RESOLUTIONS
RC 05.05
Adopted, NC Synod Assembly, ELCA
MEMORIAL URGING THE N.C. SYNOD AND THE ELCA TO
ENGAGE IN
STUDY AND CONVERSATION REGARDING FOUNDATIONAL
BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIAL ISSUES
1.
Whereas, Within the Lutheran Church there is a disconcerting level of
divergence
2. as to how best to interpret the Scriptures and to what extent and in what
ways
3. biblical authority informs, shapes and norms the life of the individual
Christian
4. and the Church, and;
5.
Whereas, There is a crucial need to work toward a consensus on a biblical
6. hermeneutic and the most appropriate methods of biblical interpretation which
7. foster the most accurate understanding and faithful interpretation of the
8. therapeutic, informative, prophetic, pastoral and normative message of the
9. Scriptures and its impact on the life of the individual Christian and the
corporate
10. life of the Church, and;
11.
Whereas, The Lutheran Confessions rightfully question any authoritarian
12. or ecclesial structure which usurps the ultimate authority of the Gospel of
Jesus
13. Christ; the Lutheran Confessions simultaneously affirm the authority of the
14. Scriptures, historically respecting the plain sense of Scripture opened to
us by the
15. Holy Spirit and rightly divided into law and gospel; the Lutheran
Confessions,
16. likewise, call the Church to foster faithful and sustained dialogue with the
17. Scriptures regarding complex and controversial issues of faith and life
while
18. avoiding both ecclesial authoritarianism on one extreme and individual,
19. parochial and congregational autonomy and subjectivism on the other, and;
20.
Whereas, There is an urgent need to summon and harness the talents and
21. resources of the Church's brightest and best to help guide the Church in a
22. sustained, faithful and ongoing conversation with the Scriptures and the
Lutheran
23. Confessions regarding complex and difficult matters of faith and life, and;
24.
Whereas, There is a compelling need to facilitate faithful conversation
with the
25. Scriptures and to foster a functional and sustainable consensus from within
which
26. major theological / ethical / doctrinal decisions can then be forged in
order to
27. enhance the health, mission and well being of the Church, to increase the
levels of
28. trust and to strengthen the bonds of community, fellowship and mutual
ministry,
29. and
30.
Whereas, Even modest progress toward achieving a workable resolution of
these
31. more basic and foundational matters can enhance the future health and well
being
32. of the Lutheran Church and foster a climate more conducive to the qualities
and
33. gifts of faithfulness, resiliency, steadfastness, wisdom, discipleship and
hope
34. amidst the uncertainties and vicissitudes posed by present and future
challenges,
35. and;
36.
Whereas, An increasing clarity surrounding the Church’s theological
grounding
37. and understanding of the authority and proper interpretation and application
of
38. Scripture, can better equip and strengthen the Church in addressing numerous
39. other matters of significant theological and ethical gravity currently
facing the
40. Church, thus, rendering the Church less vulnerable to forces which otherwise
41. have the potential to generate much confusion, dissension and pain
throughout the
42. Church, and;
43.
Whereas, Continued confusion surrounding the authority of Scripture and
the
44. inability to develop a credible and coherent method for the interpretation
and
45. normative application of the truth revealed in the Scriptures is one of the
most
46. perilous deficiencies that threaten to undermine and weaken the life and
mission
47. of the modern Church in general and Protestantism in particular, and;
48.
Whereas, The constitutions of this Church (Churchwide, Synod, and
49. Congregation) “confess the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments
50. are the written Word of God. Inspired by God's Spirit speaking through their
51. authors, they record and announce God's revelation centering in Jesus
Christ.
52. Through them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith
and
53. fellowship for service in the world.” Furthermore, this Church “accepts
the
54. canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of
God
55. and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and
life.” and;
56.
Whereas, The Conference of Bishops has, “Called on ELCA members to
unite in
57. prayer, read Scripture and Luther's Large Catechism, participate in weekly
58. worship, study theology, practice forgiveness, invite people to a faith
community
59. and serve and love in Christ's name." and;
60.
Whereas, For the sake of the Gospel, as well as the health and well being
of the
61. Church’s life and ministry, there is an urgent need to summon the whole
Church
62. to a renewed focus on our call as Baptized people to a life of prayer,
discipleship,
63. sanctification and theological discernment; therefore be it
64.
Resolved, that the North Carolina Lutheran Synod
memorialize the ELCA and the
65. 2005 Churchwide Assembly to join with the appropriate church wide agencies,
66. synods, seminaries, congregations and others across the ELCA in an ongoing
67. effort to address issues surrounding the authority of Scripture, the
development of
68. a coherent and credible hermeneutic that is faithful to the Gospel as
revealed most
69. clearly in Jesus Christ, God’s Living Word, and to develop an ecclesial
climate,
70. process and means for fostering healthy and spirited conversation which
faithfully
71. relates the truths revealed in the Scriptures and affirmed in the Lutheran
72. Confessions to the faith and life of both individual Christians and the
corporate
73. life of the whole Church. And
74.
Resolved, that the appropriate church wide agencies in cooperation
with synods,
75. seminaries, congregations and others across the ELCA develop a specific
plan,
76. process, procedure and schedule for addressing these concerns and that a
77. progress report be presented at the 2007 ELCA Assembly.
Respectfully
submitted: The Covenant Theological Workgroup: The Rev. Dr. Leonard H.
Bolick,
Bishop; The Rev. Dr. Richard C. Little; The Rev. Dr. Jane Mitcham; The Rev. Dr.
Gary A. Weant;
The Rev. Dr. J.
Larry Yoder
BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BASIS
AND CONTEXT
FOR
THE PROPOSED
Resolution Urging The N.C. Synod And The ELCA To
Engage In
Study and Conversation Regarding Foundational Biblical, Theological and
Ecclesial Issues
During
the past two and a half years, it has become quite evident to
The Covenant Theological Workgroup that a confluence of some very
significant foundational issues, coupled with a noticeable degree of confusion
surrounding theological and biblical interpretation, have contributed to and
greatly complicated the present controversy within which the ELCA is so
embroiled. Certainly the issue of homosexuality is the most visible "flash
point" at the moment, but there
are a number of very basic, substantive and foundational issues contributing to
the present controversy and driving the current debate. Regrettably, within the
Lutheran Church there is a disconcerting level of divergence as to how best to
interpret the Scriptures and to what extent and in what ways Biblical Authority
informs, shapes and norms the life of the individual Christian and the Church.
Consequently, we are concerned about the long term health, life and mission of
The Lutheran Church in North America with reference to the following matters:
1. We have
concerns regarding the Authority of Scripture and the development of a coherent
and credible hermeneutic that is faithful to the Gospel as revealed most clearly
in Jesus
Christ, God’s Living Word. There is a crucial need to work toward a
consensus on a biblical hermeneutic (method of biblical interpretation) which
fosters the most accurate understanding and faithful interpretation of the
therapeutic, informative, prophetic, pastoral and normative message of the
Scriptures and its impact on the life of the individual Christian and the
corporate life of the Church.
2. Assuming that the previous needs are both
necessary and possible, how can Lutherans, in the absence of an authoritative
Papacy and an ecclesial authority that the Lutheran
Confessions rightfully question, affirm the authority of Scripture without
degenerating into the subjective individualism, ideological / theological
factionalism and congregational parochialism that continue to fragment, splinter
and dilute the message and ministry in much of present day Protestantism? As is
well known and documented, the fundamentalists go their way, the liberals go
another way, the moderates of varying degrees dribble out across this continuum
in an ever-expanding variety of perspectives – with every group citing the
mantra of "Scripture" as the basis for their stance. Or stated in
other terms, is there a way for the Lutheran Church to develop a process or
mechanism for fostering faithful and sustained dialogue with the Scriptures
regarding complex and controversial issues of faith and life while avoiding both
the demon of ecclesial authoritarianism on one extreme and the demon of
individual, parochial and congregational autonomy and subjectivism on the other?
3. In light of these concerns we voice the
following question: Would it be possible for the Lutheran Church to
conceptualize and fashion – for lack of a better term – some form of "a
teaching magisterium"? The
explicit purpose of “a teaching magisterium” would be twofold: First,
such a group would summon the talents and resources of the Church's brightest
and best to help guide the Church in a sustained, faithful and ongoing
conversation with the Scriptures and the
Lutheran Confessions regarding complex and difficult matters of faith and
life. Second, this group would strive to facilitate faithful conversation
with the Scriptures and to foster a functional and sustainable consensus from
within which major theological/ethical/doctrinal decisions could then be made. A
persuasive case can be made which argues that the health of the Church is
frequently undermined and that schisms often result when major decisions are
made before an adequate consensus is attained. If no consensus is possible on a
given issue, the goal of “a teaching magisterium” would be to foster a
working consensus that we “agree to disagree” until such time as new
revelations or insights make it possible for the Church to move beyond a given
impasse.
4. In the predecessor bodies prior to the
formation of the ELCA, and particularly in the LCA, the seminary faculties
served as an informal, collegial and collaborative forum or “ad hoc
magisterium” within which major theological and ethical issues were debated
and discussed. Sharing a significant degree of theological and ethnic
homogeneity, and knit together by a discernable degree of trust and mutual
respect, this arrangement provided a reasonably stable and credible environment
for fostering spirited debate within the bounds of civility while also
maintaining a sensitivity to the health and well being of the whole Church.
While being far from perfect, this informal arrangement at least provided a
method and place for a general consensus to emerge from which the Church could
draw in addressing major ethical and theological issues. As is inevitable in
almost any merger or formation of a new organization, old dynamics and patterns
change or evolve into new or different ways of doing things. Since the formation
of the ELCA, this informal “ad
hoc magisterium”, which had served the predecessor bodies reasonably well,
has no longer been available.
5.
To some extent
the Conference of Bishops has on a few occasions attempted to fulfill some of
the tasks of “a teaching magisterium.”
However, the frenzied pace of life, expectations and responsibilities of
Bishops – as well as Pastors and teaching Theologians– often make it
difficult to fulfill faithfully their pastoral, teaching and scholarly
responsibilities. In some ways, the Social Statements of the predecessor bodies
as well as the ELCA Social and Teaching Statements have also attempted to
accomplish some of the tasks of “a teaching magisterium.” Unfortunately and
often unfairly, the groups that develop such Social Statements are frequently
perceived as "too invisible”, “too bound to the impersonal
bureaucracy,” “too unaccountable,” and too often dismissed as the work of
narrow “special- interest groups” within the Church.
6. Perhaps, it would be possible for the
Conference of Bishops and the ELCA to develop some mechanism and process that
might serve the Church by functioning as "a teaching magisterium." If and how such an entity could be formed, maintained, and
incorporated into the life of the ELCA remains to be seen. We are under no
illusions as to the challenges and difficulties such an effort would entail.
Despite the enormity of such a task, we are of the opinion that of all people,
Lutherans are in the best position, biblically, theologically and historically
to address the challenge. There is a chronic and crucial
need to affirm "The Authority of Scripture" and its proper
interpretation in such a way that serves as an alternative to both the ecclesial
authoritarianism in Roman Catholicism and the individualized, subjective
autonomy that is uncritically embraced by both the fundamentalistic and liberal
elements of the Church in the modern world. In our opinion, confusion
surrounding the Authority of Scripture and the inability to develop a credible
and coherent method for the interpretation and normative application of the
truth revealed in the Scriptures is one of the most perilous deficiencies that
threatens to undermine and weaken the life and mission of the modern Church in
general and Protestantism in particular. Both history and the Scriptures remind
us that nature abhors a vacuum. In the absence of a clear sense of the norm and
source of Ultimate Truth, made visible in the life, teachings, death and
Resurrection of Jesus
Christ - God’s Living Word, a vacuum ensues which renders the Church
vulnerable to the idolatry of every partial and lesser truth imaginable. Devoid
of an effort and mechanism for fostering an environment of conversation in
dialogue with the truths revealed in the Scriptures and attested to in the
Confessions, we are deeply concerned that the Lutheran Church will continue to
be splintered, fragmented and hobbled by a growing degree of suspicion and
mistrust. Divorced from any sense of a transcendent vision of truth, the Church
will likely face a growing cacophony of strident voices fueled by increasing
individualism, parochialism and the endless proliferation of ideologies driven
more by the seductive lure of power than a humble and sustained, Spirit led,
seeking of the love and will of God.
7. In the view of The
Covenant Theological Workgroup, the current debate and controversy over
"homosexuality" is to a significant degree the result of these more
basic and substantive issues that to date have not been adequately addressed.
Without a suitable resolution of these more basic and foundational matters, the
future health and well being of the Lutheran Church will remain tenuous and
subject to future crises, even if the ELCA survives the current controversy over
homosexuality. Without a clear theological grounding and understanding of the
Authority and proper interpretation and application of Scripture, there are
numerous other matters of significant theological and ethical gravity currently
facing the Church which have the potential to generate similar levels of
controversy and possible schism. For the sake of the Gospel, as well as the
health and well being of the Church’s life and ministry, The Covenant Theological Workgroup would very much like to join our
voice with others who wish to summon the whole Church to a renewed focus on our
call as Baptized people to a life of prayer, discipleship, sanctification and
theological discernment. In this context, we encourage pastors, bishops,
congregations, lay persons, theologians and the whole Church to join together in
a sustained conversation as to how we as The Lutheran Church in North America
might most faithfully and adequately address the foundational issues surrounding
the Authority, interpretation and application of Scripture and the formation of
-- for lack of a better term at present-- “a teaching magisterium” in the
life of the Church.
Concluding Prayer
“Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with
all truth and peace, Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,
direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right,
strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite
it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son our Savior.
Amen.
—Lutheran
Book of Worship, page 45.
Gratefully
submitted,
The Covenant Theological Workgroup
The
Rev. Dr. Leonard H. Bolick, Bishop
The Rev. Dr. Richard C. Little
The Rev. Dr. Jane Mitcham
The Rev. Dr. Gary A. Weant
The Rev. Dr. J. Larry Yoder
