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LOGIA is published quarterly (Epiphany, Eastertide, Holy Trinity, and Reformation).                                      

33:2 (Eastertide 2024) — Lutheran Church Relations

Christianity was born into a time of unparalleled interconnectivity. One could travel safely at greater distances than ever before thanks to the Roman Empire. One could communicate more easily throughout that same empire thanks to the Hellenism cultivated by Alexander the Great and those who followed him. Ideas could spread quickly and widely. Networks expanded. The world became smaller.

At the time of the Reformation, a similar development had arisen. The printing press hastened the spread of ideas of every sort, especially religious thought. Martin Luther recognized the opportunity and made the most of it, producing treatises that could be sold (or smuggled) throughout Europe. Reformers communicated regularly. Pulpits echoed sermons produced elsewhere when the preaching was insufficient otherwise for the time being.

We too well know life in a changing and more connected world. The interconnectivity of our day has inspired both utopian dreams and dystopian fears. Thousands of years of history, libraries of texts, the cultural history of countless peoples and times await at our fingertips. The world seems smaller than ever before. Contemporary Lutheranism has been shaped by these developments. At home (wherever that is) and abroad (from wherever home is), Lutherans have made new contacts, reexamined old, and sought to understand themselves better to comprehend their place in the larger context of an increasingly connected world. As the world has gotten smaller, new and seemingly bigger challenges face Lutherans today.

Across time and space Lutheranism as we know it today is the product of networks, conversations, and personalities gathered around and engaged with the Scriptures. We are thankful for the work the Lord is doing in churches abroad. We recognize the importance of wrestling with casuistry and pastoral theology for the benefit of our flocks as new questions and challenges arise, both in the mission field and at home. We understand the importance of recognizing, not only where differences have emerged in theology historically, but why and how they emerged. Lutheran church relations matter as much today as ever before, and this issue is devoted to understanding and strengthening those relations.

33:3 (Holy Trinity 2024) — Forgiveness & Reconciliation

With the fruit plucked and eaten, sin entered the world in Eden as Adam and Eve turned from the word of the Lord and chose to believe the ancient serpent who leads the whole world astray. Ever after, sin has remained a problem. Really, it is the problem.

Man has tried over and over again to find a solution to the problem of sin. With each attempt, he finds a new way that does not work. That is because the solution to the problem of sin cannot come from man. The solution to the problem of sin must come from the Lord. Forgiveness of sin is the solution to the problem. Forgiveness can only come from the Lord. Jesus accomplished forgiveness, and yet a challenge remains: how does that forgiveness come to the sinner? Even here, the Lord is the one who works to forge this connection through the gospel in word and sacrament.

This topic of forgiveness remains one of vital importance for Lutheran theology. Sadly, it is too often taken for granted. The means of grace that convey forgiveness are not appreciated. Indeed, some seek substitutes for these treasures but only have the appearance of strength or wisdom and leave one clutching at folly and weakness. So also, the office of the holy ministry, which distributes the treasures of the gospel to souls in need of comfort, is not appreciated for the gift of God that it is. In addition, errors in the area of forgiveness bring significant damage not only to souls but also to congregations and church bodies to which those souls belong.

The editors of LOGIA are excited to bring this issue on the forgiveness of sins to our readers. The articles deal with the important topic of forgiveness and its implications for the church. It is interesting to see how the themes Theodor Kliefoth was addressing in the nineteenth century are in need of continued discussion. Aaron Moldenhauer touches on some of the same issues that continue to have similar implications today. Both point back to the importance of the forgiveness of sins and how the Scriptures remain a vital tool in working toward reconciliation. Roger Uitti gives us a chance to contemplate more fully the consequences of sin and the power of absolution and forgiveness as he discusses the account of David and Nathan. Jason Lane brings Kleifoth’s work on confession and absolution to our attention in his article. Richard Serina Jr. asks readers to wrestle with the concept of conscience and traces how we have come to the understanding of conscience most have in the world today. Finally, Werner Klän gives readers the opportunity to examine “the third sacrament” of confession and repentance through the lens of the Lutheran Confessions. This final article is a “LOGIA Classic” that originally appeared in Holy Trinity 2011, Volume XX, Number 3.

We hope that readers will find plenty in this issue to edify them concerning this more important topic. The forgiveness of sins can be overshadowed at times, but the articles here are an opportunity to consider this important teaching once again. May the Spirit bless your reading!

Jason Oakland, for the editors

33:4 (Reformation 2024) — Homiletics Today