Fackre, Gabriel J. Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998

Scully, Eileen

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 26
Issue 1 The Baptismal Journey: Adventures on the
River of Life
Article 19
5-1-2000
Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions
and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and
Roman Catholic churches
Eileen Scully
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Scully, Eileen (2000) "Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman
Catholic churches," Consensus: Vol. 26 : Iss. 1 , Article 19.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol26/iss1/19
138 Consensus
Affirmations and Admonitions: Lutheran Decisions and Dialogue
with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic Churches
Gabriel Fackre and Michael Root
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998
124 pages, $25.99 Softcover
The 1997 Hein-Fry lectures at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
seminaries shone a probing spotlight on the prominent bilateral dialogues in
which the ELCA presently finds itself engaged. In the six lectures that make up
the body of this book, Gabriel Fackre and Michael Root provide an insightful
survey of the key theological issues involved in three ecumenical proposals: The
Lutheran-Reformed Formula of Agreement (to establish full communion
between the ELCA and three Reformed Churches); the Episcopal-Lutheran
Concordat (to establish full communion between the ELCA and the Episcopal
Church, GSA); and the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification. While other agreed statements and proposals for full
communion (such as Waterloo and Porvoo) do appear as occasional reference
points, the book is clearly centred on these three proposals. This focus is one of
the elements that provides a concrete and practical foundation for the book, and
this foundation is extremely helpful: the theological issues dealt with are heady
and heavy, difficult and challenging issues of ecclesiology and soteriology, and
yet the specific focus lends a concrete immediacy to these issues that is helpful.
The lecture format carries into the book to make the chapters well-paced and
accessible to those not steeped in theological and ecumenical jargon.
That the votes were taken on these proposals in the summer of 1997, and
that other chapters now need to be written does not detract from the usefulness
of this book. This is due in part to the care with which Root and Fackre each
search for the heart of the theological question(s) at stake in each dialogue and
ecumenical proposal. It is also due, perhaps more importantly, to the
contribution that their work makes to Lutheran theological self-understanding in
light of these ecumenical dialogues. If it is a truism of the ecumenical movement
that one discovers and learns about oneself in dialogue with another tradition
perhaps as much or more so than of the other tradition, it is a truism that bears
fruit when that self-learning is teased out and reflected upon.
Gabriel Fackre contributed three lectures/chapters to the book, in which he
reflects on Lutheran charisms brought to other churches, Lutheran learnings,
and the life of congregations in the context of ecumenical agreements. Perhaps
the strongest section of these essays is when he asks “well, what is the special
Lutheran charism?” In the theological context of the Joint Declaration on
Justification, Fackre points out, justification is - as ever - the special gift brought
by Lutherans to the ecumenical gift exchange. But more, the gift is brought with
Book Reviews 139
particularly Lutheran wrapping, which he describes as the heritage of Lutheran
piety, theology and practice in 1) a “condescension Christology” of divine
solidarity with us and 2) the simultaneity of simul iustus et peccator. Divine
solidarity, the capax serves to shape admonitions of Reformed traditions, a
corrective offered to Reformed emphases on divine sovereignty that can lead to
either predestination or universalism. To Episcopal dialogue partners the same
challenges are raised, along with the question of whether emphasis on the
historic episcopate to ensure apostolicity has not diminished apostolic faith, the
fruit of divine solidarity. In the following chapter, Fackre reflects on gifts and
admonitions received from dialogue partners, which he names as “Sovereignty
and Sanctification”.
Michael Root’s lectures start from very practical questions: “What are we
doing? Should we do it? and What difference does it make?” In a first chapter,
on the nature of Christian unity as gift of grace, he is careful to draw our attention
to the theological point that it is not our job to create the unity of Christ’s church.
Our work, rather, is to seek to live out that unity given in Christ. In the chapters
that follow Root searches out the criteria for this “living out” of the unity to which
we are called. Here, the difficult dialogue sticking points are explored in careful
detail. For the LWF-Vatican dialogue, having reached agreement on such a
fundamental point of doctrine as justification, members had to consider whether
the disagreements that remain pose an obstacle to shared proclamation of the
gospel. The answer of the Joint Declaration is “no”. The criteria issue here
centres on priority of the gospel. Well-drawn out treatments of the issue of real
presence (ELCA-Reformed agreement) and episcopacy (ELCA-ECGSA
Concordat) follow. The book concludes with a chapter written after the votes
were taken. Reflecting on the narrow defeat of the Concordat and on its revising.
Root reminds us that “ecumenical decisions are also in part decisions about self-
identity”. In a powerful further reminder of what the Protestant traditions have
brought to shape the ecumenical movement, he adds, “Will the ELCA realize a
vision of a church which is serious about the theological heritage of the
Reformation and for that reason seeks the greatest unity possible with the
theological, liturgical, and institutional heritage of the church catholic?” (121).
Eileen Scully
Waterloo, ON


Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 26Issue 1 The Baptismal Journey: Adventures on theRiver of LifeArticle 195-1-2000Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisionsand dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, andRoman Catholic churchesEileen ScullyFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationScully, Eileen (2000) "Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and RomanCatholic churches," Consensus: Vol. 26 : Iss. 1 , Article 19.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol26/iss1/19138 ConsensusAffirmations and Admonitions: Lutheran Decisions and Dialoguewith Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic ChurchesGabriel Fackre and Michael RootGrand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998124 pages, $25.99 SoftcoverThe 1997 Hein-Fry lectures at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Americaseminaries shone a probing spotlight on the prominent bilateral dialogues inwhich the ELCA presently finds itself engaged. In the six lectures that make upthe body of this book, Gabriel Fackre and Michael Root provide an insightfulsurvey of the key theological issues involved in three ecumenical proposals: TheLutheran-Reformed Formula of Agreement (to establish full communionbetween the ELCA and three Reformed Churches); the Episcopal-LutheranConcordat (to establish full communion between the ELCA and the EpiscopalChurch, GSA); and the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on theDoctrine of Justification. While other agreed statements and proposals for fullcommunion (such as Waterloo and Porvoo) do appear as occasional referencepoints, the book is clearly centred on these three proposals. This focus is one ofthe elements that provides a concrete and practical foundation for the book, andthis foundation is extremely helpful: the theological issues dealt with are headyand heavy, difficult and challenging issues of ecclesiology and soteriology, andyet the specific focus lends a concrete immediacy to these issues that is helpful.The lecture format carries into the book to make the chapters well-paced andaccessible to those not steeped in theological and ecumenical jargon.That the votes were taken on these proposals in the summer of 1997, andthat other chapters now need to be written does not detract from the usefulnessof this book. This is due in part to the care with which Root and Fackre eachsearch for the heart of the theological question(s) at stake in each dialogue andecumenical proposal. It is also due, perhaps more importantly, to thecontribution that their work makes to Lutheran theological self-understanding inlight of these ecumenical dialogues. If it is a truism of the ecumenical movementthat one discovers and learns about oneself in dialogue with another traditionperhaps as much or more so than of the other tradition, it is a truism that bearsfruit when that self-learning is teased out and reflected upon.Gabriel Fackre contributed three lectures/chapters to the book, in which hereflects on Lutheran charisms brought to other churches, Lutheran learnings,and the life of congregations in the context of ecumenical agreements. Perhapsthe strongest section of these essays is when he asks “well, what is the specialLutheran charism?” In the theological context of the Joint Declaration onJustification, Fackre points out, justification is - as ever - the special gift broughtby Lutherans to the ecumenical gift exchange. But more, the gift is brought withBook Reviews 139particularly Lutheran wrapping, which he describes as the heritage of Lutheranpiety, theology and practice in 1) a “condescension Christology” of divinesolidarity with us and 2) the simultaneity of simul iustus et peccator. Divinesolidarity, the capax serves to shape admonitions of Reformed traditions, acorrective offered to Reformed emphases on divine sovereignty that can lead toeither predestination or universalism. To Episcopal dialogue partners the samechallenges are raised, along with the question of whether emphasis on thehistoric episcopate to ensure apostolicity has not diminished apostolic faith, thefruit of divine solidarity. In the following chapter, Fackre reflects on gifts andadmonitions received from dialogue partners, which he names as “Sovereigntyand Sanctification”.Michael Root’s lectures start from very practical questions: “What are wedoing? Should we do it? and What difference does it make?” In a first chapter,on the nature of Christian unity as gift of grace, he is careful to draw our attentionto the theological point that it is not our job to create the unity of Christ’s church.Our work, rather, is to seek to live out that unity given in Christ. In the chaptersthat follow Root searches out the criteria for this “living out” of the unity to whichwe are called. Here, the difficult dialogue sticking points are explored in carefuldetail. For the LWF-Vatican dialogue, having reached agreement on such afundamental point of doctrine as justification, members had to consider whetherthe disagreements that remain pose an obstacle to shared proclamation of thegospel. The answer of the Joint Declaration is “no”. The criteria issue herecentres on priority of the gospel. Well-drawn out treatments of the issue of realpresence (ELCA-Reformed agreement) and episcopacy (ELCA-ECGSAConcordat) follow. The book concludes with a chapter written after the voteswere taken. Reflecting on the narrow defeat of the Concordat and on its revising.Root reminds us that “ecumenical decisions are also in part decisions about self-identity”. In a powerful further reminder of what the Protestant traditions havebrought to shape the ecumenical movement, he adds, “Will the ELCA realize avision of a church which is serious about the theological heritage of theReformation and for that reason seeks the greatest unity possible with thetheological, liturgical, and institutional heritage of the church catholic?” (121).Eileen ScullyWaterloo, ON

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Affirmations and admonitions: Lutheran decisions and dialogue with Reformed, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic churches

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