. The most taxing part of the vicarage year has to be what you learn in terms of dealing with your own people, as well as those in the community and other LCMS and non-Lutheran clergy! People are always the greatest reward, and the greatest challenge. Here in Connecticut we have a smaller district and those times when we get to see other pastors—whether it be in the circuit

or at district gatherings—is always a blessing.

If you are getting ready for Call Day; do not be worried at all! No matter if you have a lot of experience in the parish or not very much, you will all learn something new. The Seminary has trained us all above and beyond expectations in our four various skill groups. Vicarage covers the other part and (at times) the larger part of our ministry, that is dealing with our parishioners day-to-day. Do not be worried whether you know enough or not; you do, and you will have two more years to learn even more.

I hope that each of your experiences will be blessed as mine has, and I will pray for each of you as Call Day approaches. May our Lord continue to bless each and every one of us!

-Vicar David Graves

Vicarage Report from David Graves

Vicarage Report

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Fort Wayne

... we should be able to talk to one another as brothers in Christ and as future (God willing) Amtsbrüder (brothers in the office).

Greetings in the name of the Lord from your brothers in Fort Wayne!

My name is Zelwyn Heide, and I am the student editor this academic year of the Cornerstone, which is the student publication of Concordia Theological Seminary. The Cornerstone has been published in one form or another for several decades here at CTS, and it has served as a medium for theological discussion in the student body.

As part of my goals for this year, I am seeking to open new avenues for discussion between CTS and Concordia Seminary. It is my belief that such avenues between our student bodies is somewhat lacking, and we should be able to talk to one another as brothers in Christ and as future (God willing) Amtsbrüder [brothers in the office].

Thus, I invite you to speak to your brothers in Fort Wayne. The Cornerstone publishes frequently, so there are several opportunities for printing your articles. I have no restrictions on size or content. I will remain in contact with your

student editor, Andrew Wilson, so please feel free to ask him any questions.

You may either submit your articles to Andrew or send them directly to me by emailing them to this address: [email protected]. Don’t be afraid to email me with any questions you might have.

If you wish to read our electronic copies of the Cornerstone, please go to our seminary homepage at www.ctsfw.edu. There, you should set up a free website account using the “login” in the top corner and following instructions from there. Once you have it set up, you can access all issues of the Cornerstone by going to “Student Services,” then “Student Association,” and finally clicking on “Publications.” The links will all be there.

I look forward to this kind of communication between our sister seminaries for hopefully many years to come. Pax.

Greetings from Fort WayneBy Zelwyn HeideEditor of the Cornerstone

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... we should be able to talk to one another as brothers in Christ and as future (God willing) Amtsbrüder (brothers in the office).

Greetings from Fort Wayne

To our Brothers and Sisters at Concordia Seminary Saint Louis,

Blessed Easter greetings from your brothers and sisters at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne.

My name is Robert Paul, a fourth-year Seminarian and President of the Student Association. We are very happy to begin this exchange through our respective publications, the Cornerstone and Around the Tower. As some of you may know, annually members of the Student Association executive boards visit each other’s respective campuses. These are great opportunities for exchange and dialogue between our seminaries. Geography has not been the only limiting factor in the distance between our two seminaries, and we hope that not only through our visits to one another, but also through

this exchange of articles we may begin to get to know one another better: student body to student body.

In the future, for both pastors and deaconesses alike, we will be serving in the midst of brothers and sisters from both seminaries. It would be a great service and advantage to understand and to know each other better. Once out in the field, this becomes rather difficult outside of circuit and district meetings. Thus an exchange between the seminaries becomes a perfect way to exchange ideas and thoughts and further our work together in the future. I look forward to the beginning of this effort and would like to thank Zelwyn Heide and Andrew Wilson for their time and efforts. Blessed Easter! In Christ, Robert Paul

By Robert PaulCTS Student Association President

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From Fort Wayne

Following a few quick lectures on the Enlightenment and Rationalism, one can learn quickly how to trash these seemingly univocal Behemoths as “bad.” They were bad. Christianity suffered under the wit of the philosophes and the monarchial thrust of reason that linked big thinkers of modernity as diverse as Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Hegel among others. But in the midst of the general survey of the history of thought, it is important not to miss the particular bright lights along the way. Jesus told us that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church (Mt 16:18). Those hellish gates still haven’t prevailed against Christ’s Church. There were Christians who stood in opposition and dissent to the great heresies of every age.

In the age of Rationalism, there were pastors, professors, and laymen fighting for the truth of God’s Word while they themselves honed the Church’s understanding against a new Zeitgeist. Johann Georg Hamann (1730-1788) is one such light who not only resisted the winds of his age, but who also added great insight into the Biblical understanding of language

and reason. Goethe called him “der hellste Kopf seiner Zeit” – the brightest intellect of his age. This was quite a compliment for a contemporary of Kant and Hegel in Germany, of Voltaire, and other great French thinkers. Kirkegaard later referred to Hamann as “the Master.”

Hamann grew up in Koenigsberg. He was attracted to the high learning of his time, first trying to study theology, and then law. Along with a close friend, Johann Christoph Berens, Hamann became convinced of the Enlightenment presuppositions. In 1756, Hamann went to London under the employment of the Berens’ family. On the way, Hamann stopped in Berlin, and met with big Enlightenment names, including Moses Mendelssohn. In London, Hamann failed to complete his mission of delivering a message to Russian Embassy. Hamann suffered a difficult time, including a spiritual crisis. He turned to his Bible. Hamann returned to the Berenses. At this time, his dissent to the Enlightenment was deepened when Johann Berens called in Immanuel Kant to re-convert Hamann to the Enlightenment project. Hamann

A Recommendation of J.G. Hamann

By Travis Loeslie, Sem. IV

A Recommendation of J.G. HamannSpecial to Around the Tower from Travis Loeslie, Sem. IV at CTSFW

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From Fort Wayne 23

was convinced of the Bible’s divine authorship and authority over against the assumed ‘purity’ of human reason. The rest of his life would consist of his authorship, and much of his energy would be devoted to the defending Biblical authority and Lutheran theology against the critics of his age.

Hamann’s work will challenge the reader, but not without benefit. A couple places to start reading Hamann are his Aesthetica in Nuce and his polemic against Kant, The Metacritique of the Purism of Reason. Goethe urged Hamann’s letters as the easiest way into Hamann’s thought, but most of them are still only in German. In Hamann, one can find Biblical insights, recommendations to read Luther and the Small Catechism, and other attempts to influence an age in which the Bible’s authority was undermined and Lutheranism muddled along largely in pietistic garb. A recent English translation of some of Hamann’s major works was published as Johann Georg Hamann: Writings on Philosophy and Language, edited by Kenneth Haynes. Haynes includes a great bibliography for Hamann study. Hamann has been largely

misunderstood by scholars because of his contextual style, but also because of his Lutheranism. In particular, Hamann’s Christology and distinction between law and gospel give unacquainted scholars rough going. Oswald Bayer has done the greatest work to overcome misunderstanding. Bayer has written definitive studies of Hamann’s work. Exciting to mention is a new English translation of Bayer’s biography and survey of Hamann’s life and work by Roy Harrisville and Mark Mattes: A Contemporary in Dissent: Johann Georg Hamann as a Radical Enlightener. This book is now available in our bookstore, and certainly offers the best introduction to Hamann’s rich corpus. Tolle, lege!

Hamann will help us understand the Enlightenment and will help us see why Lutheranism suffered in that age. Reading Hamann over against his contemporaries will also improve our understanding of language and reason in Lutheran theology. We can only stand to benefit from this study as the Church continues to learn its own history in order to more winsomely face the hostile world Jesus promised (Jn 15:18-19) with a clear confession of Biblical Christianity.

A Recommendation of J.G. HamannSpecial to Around the Tower from Travis Loeslie, Sem. IV at CTSFW

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Countdown!

But who’s counting?

Until Call Day...

Days remaining for dates of interest amongst the Seminary Community as of April 16, 2012

Until the last day of class...

1531

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But who’s counting?Until the start of the 2012-2013 academic year...

Days remaining for dates of interest amongst the Seminary Community as of April 16, 2012

Until the 500th anniversary of the Reformation...

141

2,024

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Around the Tower