C. F. W. Walther
Encyclopedia
Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887) was the first President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
and its most influential theologian
. He is commemorated by that church on its Calendar of Saints
on May 7.
(part of modern-day Germany
), Walther enrolled at the University of Leipzig
to study theology
in October 1829. He had to take six months off from the university due to a nearly-fatal lung disease; during the time off he acquainted himself with the works of Martin Luther
, and became convinced that Luther's theology clearly taught the doctrines of Holy Scripture. After graduation, he worked for three years as a private tutor in the town of Kahla
.
On January 15, 1837, he was ordained as a pastor in the town of Bräunsdorf, Saxony. He was soon at odds with the government of Saxony, because he believed it departed from the faith and practice of historic Lutheranism
and promoted false doctrine
.
from Dresden
. In November 1838, 800 Saxon immigrants left for America
, hoping for the freedom to practice their religious beliefs. The settlers arrived in New Orleans
on January 5, 1839, and the majority of immigrants settled in the area of St. Louis, Missouri
. Stephan served initially as the Bishop
of the new settlement, but, having been charged with corruption and sexual misconduct, was swiftly expelled from the settlement, leaving Walther as one of the most well-respected clergymen remaining. Walther served as the minister at Dresden (later absorbed into the nearby town of Altenburg), in Perry County, Missouri
until 1841, when he was called to be minister of his late brother's congregation in St. Louis, Missouri
.
On April 26, 1847, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod was founded. Walther served as its first president, a position he held from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878.
During his forty years of involvement in the church, Walther held several positions, including that of president of Concordia Seminary
, St. Louis (founded at Perry County, Missouri
in 1838), President of Concordia Theological Seminary
, now of Fort Wayne, Indiana
(1861), and founder of the St. Louis Lutheran Bible Society (1853). He also began and edited several Lutheran periodicals, including Der Lutheraner and Lehre und Wehre. He wrote a number of theological books; perhaps the best known is The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel.
Walther also vigorously opposed the theologies of non-Lutheran denominations in America
, the influence of the major secular
philosophies and movements upon Lutheran thought and practice and defended the doctrinal and cultural heritage of the Lutheran Church.
He died in St. Louis on May 7, 1887, and was buried at Concordia Cemetery, where a mausoleum was later built in his honor.
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
and its most influential theologian
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
. He is commemorated by that church on its Calendar of Saints
Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
on May 7.
Early
Born a pastor's son in Langenchursdorf in the Kingdom of SaxonyKingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
(part of modern-day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), Walther enrolled at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
to study theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in October 1829. He had to take six months off from the university due to a nearly-fatal lung disease; during the time off he acquainted himself with the works of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, and became convinced that Luther's theology clearly taught the doctrines of Holy Scripture. After graduation, he worked for three years as a private tutor in the town of Kahla
Kahla
Kahla is also the name of a village in Iran's Zanjan Province.----Kahla is a town in the Saale-Holzland district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, 14 km south of Jena....
.
On January 15, 1837, he was ordained as a pastor in the town of Bräunsdorf, Saxony. He was soon at odds with the government of Saxony, because he believed it departed from the faith and practice of historic Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and promoted false doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
.
Controversy over Stephan
Walther and many others who opposed the Saxon government's religious policies came together under the leadership of a pastor holding similar views, Martin StephanMartin Stephan
Martin Stephan was pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Dresden, Germany during the early 19th century. He organized the Saxon emigration to the United States in the early 19th century.- Biography :...
from Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. In November 1838, 800 Saxon immigrants left for America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, hoping for the freedom to practice their religious beliefs. The settlers arrived in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on January 5, 1839, and the majority of immigrants settled in the area of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Stephan served initially as the Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the new settlement, but, having been charged with corruption and sexual misconduct, was swiftly expelled from the settlement, leaving Walther as one of the most well-respected clergymen remaining. Walther served as the minister at Dresden (later absorbed into the nearby town of Altenburg), in Perry County, Missouri
Perry County, Missouri
Perry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...
until 1841, when he was called to be minister of his late brother's congregation in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
The Altenburg Debates
Following this crisis of leadership, considerable debate filled the settlement over the proper role of the church in the New World: was it a new church, or did it remain within the German Lutheran hierarchy? Walther's position, derived from his reading of Luther during a long convalescence, prevailed: this was a new church, free of prior strictures and structures.Walther's ministry
In May 1841 Walther became Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Louis, a position he held until his death. Later that year, on September 21, he married Emilie Buenger; six children issued from this union.On April 26, 1847, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod was founded. Walther served as its first president, a position he held from 1847 to 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878.
During his forty years of involvement in the church, Walther held several positions, including that of president of Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is located in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb on the western border of St. Louis, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . The current president of...
, St. Louis (founded at Perry County, Missouri
Perry County, Missouri
Perry County is a county located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 18,132. In 2008 the population was estimated to be 18,743. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 from Ste...
in 1838), President of Concordia Theological Seminary
Concordia Theological Seminary
The Concordia Theological Seminary is an institution of theological higher education of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod , located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dedicated primarily to the preparation of pastors for the congregations and missions of the LCMS...
, now of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
(1861), and founder of the St. Louis Lutheran Bible Society (1853). He also began and edited several Lutheran periodicals, including Der Lutheraner and Lehre und Wehre. He wrote a number of theological books; perhaps the best known is The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel.
Walther also vigorously opposed the theologies of non-Lutheran denominations in America
Religion in the United States
Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity in religious beliefs and practices, and by a high adherence level. According to recent surveys, 83 percent of Americans claim to belong to a religious denomination, 40 percent claim to attend services nearly every week or...
, the influence of the major secular
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
philosophies and movements upon Lutheran thought and practice and defended the doctrinal and cultural heritage of the Lutheran Church.
He died in St. Louis on May 7, 1887, and was buried at Concordia Cemetery, where a mausoleum was later built in his honor.
See also
- Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodLutheran Church - Missouri SynodThe Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
- Neo-LutheranismNeo-LutheranismNeo-Lutheranism was a 19th century revival movement within Lutheranism which began with the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening, and developed in reaction against theological rationalism and pietism...
- Confessional LutheranConfessional LutheranConfessional Lutheran is a name used by certain Lutheran Christians to designate themselves as those who accept the doctrines taught in the Book of Concord of 1580 in their entirety, because they believe them to be completely faithful to the teachings of the Bible...
- Walther (film)
External links
- Concordia Historical Institute
- Finding aid for C.F.W. Walther Papers at Concordia Historical Institute, Saint Louis, Missouri
- Studium Excitare: Biography of C.F.W. Walther by Daniel W. Waldschmidt
- Walther, 2011 film by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
- Graebner, August Lawrence. Half a Century of Sound Lutherianism in America: A Brief Sketch of the History of the Missouri Synod. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1893.
- Steffens, Diedrich Henry. Doctor Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther. Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1917.
- Wolf, Edmund Jacob. The Lutherans in America; a story of struggle, progress, influence and marvelous growth. New York: J.A. Hill, 1889.