Colleagues,
Today is the 479th anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession in the town of that name to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. That document from 1530 is the magna charta of the Reformation and thereby the yardstick for later groups who call themselves Lutheran. In these postings you’ve often heard references to the “Augsburg Aha!” Which being summarized is:
- there is really only one “doctrina” in the Christian faith, namely, the Gospel itself.
- that Gospel is fundamentally God’s promise in Christ crucified and risen to be merciful to sinners from here to eternity.
- Promises don’t “work” unless they are trusted. Therefore “trust alone” is what brings sinners in and under that promissory mercy.
- All subsequent “doctrines” in Christian teaching are “articulations” of that promissory core as it impacts the other “articles” of Christian faith and life. E.g., after the Augsburg Aha! you see that the doctirne of the Trinity is a way to talk about God and have it come out as Gospel.
- From that promissory core comes Augsburg’s distinctive hermeneutic: (A) reading the Bible through lenses that distinguish God’s word of law from God’s word of promise, and (B) reading the world through lenses that distinguish the work of God’s legal left hand from the work of God’s promising right hand.
When laid alongside this Augsburg Aha! the ELCA sexuality document–coming up for deliberation and decision at the general assembly later this summer–shows that it has other foundations. Not that it denies what’s specified above, but that even when articulated in a ten-page opening chapter, it is never used for what then follows.
It starts with “A Distinctly Lutheran Approach,” most all of which is Augsburg-authentic. But then after having confessed “the Lutheran tradition,” it wanders into a far country and never “uses” that “distinctly” Lutheran approach. I imagine that the folks who created the document do think that they are innocent of this charge, and seek to demonstrate that with their final paragraph on “The Necessity of Mercy, Always.” That does sound Augsburgian, true.
But after that opening salute to a Lutheran Approach, the document does its analysis and builds its conclusions using other lenses, an other hermeneutic, namely, the hermeneutics of contemporary sociological and psychological research. It jumps out at you from the very outline of the document.
After that 10-page opening chapter on A Distinctly Lutheran Approach, sociology and psychology take over. Look at the chapter headings:
- Sexuality and Social Trust
- Sexuality and Social Structures that Enhance Social Trust
- Sexuality and Trust in Relationships
- Sexuality and Social Responsibility
- Conclusion: Human Sexuality and Moral Discernment. The Necessity of Mercy, Always.
These data that then fill out the document are never run through the sieve of all that Lutheran stuff we heard about when we started reading the document, specifically not the Lutheran hermeneutic for “reading the world (of sexuality) through the lenses that distinguish the work of God’s legal left hand from the work of God’s promising right hand.”
So much for the official document right now. I want to focus this ThTh on another document that has followed this official one. Actually there are two of them–each one signed by a large number of big-name theologians and church leaders in the ELCA. One urges the delegates to vote Yes when the document comes up for approval; the other one urges a No vote. If the house is divided among the alleged experts, whom shall the delegates believe?
Sadly, in my judgment, not only the official document, but neither the yea-sayers nor the nay-sayers are using Augsburg’s proposed hermeneutic for reading both the Word and the World as they do their urgings.
Most obvious, so it seems to me, is the voice of the Nay-sayers published just one month ago: “An Open Letter to the Voting Members of the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.”
Here’s what it says:
“The proposals are in fact no compromise. The teaching of the church will be changed.”The proposals to be considered by the Churchwide Assembly this summer from the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality are perceived by some as compromises that will permit the ELCA to live faithfully with internal diversity on controversial ethical questions. The proposals are in fact no compromise. They clearly imply that same-sex blessings and the ordination and rostering of homosexual persons in committed relationships are acceptable within the ELCA. The teaching of the church will be changed. We should not make such an important decision without clear biblical and theological support. The Task Force did not provide such support, nor has it been provided in statements from some of our colleagues in ELCA institutions.”
“Indifference to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church
“1. If the assembly adopts the proposed rules of procedure, a simple majority of one Churchwide Assembly will alter the moral teaching on sexuality we have shared with the vast majority of the church past and present. We are concerned that such a procedure shows an indifference to the common mind of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church throughout the ages and across cultures. At the least, a two-thirds majority should be required, if indeed the assembly should be voting on these matters at all.”
“The church is founded on the whole Word of God, both law and gospel
“2. The proposals claim that the ELCA can live with profound differences on sexual questions because our unity is centered exclusively on the gospel and the sacraments. This claim separates law and gospel in a way contrary to both Scripture and the Confessions. The church is founded on the whole Word of God, both law and gospel. The Task Force texts seem to permit variation on all ethical questions, no matter how fundamental. How Christians behave sexually is not a matter of indifference to our life in Christ.”
“It would damage our ecumenical relationships
“3. If the ELCA were to approve the public recognition of same-sex unions or the rostering of persons in such relationships, it would damage our ecumenical relationships with the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and Evangelical churches, all of which affirm the clear teaching of Scripture that homosexual activity departs from God’s design for marriage and sexuality. Furthermore, it would put the ELCA at odds with many of our sister Lutheran churches, especially in Asia and Africa. The United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) have also recently upheld scriptural teaching on this matter. These bodies have officially recognized that the biblical prohibitions against homosexual activity remain applicable today to consensual sexual relationships between persons of the same sex.”
“Our unity will be fractured”
“4. With regard to calling rostered leaders, the statement proposes “structured flexibility,” which we believe will lead inevitably to “local option.” If adopted, this proposal will mean that the relationship among bishops, candidacy committees, and congregations will become confused and conflicted. Practically speaking, there will be two lists of candidates for rostered leadership in the church. The result will be that not all pastors and congregations will be in full fellowship with each other, nor with many of the pastors and congregations of those denominations with whom we are in full communion. Further, laity seeking a congregation to join would need to ask about which option a congregation has chosen in calling its leaders. Our unity in the office of ministry will be fractured.”
“Conscience can err”
“5. The social statement calls for opponents in the current controversy to respect each other’s “bound conscience,” referring to Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms. Luther, however, was not merely claiming that he was sincere about the convictions he held; he asserted rather that his conscience was bound to the Word of God. Conscience can err. The Word of God, not conscience, is the final court of appeal in the church.”
“We are deeply sensitive to the need of the church to provide pastoral care for all people. We are aware that there are some in the church who will disagree with this letter. Nevertheless, we feel we are called to support and advocate the biblical teaching on human sexuality and urge you to defeat all the proposals from the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality that the Church Council has forwarded to you. We pledge to you our prayers and we invite you to work with us for the renewal of our church under the Word of God.”
Some years ago I was asked by one of the ELCA synods to speak to this hot potato subject with consciously Augsburg accents. That attempt is archived on the Crossings website. Its title is “Reformation Resources: Law/Gospel Hermeneutics and The Godly Secularity of Sex.” The URL ishttps://crossings.org/archive/ed/ReformationResources.pdf
Peace and Joy!
Ed Schroeder