"The Confessional Liturgical Revival of Theodor Kliefoth and the Works " by Naomichi Masaki

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Title

The Confessional Liturgical Revival of Theodor Kliefoth and the Works of Liturgical Revision of the Preface in Nineteenth-Century Sweden: The Vitality of the Lord's Supper as Confessed in "He Alone is Worthy!"

Author

Naomichi Masaki, Concordia Seminary, St. LouisFollow

Date of Award

3-1-2005

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Systematic Theology

First Advisor

Norman Nagel

Scripture References in this Resource

Luke 22:27; 1 Corinthians 11:26; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Acts 2:1-13; Acts 2:14; Hebrews 10:4-10; Isaiah 6:1-4; John 1:14; John 15; Luke 4:21; Matthew 18:20; Matthew 28:20; Romans 15:16

Abstract

Masaki, Naomichi. "The Confessional Liturgical Revival of Theodor Kliefoth and the Works of Liturgical Revision of the Preface in Nineteenth-Century Sweden: The Vitality of the Lord’s Supper as Confessed in "He Alone Is Worthy!" Ph.D. diss., St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Seminary, 2005. 379 pp.

The vitality of the Divine Service of the Church of Sweden was enlivened during the second half of the nineteenth century. In this dissertation, the acclamation in the Preface of the Lord’s Supper, "He alone is worthy of thanks and praise!" which emerged through the works of the liturgical revision during that time, is taken as an illuminating point. Three questions are investigated: a historical discussion concerning the emergence of the phrase, a theological evaluation, and a consideration of its appropriateness for today.

While the most widely used English renditions such as "It is meet and right so to do" and “It is right to give him thanks and praise" speak of us, our thanksgiving and its appropriateness, the Swedish rendition "He alone is worthy of thanks and praise!" draws one's attention not to ourselves but to the Lord. Here it is of the Lord and toward the Lord, and thus the root of what follows. Our investigation demonstrates that such a striking rendition was initially introduced by the Pastoral Committee of the Swedish Parliament in 1854 and officially adopted in the 1894 Agenda. It appeared at the time when the Confessional Liturgical Revival of Germany, particularly that of Theodor Kliefoth, had impacted leading members of the liturgical commission of the Church of Sweden, such as E. G. Bring, J. H. Thomander, and U. L. Ullman. This dissertation introduces an important but less-known Lutheran theologian and churchman, Theodor Kliefoth, into an English-speaking world. His theology is characterized by giving and receiving (δoσις--λ̯ηψις), sacramental and sacrificial (sacramentum—sacrificium), the means of grace and the means of grace office (Gnadenmittel and Gnadenmittelamt), as well as the office of the giver Christ (Amt Christi). Our study demonstrates that the phrase that emerged in the Preface is consistent with the confession of the Lord's Supper's liturgy of the Swedish churchmen who embraced the Confessional Liturgical Revival represented by Kliefoth.

Through the Swedish rendition, the beneficium way of the Lord's dealing with us in the Lord’s Supper may be defended better and more clearly against being pulled in an anthropocentric direction.

Recommended Citation

Masaki, Naomichi, "The Confessional Liturgical Revival of Theodor Kliefoth and the Works of Liturgical Revision of the Preface in Nineteenth-Century Sweden: The Vitality of the Lord's Supper as Confessed in "He Alone is Worthy!"" (2005). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 117.
https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/117