Date of Award

6-1-1951

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div)

Department

Practical Theology

First Advisor

Gilbert Thiele

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 5:12-20; Ephesians 2:1; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 1:1-4; Galatians 4:4-5; Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:1-21; Isaiah 53:4-5; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Matthew 5:2-5; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:13-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18; John 3:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Romans 8:1-12; Galatians 5:16-18; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 3:12; Romans 7:14-25; Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:3-11; Colossians 1:3-7; John 20:22; Galatians 6:1; Hebrews 12:1-12; Hebrews 10:24; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 5:18-21; Ephesians 6:4;

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the areas of agreement which have been achieved by the three World Conferences on Faith and Order. Interest in this problem stems from two existential situations. The first lies in the fact that the church body with which the writer is affiliated, the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, is not an active participant in the so-called ecumenical movement, as that movement finds its expression in the World Council of Churches. The reasons for this position which are most frequently cited fall under the broad category of "doctrine.” This Lutheran body, along with the other three member bodies in the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America, considers it "unionism" to engage in "church-fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine.” The second situation which has promoted interest in this subject is the writer's attendance at the recent North American Conference on Faith and Order, held at Oberlin, Ohio. At this Conference many basic Christian doctrines were discussed, such as, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and significant agreements (and disagreements) were registered in the final Report. In the light of these facts, plus the additional fact that the Faith and Order Commission is dedicated to a non-compromising study of divisive theological issues, thorough historical research in this field seems well-warranted. It is the goal of this thesis, then, to trace the development of the Faith and Order Movement, to examine its methods and approach, and to compare its agreements at the World Conference level.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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