From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 2, Number 1
Epiphany 1997
Ministerial Formation
Letters to the Editor
I
meant to drop you a note after the Easter, 1996 issue of Let’s Talk. It’s when the Advent 1996
edition arrived that I realized I have been negligent.
I am referring specifically to the
Leon Rosenthal article, “The Foundation: Finding Unity as Biblical People of
Promise.” Considering the wretched history of Christian-Jewish relationships,
our persistent and consistent anti-Semitism, and Luther’s unforgivable diatribe
[Von den Juden und ihre Luegen], I
take issue with Rosenthal’s affirmation that “A first requirement of dialogue
is humility.” I believe with all my heart that our “first requirement” must be
confession of sin and public repentance for 2,000 years of wrongdoing against
our Jewish sisters and brothers.
Rosenthal even says that the ELCA
statement concerning Luther’s anti-Semitic publication has never received wide
distribution. Why not? Isn’t it important? Or is it just more anti-Semitism?
Back in the 1980s I did my D.Min. entirely
on the theology of Baptism. My narrow (sacramental theology) focus was
permitted at that time for D.Min. applicants, which I deeply appreciated.
But one of my discoveries was that, as
Lutherans (not to mention other Christian persuasions) we have never spoken a
word of repentance nor a request for forgiveness from our believer-baptist or
Anabaptist neighbors (or their descendants) for our horrendous maltreatment of
them during and after Reformation times--treatment that included murder “in the
name of Christ!” The believer-baptism people have taken note of our failure to
confess our wrongs, but we have never replied to them officially or
specifically.
Confession and forgiveness is a
foundational stance in the Christian life for us as individuals. Why not for us
as church bodies? It certainly would appear to be the place to begin our
dialogues.
Gerald
L. Rygh
Vice Pastor, Our Savior,
Aurora
I picked up a copy of the
Easter 1996
Let’s Talk at the synod assembly and
have enjoyed reading the articles in it. As a member of the MCS Lutheran-Jewish
Dialogue I am very interested in issues dealing with ecumenism and dialogue.
Nancy
Oakford
Rolling Meadows
We will print
more from our congregation mission statement contest in a future issue.