Lutherans and literacy

[Lutherrunner]

Inspired by BigNorsk from his response to the confirmation thread in another forum:

A few comments on the Lutheran Confirmation process. Confirmation is a time of more intense study of Biblical truths. Students go through foundational beliefs and practices, usually with the pastor. Confirmation is not a Sacrament.

In many congregations, first Communion is taken after confirmation, in others it often occurs during the confirmation process. This is done in order to assure that Communion is not taken in an unworthy manner, but after the person understands what Communion is. It varies somewhat, but a person is basically considered an adult after confirmation.

You could call it young adult education if you wished, maybe that would make some feel better, the congregation I grew up in usually called it "reading for the minister." That phrase is rooted in Norwegian history and has to do with why Norway had close to 100% literacy at the time of the American Civil War.

I am sure many congregations try to plan Sunday School curriculum in order to accomplish the same thing. The trouble with that is people moving about, and missing classes, quality of teaching and so on. Lutheran Confirmation is basically assurring that each and every person receives and understands Christian fundamentals. I don't understand how that could be considered anything but advantageous and is certainly not "a joke."

Marv

Help me clarify or word this better, or correct me if I'm wrong.......but Lutherans have seemed to not be afraid to be wordy or engage in more abstract and higher level thinking when it comes to theology......I mean look at the Book of Concord, the Confessions, the small and large catechisms, etc.....and compare this to the old tent revival meetings in America back in the what? 1700 or 1800's where the preachers tried to present a simple and concrete message to the pioneer folk who may not have had a very high level of literacy.....has American Evangalism tried to over simplify the message, hence the fundamental movement, the abandonement and rejection of tradition and liturgical services, etc?

[BigNorsk]

There sure is a contrast with some other groups where the pastors are poorly educated.

It's hard to know which comes first in a society, but we can often see them move together.

Clearly the Reformation providing the Bible to the common man propelled European learning. It gave a reason to read, and the churches became very involved in the teaching of reading as a skill.

When people came to America, many groups lost or had lost their most learned people. In my area, this would be typified by the Germans from Russia. They moved once to Russia which cost them some of their scholarship, but they will still served by people from Germany in addition to their own, so they were doing pretty well. But then came persecution, the execution of many of their leaders and the eventual fleeing to America. There were very few with much of anything of an education among them. This affected them right up to the present. Education wasn't highly valued, and their Roman Catholic background did not provide a lot of incentive for education for all.

Contrast this with the Scandinavian Lutherans of this area. Most that came here were not the wealthy and the most highly educated, but almost all were capable readers and culturally read a lot. They didn't have that intermediate move or the persecution that cost the Germans so dearly. So the education of and the esteem of education remained quite intact among the Scandinavian Lutherans.

Now if you were to get two old fellows of the two groups going on a theological discussion, the German probably didn't do much reading of even the Bible, but certainly very few that didn't become priests did any deep study of the Bible at all. Contrast with that was the Lutheran, he would be much more read up than the other, tended even if he didn't read theological books other than the Bible to have at least spent quite a bit of time reading the Bible, and studying and discussing it with others. The entire education of the Lutheran would equip him with the reading skills necessary to be able to read and understand what he reads.

Just to be fair to the German, let me point out the relatively common fault among the Scandinavian Lutheran. The Germans tend to be much more action oriented. The Scandinavian can get so lost in his studies and reading that he can literally become "no Earthly good." I think we see this in the Lutheran churches of today, we know our theology as a people pretty well, certainly better than most, but we tend a little to withdraw to study and are deficient in getting the gospel out there to others. We know our stuff, but we tend not to share it. Contrast this with the revival type meetings you mentioned, scholarship is indeed often sorely lacking, but they get out there and tell people what they believe and so they get the fruits of the harvest.

What do others think?

Marv

[pastel]

First and foremost importantly is Bible study, and I'm sure everyone agrees with that. Also, it is good to see what others have said in the past about theology, and see if it lines up with Scripture, and/or my own beliefs. Sometimes I get some powerful insight doing that. Sometimes I am plainly amazed.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Romans 1:16

[alabaster jar]

yes, I agree with that observation. Do Lutherans even have revivals? I don't think I've ever heard of a Lutheran revival? Think we could use some 'reviving?'

[CrossWiseMag]

Revivals are all about emotional experiences. They were invented by (I think) Jonathan Edwards, who designed his "services" to achieve maximum emotional impact -- all with the goal of driving folks up to the front for an "altar call" at the end of the service. It was done as a way to allow him to count the number of souls he'd saved, I believe.

A Lutheran revival happens several times a week: in Confession and Absolution; in the sermon; in the Lord's Supper.

[Zoomer]

I do think that Lutherans, in general, are more intellectual than emotional. I think it is evident in the number of Lutheran schools and colleges throughout the US. I am still amazed at how little some from other churches know about church history, the liturgy, and even about other denominations.

[SPALATIN]

I do think that Lutherans, in general, are more intellectual than emotional. I think it is evident in the number of Lutheran schools and colleges throughout the US. I am still amazed at how little some from other churches know about church history, the liturgy, and even about other denominations.

Not only that but there seems to be an apathy in knowing church history among the American Protestant Evangelicals. An attitude of "Church History doesn't matter because all I need to know is in the Bible."

By choosing to be ignorant or apathetic to it they don't seek out why Church History is important to know.

[SPALATIN]

Revivals are all about emotional experiences. They were invented by (I think) Jonathan Edwards, who designed his "services" to achieve maximum emotional impact -- all with the goal of driving folks up to the front for an "altar call" at the end of the service. It was done as a way to allow him to count the number of souls he'd saved, I believe.

A Lutheran revival happens several times a week: in Confession and Absolution; in the sermon; in the Lord's Supper.

Funny thing taking credit for something he had nothing to do with in the first place. :cool: