A Thinking Reed

Brain drain from the ELCA?

Written by

Lee M.

in

Carl Braaten is one of the most noted theologians in the ELCA. Together with Robert Jenson he has worked to create a kind of “vital center” theology that is orthodox, intellectually rigorous, and ecumenical.

The Pietist has posted an open letter from Braaten to Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, on the current state of things in our communion (via Pontifications).

Greetings! I am writing out of a concern I share with others about the theological state of affairs within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The situation might be described as one of “brain drain.” Theologians who have served Lutheranism for many years in various capacities have recently left the ELCA and have entered the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church in America.

Why?

Read more.

I may have some thoughts on this later, but I just wanted to throw it out there.

Comments

11 responses to “Brain drain from the ELCA?”

  1. Chip Frontz

    Lee,

    Thank you for posting this: my senior pastor and I received an email this morning indicating that Braaten had actually left. This open letter clearly states that he is not.

    But the letter deserves to be widely read. The rhetoric is delicious without being over-the-top, very appropriate to the situation. I wish Braaten had gone into more detail regarding the liberal protestant drift. Although he addresses the coming homosexuality debate, he does not give many other instances of specific Kulturprotestantismus.

    One thing he might have addressed is the idea that Br. Matthew Fox is still scheduled to “teach” the professional leaders of the ELCA Northern Illinois synod in October. A new Reformation indeed.

    Reply
  2. Lee

    Dwight of Versus Populum has also posted the letter – he is apparently friends with Braaten. I asked Dwight if he could elaborate a bit on Braaten’s views on “liberal protestantism” to get a better sense of where he’s coming from, so hopefully he’ll oblige us.

    Whatever one’s views on things like homosexuality (I admit to still being on the fence as far as things like same-sex blessings), it can’t be a sign of good health when our top theologians and scholars are all flying the coop!

    Also I thought it was interesting that Braaten identified himself as a political liberal. I wouldn’t have thought that.

    Reply
  3. Joshie

    Though this was not mentioned in his letter, one thing both the Roman and Eastern Orthodox communions have in common is a robust tradition of spirituality, something that, in my observation, the Lutheran and (to a lesser extent) Reformered traditions have neglected historically. Could this have something to do with it too?

    Reply
  4. Lee

    Good question. I think there is a belief in some quarters that Lutheranism has emphasized justification to such an extent that it neglects spiritual formation. Spiritual disciplines = works-rigteousness, dont’cha know!

    I personally have had a hard time finding resources for spiritual development (not a term I’m particularly happy with – but I can’t think of a better one at the moment) in the Lutheran tradition, and it’s not something that any of the parishes I’ve belonged to have particularly emphasized.

    Just a question (if it’s not too personal): what kinds of spiritual practices (if any) do you all find helpful?

    Reply
  5. Maurice Frontz

    I think that spiritual practices may have something to do with an interest in other traditions (Catholic, Orthodox) but it is not determining whether or not people leave the ELCA. After all, I as a Lutheran can pray like a Quaker, Moravian, or Catholic and retain my membership and ordination in the ELCA. Luther’s A Simple Way to Pray also gives insight into how he viewed prayer.

    The Society of the Holy Trinity, to whose Rule I plan to subscribe in September, is formed by Daily Prayer according to the offices of Matins, Vespers, and Compline. There’s also a PDF booklet on the Society’s website that can be printed out for use on the “little hours:” nine, noon, and three. This is helpful for me in getting “back on track” when I have missed one of the larger hours, as well as keeping the whole day grounded in prayer.

    The Rule is not a law, but a discipline freely taken up, and there is an expectation that subscribers “grow into” their practice of the Rule. Read: if you miss Matins one day, you’re not going to hell.

    However, I find that I think about prayer like this: “If I felt more like praying right now, I’d pray.” Experiencing set times of prayer as discipleship or Nachfolge has been helpful as hearing the call to prayer as one that originates from outside myself, or as the call of the Holy Spirit (who is not identical with my spirit) from within at least.

    I also pray the Jesus Prayer and would like to read The Imitation of Christ and the Rule of St. Benedict. Haven’t gotten there yet, though.
    Much of my prayer attitude has been formed by Bonhoeffer’s Life Together.

    Reply
  6. Lee

    Interesting – is that the daily office per the Book of Common Prayer or is there a Lutheran version? I read Arthur Boers’ (a Mennonite of all people) book on recovering that style of Daily Prayer and found it pretty persuasive, but I’ve not yet found a version I’ve managed to stick with.

    I also liked Bonhoeffer’s insistence that prayer should be rooted in God’s Word rather than whatever we happen to feel like at the moment. It seems to inject a necessary element of discipline.

    Reply
  7. Maurice Frontz

    Lee,

    The resource I use and that is widely used among catholically-minded Lutherans (and others for that matter) is called For All the Saints. It contains over four volumes the entire RSV text of the two-year daily lectionary contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship: an Old Testament reading, an epistle reading, and a Gospel reading for each day, plus a reading which often serves as a commentary on one of the Scripture texts. Each volume also includes the entire psalter, the LBW liturgies for Matins, Vespers, and Compline, renderings of Orthodox iconography, plus a devotional aid such as the Small Catechism, Luther’s Simple Way to Pray, or Lancelot Andrewes’s “The Dial.”

    It’s well worth a look. You can simply use LBW and your own Bible if you like, but this is all self-contained. Plus it divides the psalms into thirty days, morning and evening, so that you could pray the entire psalter each month if your discipline provided for it (and was strong enough!)

    I did not mention as an influence on my prayer life Pr. Eugene Peterson’s Under the Unpredictable Plant, which our internship colleague group studied in 2000-01. It is meant for clergy or those studying to be such, but can be profitably read by laity as well.

    Reply
  8. Maurice Frontz

    Whoops. Meant to leave an URL where you can find info. on For All the Saints.

    http://www.alpb.org/for_all_the_saints.htm

    Reply
  9. Lee

    Hm. FOTS looks nice, but perhaps a little rich for my blood!

    In the past I’ve used (with appallingly bad regularity) “Celebrating Common Prayer” which is a Daily Office book put out by the Society of St. Francis (Anglican) and “The Little Book of Hours” from the Community of Jesus which is an interdenominational community “in the Benedictine tradition.” I may have to check out the version contained in the LBW, though I suspect the key thing here is to find a prayer discipline and stick with it.

    Reply
  10. Maurice Frontz

    Yes, it is expensive. I received my copy as an ordination gift.

    A BCP or LBW would work fine. The key is to do something.

    Reply
  11. Joshie

    Been using the BCP for a few years now. Highly recomend it. The newer version even has a rite for daily devotions. The scripture readings could be broader, but that’s gonna be a problem with any sort of guide you get. But then again not many people like Song of Solomon and Jude as much as I do.

    Reply

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