An introduction to dogmatic theology

Front matter

NTRODUCTION

DOGMATIC THEOLOG

WEIDNER ippntftl Tb:

Introduction

TO

DOGMATIC THEOLOGY,

BASED ON LUTHARDT.

BY

REVERE FRANKLIN WEIDNER, D. p., LL D., i i

Professor of Theology in the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary; Author of

"Biblical Theology of the Old Testament" and of the "New Testament";

"Christian Ethics" ; "Theological Encyclopaedia''' ;

Studies in the Booh"; etc. /L/ / / > ^{ClV

ROCK ISLAND, ILL.

LUTHERAN AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCEKN. 1895.

v

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OP

CHARLES PORTERFIELD KRAUTH,

fflS TEACHER AND FRIEND,

BY

THE AUTHOR.

Preface To The First Edition

Revealed Theology naturally divides itself into four main departments, exegetical, historical, systematic, and practical. Under Exegetical Theology we comprise all the sciences that relate to the exposition and elucidation of the Holy Scriptures; Historical Theology begins with Sacred History and includes what has been developed in the Church in the shape of Church History and the History of Doctrine; Practical Theology embraces the theory of the activities of the Church, as exercised by the pastor and teacher in particular; but iu Systematic Theology we have the highest form of theological science. It is the scientific and connected presentation of Christian doctrine in its relation to both faith and morals, and comprises the sciences of Apologetics, Dogmatics, and Ethics.

Oar later theologians distinguish between Biblical Theology and Dogmatics. Biblical Theology has for its aim to represent the religious ideas and doctrines which are contained in the Bible, and is a purely historical discipline, and as such belongs to the department of Historical Theology. Christian Dogmatics or Dogmatic Theology, on the other hand, is a historicophilosophical science, in which the result of historical exegesis are unified and systematized. It uses the results of Biblical Theology as the material with which

8 it builds. It is the sura of the truths embraced in the Christian faith in their organic connection with the facts of religious truth. It is the science of that, of which the Christian affections and the Christian life are the great art. It has no other aim than the teaching of the Christian religion, as this is established in the experimental consciousness of the believer, to produce it spiritually and to bring it into a scientific, systematic form, for the delineation and development in every direction of its divinely wrought fact in Jesus Christ.

Of late, Dogmatic Theology has been somewhat neglected in certain parts of the Protestant world, and indeed has fallen into disrepute, more stress being laid upon the results of Biblical Theology. We are told that in Dogmatic Theology we have the deductions and speculations of men while in Biblical Theology we have the pure teaching of the Word of God. But let us not forget that the man who takes up the Bible now without reference to what has been done toward its elucidation in the past, and without being guided by the development of doctrine is unwise and will fall into error, for the faith and doctrinal thinking of the present is conditioned by the intellectual labors and the development of Church doctrine in the past, and must consequently assure itself of its essential harmony with it. This work does not present a System of Christian Theology, but is 6imply an Introduction to such a System. It is the door and the vestibule which leads to the sacred edifice. It only treats of the definition, contents, method, and history, of Dogmatics. The attempt has been made to give a concise and yet complete history of Dogmatics, including even a brief sketch of the most prominent recent writers in this department. The book itself is the outgrowth of work in the class-room, and has been prepared to meet the wants of my students, and is published in the hope that it may be of some service not only to other theological students, and to the English-speaking ministers, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, but may be of interest even to those who are not of the same Confession of Faith.

He who watches the horizon of German Lutheran Theology, will always discover some new star of great brilliancy, just coming into range above it. One of the latest of distinguished iivingconservative theologians is Christoph Ernst Luthardt, since 1856 professor of theology atLeipsic, and renowned as a university lecturer and pulpit orator. His Compendium derDogmatik appeared in 1865, and in 1886 had already reached the seventh edition. This work is not strictly speaking the development of a system, but rather a compendious presentation of carefully selected material. It is by far the best manual of the Dogmatics of the Evangelical Lutheran Church we possess. On account of its comprehensiveness, brevity, and succintness, my own teacher, Charles Porterfield Krauth, fate Professor of Dogmatic Theology in the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia took it as a general guide in a large part of his own lectures, and especially recommended it to his students. This work has been the basis of my own lectures during the last six years, my students using a Swedish translation of

10 the fifth German edition. In this Introduction we closely follow the outline of Luthardt, but though we follow his outline and plan, it is not a translation, nor a condensation, nor simply an adaptation, but we have made an attempt to rewrite the work for the special wants of the Church in this country.

The writer would also record his great indebtedness to the Manuscript Lectures of Dr. Krauth, which have been freely used, and from which we have derived constant stimulus and suggestion. He would also express his great obligations to his venerable colleague, Dr. Hasselquist, whose rich scholarship w r as constantly at his command, and, w T ho with a kindness which the writer cannot adequately acknowledge, has done him the great favor of reading the whole book aloud in his presence, during its passage through the press.

R. F. W.

Preface To The Second Edition

The demand for a new edition of this Introduction to Dogmatics has given me the opportunity carefully to revise the whole, and even to rewrite parts of it. My aim has been to adapt the presentation to the wants of our Church in this country, and to aid our younger clergy and our theological students in obtaining a clearer view of the vast field occupied by the Science of Dogmatics. Special attention has been given to the literature of the subject, and the attempt has been made to bring it up to date.

It is gratifying that in this sge of indifference ta Creeds and to the positive teachings of the Church, there is still a demand for such works as this, and I hope many may be led to explore more fully the rich treasures of that Science to which this email handbook is but the door and vestibule.

R. F. W.

LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY,

Epiphany, 1895.

Chicago.